Get your own PESEL number!

PESEL is one of the first things you should take care of if you want to live in Poland

A PESEL is an identification number given to every Polish citizen. If you ever wanted to have something unique and something that only you would own, this is your chance because no one will have the same PESEL number as you. Although if the concept of a PESEL number seems a weird one to you and at the same time you are planning to live in Poland, you must accept that you have to get it. A PESEL number is required in all sort of places: from government offices and banks to hospitals and work places or even some of the gyms. Better to have it than not have it despite that getting it may be a bit tricky. With our help things will (hopefully!) go smoothly.

What exactly is a PESEL?

A PESEL consists of eleven digits. The initial 6 digits signify the person’s date of birth. The first two the year, the subsequent two the month, and then the date. The gender of the PESEL holder dictates the tenth digit: if it is an odd number, the PESEL belongs to a male, if it is even (including zero) then it belongs to a female. The remaining digits are generated by applying an algorithm which is probably not terribly significant to you.

How do I get a PESEL?

To get a PESEL number you need to fulfil a couple of legal obligations that hang over a foreigner. First thing is obtaining a residence permit for a fixed period of time and the second is registering your place of residence. It may be a big surprise to you (as it is to us) that the PESEL number is given automatically after registering your place of residence and the procedure doesn’t require any filling out of forms or other bureaucratic games. It takes up to 4 weeks for the City Council to issue you with the PESEL, but it may be less depending how busy the Council is (a good idea would be calling your City Council after 2 weeks to check if they have issued the PESEL for you). You can pick up the document with your PESEL number in person, however you will need to take a document confirming your identity with you.