Start a business as a foreign founder
Compare the structures available to you before registration, tax selection and operating commitments begin.
Practical legal guide for international business
Doing business
in Poland.
A clear starting point for foreign companies, founders and investors. Choose your situation, understand the legal workstreams and move directly to the right guide or form of support.
English-language advicePolish-qualified advocateDirect contactWarsaw · support across Poland
Choose your situation
Move from the business objective to the right legal route.
Each route combines a practical guide with the service most likely to move the matter forward.
Establish a Polish limited company
Plan the ownership, articles, management board, signing route and post-registration steps as one process.
Expand an existing foreign business
Assess whether a Polish company, a branch or another contracting model fits the intended scale and risk profile.
Contract with a Polish customer or supplier
Align the scope, acceptance, payment, liability, intellectual property and exit rules with the actual commercial model.
Invest in or acquire a Polish company
Connect due diligence findings with price, control, closing conditions and the seller’s post-closing liability.
Launch a product, platform or online store
Build the contracts, customer terms, data roles, technology rights and compliance process around the real user journey.
Three common entry points
Different starting positions require different first decisions.
01
Foreign founder
You want to create and run your own business in Poland.
Begin with eligibility and structure. The choice between a sole proprietorship and a limited company affects liability, governance and the work required after registration.
Choose the starting structure02
Foreign company
You want a permanent presence or commercial operations in Poland.
Define the scale, local decision-making and contracting model before choosing between a subsidiary, branch or cross-border arrangement.
Compare the market-entry routes03
Investor or buyer
You plan to finance, invest in or acquire a Polish business.
Set the review scope and negotiating priorities early so that identified risks translate into the transaction structure and documents.
Plan the transactionLegal workstreams
Support from market entry to day-to-day operations and growth.
A single project may combine several areas. The scope is organised around the objective rather than separate legal labels.
01
Companies and corporate
Company formation, corporate governance, shareholder arrangements, capital changes, reorganisations, liquidations and National Court Register filings in Poland.
View the service ↗02Contracts and negotiations
Drafting, reviewing and negotiating Polish and English commercial, B2B, IT, software, e-commerce, marketing and employment contracts.
View the service ↗03Start-ups, founders and investors · M&A
Legal support for founders, investors, buyers and sellers: term sheets, due diligence, investment and shareholders’ agreements, acquisitions and closing.
View the service ↗04Technology and e-commerce
Legal support for digital products, SaaS, online stores, marketplaces, IT agreements, GDPR, cookies, AI and regulatory compliance in Poland.
View the service ↗05Ongoing legal support
Day-to-day legal support for companies operating in Poland: contracts, corporate matters, employment and B2B, technology, e-commerce, GDPR, compliance and IP.
View the service ↗06Brand and intellectual property
Polish and EU trade mark applications, copyright, licences, assignment of rights, know-how, confidentiality and IP audits.
View the service ↗Selected guides
Read before choosing the structure or signing the document.
01
Starting a business in Poland as a foreigner: sole proprietorship or limited liability company?
Foreign entrepreneurs can operate in Poland through a sole proprietorship or a company. The right choice depends on immigration status, liability, taxation and the planned scale of the business.
Read the guide02
How to set up a limited liability company in Poland as a foreign founder
A Polish limited liability company may be wholly owned by foreign shareholders. Its incorporation requires decisions concerning the articles, management board, capital, tax and post-registration obligations.
Read the guide03
Polish branch or limited company: how can a foreign business enter Poland?
Comparing a Polish branch and subsidiary by legal identity, liability, registration, governance, contracts, accounting and operational independence.
Read the guide04
Shareholders' agreement in a Polish limited liability company: what should it cover?
A shareholders' agreement can regulate funding, reserved matters, share transfers, deadlock and exit. Some protections must also be reflected in the company's articles to have the intended corporate effect.
Read the guide05
B2B contract under Polish law: 10 clauses to check before signing
A practical review of scope, acceptance, payment, liability, intellectual property, confidentiality and exit provisions in a Polish-law B2B contract.
Read the guide06
How to prepare a Polish company for legal due diligence
A practical guide to organising corporate, contract, employment, IP, data-protection and dispute records before an investment or sale.
Read the guideHow we begin
A defined next step, before the project becomes complicated.
- 01
Describe the objective
Explain who is entering Poland, the intended activity, current stage and target date.
- 02
Identify the workstreams
I indicate the legal route, information required and any tax, accounting or immigration input to coordinate.
- 03
Receive scope and timing
You receive a proposed scope, fee and realistic timetable before substantive work begins.
Discuss your plans for Poland
Begin with the objective, structure and target date.
After reviewing the enquiry, I will confirm whether I can help and recommend the right scope — from one consultation or document to a coordinated market-entry project.
Direct contact with the lawyer responsible for the matterWork in English or PolishClear scope and fee before work begins