If you intend to move to Poland or any other EU member state for a longer period of time, you can bring your belongings, considered to be the 'immigrant's personal and household effects'. It may consist of:
- movable household assets (personal belongings, furniture and the equipment for one's personal use or for satisfying one's household needs)
- bicycles and motorbikes, cars and other privately owned motor vehicles
- household belongings that are proper for the standard needs of a family, domestic and riding animals, movable instruments and equipment needed for a craft or a job.
When one transports those things to a non-EU member state, he/she has to declare it to the customs office. That obligation applies also to those things, that are not liable to duty. Exemption from duty, however, is restricted to belongings that were used by us for at least half a year and are intended to be still used. The term 'immigrant's personal and household effects' does not apply to recently bought goods.
One can start with the move even before registering as a Polish tenant. However, in that case one would have to pay the deposit for the transported goods, which is returned by the Board of Customs when all the formalities are completed. Transporting the goods can be divided into several parts. You have 12 months from the date of establishment of a new residence.
The things that we declared as the 'immigrant's personal and household effects', have to stay in our possession for at least one year (we cannot sell then until that time passes). If you sell it sooner than you have to pay customs duty.
