Official letters from Poland, explained in English

Polish offices send important letters by registered post, or online through ePUAP and e-Doręczenia, and most deadlines start on the day you receive them. If you’re out, the post leaves a notice (awizo) — collect the letter quickly, because it usually counts as delivered after 14 days even if you don’t.

Offices that write to you

Urząd Skarbowy — Tax office. Handles income tax (PIT) and other state taxes. It is part of the National Revenue Administration (KAS).
ZUS — Social insurance. The Social Insurance Institution (Zakład Ubezpieczeń Społecznych). It collects social insurance contributions and pays pensions, sick pay and the 800+ child benefit.
Urząd Wojewódzki – Wydział Spraw Cudzoziemców — Voivodeship office (residence permits). The regional state office. Its foreigners’ department decides on residence permits and residence cards for people from outside the EU, and registers the stay of EU citizens.
Urząd Miasta / Urząd Gminy — Town or city office. Your local council. It handles address registration (meldunek), local taxes like property tax, and the rubbish fee.
Policja / Straż Miejska — Police or city guard. The police and the city guard. They can give fines (mandat), for example for traffic or parking offences.
GITD / CANARD — Road transport inspection (speed cameras). The Road Transport Inspection (Inspekcja Transportu Drogowego). Its CANARD centre runs the national speed and red-light cameras.
Powiatowy Urząd Pracy (PUP) — Job centre. Registers unemployed people, pays unemployment benefit and helps you find work or training.
NFZ (Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia) — National Health Fund. Pays for public health care. It checks if you are insured and issues the European Health Insurance Card (EKUZ).
Sąd — Court. A court. Letters from a court are always important — never ignore them.
Komornik sądowy — Bailiff. A court officer who collects debts by force, for example from your bank account or wages. They act for the creditor, based on a court order.
Firma windykacyjna — Debt collection company. A company that collects debts, often debts it bought from a bank or phone company. It is not a court or bailiff and can’t take money by force.
Wynajmujący / wspólnota / spółdzielnia mieszkaniowa — Landlord or housing association. The owner of your flat, or the association or cooperative that runs your building.
Dostawca energii (PGE, Tauron, Enea…) — Energy supplier. The company that sells you electricity or gas.
Bank / operator telekomunikacyjny — Bank or phone company. Your bank, or your mobile phone or internet provider.
Ośrodek Pomocy Społecznej (MOPS / GOPS) — Social welfare centre. Your town’s social services. It pays social help and some family benefits, and can help with money problems.

Common kinds of letters

Egzekucja / zajęcie — Enforcement notice. They are taking the money by force, for example from your bank account, wages or benefits. It can come from a bailiff (komornik) or from an office like the tax office or ZUS.
Nakaz zapłaty — Court payment order. A court order to pay, made without a hearing. If you don’t owe the money, you must object (sprzeciw) fast — usually within 2 weeks of delivery. If you do nothing, it becomes final and can be enforced.
Zwrot nienależnie pobranych świadczeń — Request to pay money back. They believe they paid you a benefit you were not entitled to, and want the money back.
Mandat karny — Fine. A fine for a minor offence, for example speeding or wrong parking. If you accept it, you usually have 7 days to pay.
Upomnienie — Formal reminder before enforcement. A formal reminder from an office, for example the tax office, ZUS or your town. If you don’t pay within 7 days of delivery, they can start enforcement and add costs.
Wezwanie do zapłaty — Demand to pay. A demand to pay money you owe, for example from a company, your landlord or a debt collector. It is not a court order, but they may go to court next.
Wezwanie do stawiennictwa — Summons to appear. They want you to come in person, for example to give fingerprints, answer questions or collect a document. If you can’t come, tell them before the date.
Wezwanie do uzupełnienia braków — Request for documents. They need papers or information before they can continue. If you don’t send them in time — often 7 days — they may stop handling your application (pozostawienie bez rozpoznania).
Decyzja odmowna — Rejection. Your application was refused. You can usually appeal (odwołanie) — the instructions at the end (pouczenie) say where and by when, often 14 days from delivery.
Decyzja podatkowa / PIT — Tax decision. A decision about how much tax you owe, for example from the tax office or your town. You can usually appeal within 14 days of delivery.
Decyzja o przyznaniu / udzieleniu — Approval. Your application was approved, for example a benefit or a residence permit. The letter shows what you get and for how long.
Wypowiedzenie — Termination notice. A contract is being ended, for example your rental, your job or a phone contract.
Rozliczenie mediów — Utility bill. The bill for heating, water and other costs in your flat or building. You may pay extra or get money back.

Polish office words

decyzja, postanowienie, odwołanie, zażalenie, sprzeciw, skarga, pouczenie, uzasadnienie, termin, doręczenie, awizo, przywrócenie terminu, pełnomocnictwo, wezwanie, upomnienie, egzekucja, komornik, zajęcie — see all 50 words.

Reply templates in Polish

Questions

How long do I have to answer an official letter in Poland?

It depends on the letter. Look for words like “termin”, “do dnia”, “od dnia doręczenia” — they mark the deadline. In Poland, most deadlines start on the day you receive the letter (doręczenie). If you weren’t home, the post leaves a notice (awizo), and a letter you don’t collect usually counts as delivered 14 days after the first notice. The 3 days are only an estimate, so check the date you signed for it. To object, the letter usually names the way to do it (“odwołanie”, “zażalenie”, “sprzeciw”, “skarga”, “reklamacja”).

Can I understand a Polish letter without speaking Polish?

Yes. Take a photo of the letter with Briefly. It reads the Polish text on your device, explains it in plain English, finds deadlines and amounts, and can translate the whole letter.

Is my letter uploaded anywhere?

No. Briefly runs completely in your browser. The letter never leaves your device, there is no account, and it works offline after the first visit.