Moving from the UK to Poland (2026): Complete Guide

Moving from the UK to Poland means relocating between two European countries — but since Brexit, the UK sits outside the EU’s customs union and outside EU free-movement rules, while Poland is a full EU and Schengen member. That combination catches a lot of people out: some assume this is still a "free" intra-EU move, others assume it will be as bureaucratic as moving to a non-European country entirely. In reality it’s a middle ground — genuine customs paperwork and immigration formalities apply, but both come with dedicated relief and simplified routes built specifically for people relocating their home. This guide is for a UK resident (of any nationality) permanently relocating their household and, usually, their car and pets, to Poland.

Key takeaways

• Your household goods can move to Poland duty- and VAT-free under the "mienie przesiedlenia" (transfer of residence) relief, provided you’ve lived outside the EU for 12+ months and owned/used the goods for 6+ months — this is not automatic, it must be claimed at the customs declaration (Podatki.gov.pl, European Commission).
• You no longer have automatic freedom of movement into Poland. Since the UK left the EU, a stay over 90 days requires a Polish national (D-type) visa followed by a temporary residence permit (Poland in the UK, UDSC).
• Tell HMRC you’re leaving using form P85, or the residence pages (SA109) of your Self Assessment return if you already file one (GOV.UK).
• Your GHIC/EHIC stops covering you once you live in Poland — it’s for temporary visits only; most working-age movers enrol in Poland’s NFZ instead, while pensioners/posted workers may qualify for an S1 (NHSBSA, NFZ).
• Exporting a car permanently means completing the V5C "permanent export" section for DVLA before you leave the UK, then registering it in Poland as a third-country import within 30 days, including a technical inspection (GOV.UK, Brexit.gov.pl).
• Pet passports can no longer be used at all when travelling from Great Britain — since a rule change on 22 April 2026 this applies even to EU-issued passports obtained before Brexit — you need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) from an Official Veterinarian within 10 days of travel, for every trip (GOV.UK, Your Europe).
• You must swap your UK driving licence for a Polish one once you’ve lived in Poland for 185 days or more (Gov.pl).

1. What actually applies: goods relief, but real immigration rules

Because the UK left the EU customs union at the end of the Brexit transition period, moving your household goods to Poland is technically an import from a "third country" — it is not the customs-free intra-EU shipment you’d get moving between, say, France and Germany. In practice, though, Poland (like every EU country) implements the EU’s transfer-of-normal-residence relief under Council Regulation 1186/2009: if you’ve been resident outside the EU for at least 12 consecutive months and you’ve owned and used the goods for at least 6 months, you can bring them in with no customs duty, provided you declare them (with a two-copy inventory), they’re for personal, non-commercial use, and you don’t dispose of them for 12 months after import. Poland applies a parallel VAT-relief provision to the same relocation scenario, so in practice import VAT is normally waived too — but duty and VAT relief sit on separate legal bases, so it’s worth having your mover confirm both are being claimed, not just one (Podatki.gov.pl, European Commission). This relief is exactly what a professional mover files on your behalf — it is the single most important piece of paperwork in the whole move.

On the people side, the position is the opposite of a "free movement" story. UK nationals lost automatic EU free-movement rights when the transition period ended, so unless you already had residence rights secured under the Withdrawal Agreement before 1 January 2021, you’re treated like any other third-country national (UDSC). For a stay beyond the 90-days-in-180-days Schengen limit you need a Polish national (D-type) visa applied for at the Polish Consulate in London before you travel, followed by registration and a temporary residence permit once you’re in Poland (Poland in the UK).

If you still need to book the removal – price ranges, what is included and the questions to ask before you sign – see international movers in the UK.

2. Leaving the UK

• Tax residence. Tell HMRC you’re leaving to live abroad. If you don’t file Self Assessment, submit form P85 (with parts 2 and 3 of your P45 if you have them); if you do file Self Assessment, declare it via the residence pages (SA109) of your return. HMRC will use this to work out any refund and your split-year treatment (GOV.UK).
• Healthcare. Once you’re living in Poland you should stop using a UK GHIC/EHIC for routine care there — it only covers temporary visits. Most working-age movers rely on Polish NFZ cover instead (see section 4). If you’re a UK State Pensioner, posted worker, or frontier worker, you may be able to apply for an S1 up to 90 days before you move, which has the UK fund your state healthcare in Poland — but you must have a Polish address to register it (NHSBSA).
• Vehicle. If you’re taking your car permanently, fill in the "permanent export" section of your V5C logbook, detach and post it to DVLA, Swansea, keeping the rest of the logbook to register the car abroad. Any road tax refund due arrives within 4–6 weeks of DVLA receiving it (GOV.UK).
• Everything else. Cancel or redirect your GP registration, notify your local council you’re leaving (to stop Council Tax), and set up Royal Mail redirection — these are standard practical steps alongside the tax and vehicle formalities above.

3. How your household goods actually get to Poland

This is a road-and-ferry (or Channel Tunnel) corridor, not an air or sea-freight move. A typical routing for a UK-to-Poland household shipment: collection in the UK, a Channel crossing via Dover–Calais ferry or the Eurotunnel Folkestone–Calais shuttle, then continental road transport across Belgium, the Netherlands or Germany, and into Poland toward Poznań, Warsaw, or wherever you’re settling — roughly 1,700–1,900 km door-to-door depending on your exact UK and Polish addresses.

These are freight-industry estimates, not guarantees, since they depend on ferry/shuttle schedules, customs processing at both ends, and how your shipment is consolidated:

• Dedicated van/truck, direct load: typically 3–6 working days door-to-door.
• Shared-load (groupage) service: typically 1–3 weeks, since your goods travel alongside other customers’ shipments on a fixed departure schedule, which is cheaper but slower.

Whichever option you use, your mover will need your passport, proof of your previous 12-month UK address history, and the itemised inventory to file the transfer-of-residence customs declaration described in section 1.

4. Arriving and registering in Poland

Once you’re in Poland (on your D-type visa, if you needed one), the real work is registration — Poland does not have a single "one-stop" desk, so these steps run in sequence:

1. Address registration (zameldowanie). Register your address at the local commune/city office (Urząd Gminy). EU/EEA/Swiss nationals and their family members generally register within 30 days of a stay exceeding 3 months; the same offices handle third-country nationals like UK movers on their own timelines tied to the residence permit process (Gov.pl).
2. PESEL number. Registering your address for a stay over 30 days assigns you a PESEL — Poland’s national ID number, needed for almost everything from a bank account to a tax return (Gov.pl).
3. Temporary residence permit (zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy / "karta pobytu"). For a stay beyond your visa’s validity, apply through the Office for Foreigners’ electronic MOS portal (mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl) — since 27 April 2026 this is the only way to submit residence-permit applications; paper submissions are no longer accepted (UDSC).
4. Healthcare (NFZ). If you’re employed in Poland, your employer registers you with ZUS and your NFZ cover starts automatically. If you’re not employed (or waiting for a contract to start), you can sign a voluntary NFZ insurance agreement yourself, then register the contribution via ZUS (NFZ).
5. Tax number. Once you have a PESEL, it doubles as your personal tax identifier for income tax purposes — you generally don’t need a separate NIP unless you’re self-employed or running a business.
6. Driving licence. You can drive on your UK licence at first, but once you’ve lived in Poland 185 days or more you’re required to exchange it for a Polish one at your district communication office, submitting the original licence, a translation, proof of address, and a 100.50 PLN fee (Gov.pl).
7. Vehicle registration. A UK-registered car is now a third-country import. Register it within 30 days of bringing it in, at the starosty/city office covering your address, with a passed technical inspection; right-hand-drive cars need specific lighting adaptations for right-hand traffic, and vehicle excise tax applies based on engine size (Brexit.gov.pl).

5. Moving your pet

Since a rule change that took effect on 22 April 2026, a pet passport can no longer be used at all for entry into the EU when travelling from Great Britain — this now applies even to an EU-issued pet passport obtained before Brexit, which previously still worked. Instead, for most dogs, cats, and ferrets travelling from Great Britain you need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) for every trip — a document completed and signed by an Official Veterinarian no more than 10 days before you travel, confirming your pet is microchipped and vaccinated against rabies (GOV.UK). Once you’ve entered the EU, that same AHC can cover onward travel within the EU (and return to the UK) for up to 6 months, as long as the rabies vaccination stays valid. Poland, like every EU country, follows the shared EU pet-travel framework on microchipping and rabies vaccination for animals entering from outside the EU (Your Europe). Book your vet appointment for the AHC well in advance — it has to be timed close to your travel date, not done casually weeks ahead.

6. Money, banking, and things people forget

Poland uses the złoty (PLN), not the euro, so factor exchange rates and transfer fees into your budget rather than assuming eurozone costs. Opening a Polish bank account typically requires your PESEL number, so many movers keep using a UK account (or a multi-currency app) for the first few weeks while registration is in progress. Tell your UK bank, pension provider, and any subscriptions about your new address so post and verification codes don’t get stuck behind. Keep the non-detached part of your V5C, your customs inventory, and proof of your 12-month UK residence history somewhere accessible — Polish officials and your mover will ask for them separately at different stages, not all at once.

How Flyto handles your UK to Poland move

Flyto runs its own offices, warehouses, crews, and vehicles across Northern, Central, and Southern Europe, so the core of your move — collection in the UK, the Channel crossing, and delivery in Poland — is handled by teams we manage directly rather than handed off blind. Where a specific leg or local formality calls for it, we work through a carefully vetted network of partners and subcontractors, so you get consistent service without us pretending to be everywhere ourselves. We prepare the transfer-of-residence customs declaration and inventory with you so the duty-and-VAT relief in section 1 is claimed correctly the first time.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa to move from the UK to Poland?
For stays over 90 days, yes — a Polish national D-type visa applied for before travel, followed by a temporary residence permit once you’re there, unless you already held residence rights under the Withdrawal Agreement before 2021 (Poland in the UK, UDSC).

Will I pay customs duty or VAT on my furniture and belongings?
Not if you qualify for the transfer-of-residence ("mienie przesiedlenia") relief — 12 months’ prior residence outside the EU and 6 months’ ownership/use of the goods, declared with an inventory at import, and not disposed of for 12 months afterwards. Import VAT is normally waived too, under a parallel relief provision (Podatki.gov.pl).

Can I still use my NHS GHIC/EHIC once I’ve moved?
No — those cards are for temporary visits, not residents. Register with Poland’s NFZ instead, either automatically through an employer or via a voluntary agreement (NFZ).

Can I bring my car, and does it need to be re-registered?
Yes — export it via the V5C "permanent export" process in the UK, then register it in Poland within 30 days as a third-country import, including a technical inspection (GOV.UK, Brexit.gov.pl).

How long can I drive on my UK licence in Poland before I have to swap it?
Once you’ve lived in Poland for 185 days or more, you must exchange it for a Polish licence (Gov.pl).

What do I need to do to bring my dog or cat?
Get an Animal Health Certificate from an Official Veterinarian, issued no more than 10 days before travel. Since a rule change on 22 April 2026, a pet passport — even an EU-issued one from before Brexit — can no longer be used at all from Great Britain (GOV.UK).

Sources

• GOV.UK – Tax if you leave the UK to live abroad
• GOV.UK – Taking a vehicle out of the UK
• GOV.UK – Taking your pet abroad
• NHSBSA – Applying for healthcare cover for living abroad (S1)
• UDSC (Office for Foreigners) – After the end of the transition period
• Poland in the UK – D-type national visa
• UDSC – MOS residence-permit portal
• Gov.pl – Exchange a foreign driving licence for a Polish one
• Gov.pl – Get a PESEL number (service for foreigners)
• Brexit.gov.pl – Registering a vehicle imported from the UK
• Podatki.gov.pl – Mienie przesiedlenia (relief from customs duty)
• European Commission – Duty relief (Regulation 1186/2009)
• Your Europe – Travelling with pets and other animals in the EU
• NFZ – Jak się ubezpieczyć dobrowolnie