Permits and Licenses
The performance of certain professional and economic activities carried out personally requires obtaining the appropriate license.
This applies, for example, to the following types of activities:
- taxi services
- road transport of passengers and goods
- detective services and the protection of people and property
- real estate management and brokerage services
- property valuation (appraisers)
If you plan to carry out any of these activities, Hello Poland can assist you with obtaining the required permit or license.
Our specialists will guide you through the entire process — from preparing the necessary documents to submitting the application — ensuring that everything is completed correctly and on time.
A permit to conduct a particular type of business is required only when specified by law (a full list can be found in Article 75 of the Law on Freedom of Economic Activity).
A permit is required, in particular, for the following types of activities:
- wholesale and retail sale of alcoholic beverages
- insurance business and insurance brokerage
- activities related to lotteries, gambling, and betting
- services related to household waste management, stray animal control, and the operation of animal shelters
- production and distribution of license plates for motor vehicles
- production and marketing of medicines, as well as the operation of public pharmacies
- pharmaceutical wholesale trade
- Transport licenses, including:
- regular transportation
- passenger transportation
- international transportation
- taxi services
- Licenses for the sale of alcohol and excise goods
- Construction permits
- Employment agency licenses / employment permits
- Permits for the production of animal feed
- Licenses for brokerage activities, including operating a stock exchange, an over-the-counter market, or a crypto exchange
- Permits for operating gambling and betting establishments, lotteries, and slot machines
- Permits for the disposal of household and hazardous waste
- Permits for water supply and sewage services within collective water supply or sewage systems
- Permit for sea fishing
- Permits for operating specific economic activities
- Entry into the register of regulated activities
- Obtaining concessions
Licences and permits in Poland
Poland likes things done by the book. You've registered a JDG or Sp. z o.o. — great. But if your business falls under regulated activities, without a licence or permit you officially exist and practically can't operate. Inspectors won't ask if you're a foreigner or if you «didn't know». You knew — you pay; you didn't — you still pay, just more.
The difference is simple: a licence (licencja) covers professional work you do personally — taxis, transport, real estate, security. A permit (zezwolenie) covers a specific type of company activity — alcohol, pharma, gambling, waste. Sometimes you need both. Yes, it happens.
Transport licences
Want to carry passengers or freight? Brace for bureaucracy. Taxi licences, international haulage, regular routes — each case has its own requirements: fleet, drivers, insurance. We gather documents, file applications with the right authorities, and track the status. You focus on vehicles, not queues at the urząd.
Alcohol and excise trade
Alcohol in Poland is a world of its own. Wholesale, retail, different drink categories — each with its own rules: premises, distance from schools, records, reporting. One mistake when filing and your application comes back. Sometimes months later. We've been through this dozens of times and know exactly where foreign applicants' files tend to fail.
Construction, pharma, gambling
A building permit isn't about bricks — it's about whether you're allowed to build or renovate at all. Pharma is another level: GMP, drug distribution permits, pharmacy registration. Gambling, bookmakers, lotteries — add state concessions, and you really shouldn't go in without an experienced lawyer.
For foreign entrepreneurs
Recently opened a business in Poland — via JDG, Sp. z o.o., or an incubator? That doesn't exempt you from licensing. If anything, the urząd often scrutinises non-residents' applications more closely. You'll need translations, apostilles, and sometimes extra certificates from your home country.
Hello Poland has worked with entrepreneurs from Ukraine and elsewhere for over 8 years. We speak Ukrainian, Polish, Russian, and English — and we explain things in plain language, so you know what you're paying for and what happens at each step.
How it works
- Submit a request — describe what you plan to do.
- We check whether you need a licence, permit, or entry in the register of regulated activity.
- We prepare the paperwork, file it, and support you until it's granted.
- If needed — help with renewals, permit changes, and reporting.
First consultation is free. Better to ask early than pay a fine later.