Bank Account in Poland for Foreigners

How to open and keep a Polish bank account as a non-resident: PESEL, documents, fees, transfers — step by step.

What is a Polish IBAN and how to read your account number (2026)

Updated: 2026-10-02 · ~2 min read

Status: October 2, 2026.

IBAN in short

IBAN (International Bank Account Number) is the standardized account number format (ISO 13616) used across Europe for transfers — no separate branch codes needed. A Polish IBAN has exactly 28 characters:

FieldLengthWhat it means
PL2country code (Poland)
check digits2checksum that catches typos — free online calculators validate it in 5 seconds
bank code8 digitswhich institution holds the account (e.g. 1090 1014 in the example below)
account number16 digitsyour unique number — what older Polish systems call ROR

Example broken into fields

A public example of a Polish IBAN: PL 61 1090 1014 0000 7511 9102 0004

  • PL — Poland,
  • 61 — check digits,
  • 1090 1014 — bank code (8 digits),
  • 0000 7511 9102 0004 — account number (16 digits, the “ROR”).

Your app or statement shows the same number in groups of 4–8 digits — it is not a different number.

ROR vs IBAN — what to give your employer or supplier

  • ROR is an old Polish term = simply the account number. “Give us your ROR” in a transfer context usually means “give the 16-digit account number.”
  • For EU/SEPA transfers the standard is the full IBAN — always give all 28 characters, not the shortened number printed on your card.
  • Employers, ZUS (tax office) and utility providers ask for the IBAN in their forms.

When your IBAN changes — and what to do

  • Switching banks = a new IBAN (different bank code). Update it with your employer, tax office and utility suppliers — transfers to the old number bounce back.
  • Polish IBANs contain no branch code, so changing “branches” inside the same bank does not change the number.

How to verify an IBAN before sending money

  1. Structure check: PL + 2 check digits + 8 (bank) + 16 (account) = 28 characters. Wrong length = typo.
  2. Paste it into any free online IBAN calculator — it validates the checksum without sending your data anywhere.
  3. Transfers outside SEPA may also need a BIC/SWIFT code (bank routing) — that is not part of the IBAN; see the article on sending money abroad.

Fraud warning

Never give your IBAN by phone, e-mail or SMS when they initiate the contact (“the bank verifies your account number”). Polish banks do not call to verify IBANs. Verification happens inside your own app login (password/token).

Affiliate slot: bank & FX offer comparison (CPA Money2Money) — check before you choose where to stay.

Sources

  • ISO 13616 / public IBAN registry (PL 28-character example).
  • KNF — scope of basic payment services in the PRP.
  • Polish bank fee schedules and transfer forms — status October 2, 2026.