The Polish way of life has a few rules that no one tells you and that you notice on day three: the shop that is shut on Sunday, the formal way of addressing a stranger, the long weekend in early May when half the country disappears. Living in Poland is easy once you know them. Here is a short field guide, with only the rules we can source.
How do you address people in Polish?
Instead of "you", Poles address a person in the third person with Pan (Mr) and Pani (Mrs), and Państwo for several people: Czy Pan ma…? means literally "Does the gentleman have…?" and stands for "Do you have…?". Moving to first names and the informal ty (przejść na ty) is proposed by the older or higher-ranking person. Professional titles are used willingly: Pan doktor, Pani profesor. This is custom, not law, but follow it until invited otherwise. French, Belgian and Swiss readers will recognise the logic of vous, only applied more strictly.
What language will you need?
Polish. In big cities many young people speak English, but administration, forms and counters work in Polish. A few phrases change the welcome. See moving to Poland for the practical set-up.
Are shops closed on Sundays?
Largely, yes. Under the law of 10 January 2018, trade in shops is banned on Sundays and public holidays, with exceptions: small shops run by their owner, petrol stations, pharmacies, bakeries, stations. The trading Sundays (niedziele handlowe) follow a rule (last Sunday of January, April, June and August, the Sunday before Easter, and three Sundays before 24 December), and the official Zielona Linia page lists them for 2026: 25 January, 29 March, 26 April, 28 June, 30 August, and 6, 13 and 20 December. On Easter Saturday (4 April 2026) shops close at 2 pm. Plan your shopping for Saturday.
Habits like these are the small things that make a first month stressful. Moovy can answer questions about daily life as well as paperwork: what opens when, what a word means, who to call. It is an AI assistant, not a person, and it flags what it has not been able to verify.
What are the public holidays in 2026?
1 January, 6 January, 5 and 6 April (Easter Sunday and Monday), 1 May, 3 May (a Sunday in 2026), 24 May (Pentecost, a Sunday), 4 June (Boże Ciało, Corpus Christi), 15 August (a Saturday), 1 November (a Sunday), 11 November, 24 December (Christmas Eve, Wigilia, a holiday since 1 February 2025), 25 and 26 December. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, an employee is entitled to another day of rest, the details to be checked with the employer. Around 1 and 3 May and Corpus Christi, many people take a long weekend and offices slow down. All Saints on 1 November is a major family day, with heavy traffic towards cemeteries.
What is the money and tipping like?
The currency is the zloty (zl, PLN), divided into 100 groszy. Cards and mobile payment are widely used. There is no legal rule on tipping; leaving a tip in a restaurant is custom and the amount is free. One trap: saying dziękuję (thank you) as you hand over the bill can be understood as "keep the change".
What are the emergency numbers?
112 is the European emergency number, taken by regional centres. Poland keeps its older numbers: 997 police, 998 fire brigade, 999 ambulance. Other useful ones from our fact sheet: 991 (electricity), 992 (gas), 994 (water), 116 111 (children and young people), 116 123 (adult emotional support). Your European SIM can call 112 anywhere. An alert app (Alarm112) exists, but without a PESEL you can always just call 112.
What are the common mistakes?
- Shopping on a Sunday.
- Switching to first names too fast.
- Ignoring official letters. A registered letter not collected after the notices can be deemed received after 14 days; an e-Doręczenia mailbox helps. See Poland e-government for expats.
- Mixing up contract types at work, see working in Poland.
What is daily life like when living in Poland?
Meals have their own rhythm. The main meal, obiad, is traditionally eaten in the early or mid afternoon, and dinner (kolacja) is lighter. This is custom, not regulation. On weekdays the law sets no opening hours for shops, so check locally. Cards and mobile payments are common, and the zloty is divided into 100 groszy.
How do administrations work in daily life?
More and more offices work by online appointment: book early, especially at voivodeship offices, and arrive on time with originals and copies. Registered letters from the administration that you do not collect after the notice (awizo) can be deemed received: after the first notice, a second comes at seven days, and the letter is deemed delivered after 14 days (article 44 of the Code of Administrative Procedure). With e-Doręczenia, it is 14 days after arrival at the electronic address. Watch your mailbox, or open an e-Doręczenia box; see Poland e-government for expats.
What do you need to know about contracts and everyday rights?
Distinguish an employment contract (umowa o pracę) from civil contracts (umowa zlecenie, umowa o dzieło): leave and protection differ; see working in Poland. For rentals, read renting in Poland before you sign.
Which language skills help when living in Poland?
Beyond the formal Pan and Pani, a handful of phrases (hello, thank you, please, a polite request for help) make counters easier. Many forms and counters exist only in Polish, while the main portals sometimes have an English or Ukrainian version. When you must do something complex, take a friend who speaks Polish, but remember that you sign yourself. The practical set-up is in moving to Poland.
How does Sunday closing change your week?
Plan your shopping for Saturday, and buy for Sunday if you need to. The exceptions are real: small shops run by their owner, petrol stations, pharmacies, bakeries and stations. Remember the eight trading Sundays in 2026, and that shops are closed on the public holidays. On Easter Saturday, 4 April 2026, shops close at 2 pm. For 24 December, shops are closed because it is now a public holiday.
How should you celebrate local holidays and customs?
The big family moments are Christmas Eve (Wigilia), Easter and All Saints on 1 November, when many families visit cemeteries and traffic is heavy. In early May, with 1 May and 3 May close together, and around Corpus Christi (4 June in 2026), many people take long weekends, and offices and businesses slow down. If you need an appointment, avoid those weeks.
What should you know about emergencies?
Call 112 for any emergency from any European SIM card. Police is 997, fire brigade 998 and ambulance 999, and these numbers remain in use. Also useful: 991 for electricity, 992 for gas, 993 for district heating, 994 for water, 986 for the municipal police (not everywhere), and the lines for sea rescue (601 100 100), mountain rescue (601 100 300), children and young people (116 111), adult emotional support (116 123) and psychological crisis (800 702 222). The Alarm112 app lets you alert without speaking, but our source does not say which languages are available or what a foreigner needs to register, so keep calling 112 as the default.
What are the differences for French, Belgian, British and Swiss people?
The third-person politeness replaces vous, and the move to ty is negotiated as at home, but more slowly. British and Swiss people should check bank card fees outside the eurozone and roaming charges, because the UK and Switzerland are outside the EU roaming rule. For more about the first weeks, see moving to Poland from the UK and cost of living in Poland.
What do people miss most when living in Poland?
Usually something small, such as Sunday shopping, informal first names at the office or a counter that speaks English. They also notice what works well: online services, parcel lockers and cards everywhere. Treat it as an exchange, and ask your neighbours, who tend to be helpful once the formal greeting is done.
Dates move each year; check the calendar of trading Sundays before you plan.