From 1 November 2026, first businesses in Poland can only be registered online

From 1 November 2026, setting up a first business in Poland will only be possible online. The Ministry of Digital Affairs has reminded the public of the change and points to the Firma service in the mObywatel app as one way to complete the formalities.

How it works in the app

According to the ministry, the app guides users step by step. The CEIDG-1 application is partly filled in automatically with data from state registers, which is meant to speed up the process and reduce the risk of mistakes.

While completing the application, the user:

• gives the address where the business will operate,
• chooses PKD activity codes,
• chooses an insurer,
• selects the tax office that will receive their tax returns.

They can also set up an e-Doręczenia (electronic delivery) mailbox with a public provider, or enter the address of a mailbox they already have with a commercial provider. Finally, the user signs the application with a trusted profile (profil zaufany) and sends it to CEIDG directly from mObywatel.

A few days after submission, the app is meant to send notifications, including when the business status changes to active, when NIP and REGON numbers are assigned, and when the e-Doręczenia mailbox is activated, if one was requested. Each time it is launched, the service connects to the CEIDG database, so the data in the app should match the register.

What else the service does

The Firma service is not only for registration. A business owner can suspend or resume trading through it and choose the dates themselves. It also shows proxies and commercial proxies (prokurenci) as recorded in CEIDG and lets users remove a chosen person from the list. Users can also download CEIDG certificates as PDFs to their phone and copy and share company details such as NIP or REGON.

Limitations

The ministry stresses that mObywatel can only be used to register a first business. This is possible only if no application has previously been filed in another form, such as on paper. Other formalities, such as registering with ZUS (for yourself or employees) or registering as a VAT payer, must be done at an office or online at biznes.gov.pl.

What this means for you

The change concerns registering a first business in Poland in the CEIDG register. People living in the UK who plan to start a business in Poland should expect to submit the application online only. Signing the application in mObywatel requires a trusted profile. The source does not describe how the rules apply to businesses set up in the UK, because they do not cover them.