Why Western Expats Are Flocking to Poland in Droves

Lately, more and more people from Western Europe and North America have been packing their bags and moving to Poland. With worries about safety, slow economies, and social challenges back home, they are starting to see Poland as the perfect place to have a peaceful life. This remarkably safe country situated in Central Europe offers something quite unique in its large cities: a thriving economy with almost no unemployment, perfectly functional public transport, and a tasteful blend of modernity and traditions, best represented by its capital city Warsaw. To accompany this increasing flow of Western expats, a company called Move to Poland has introduced several packages to accompany them through every step of the expatriation process in order to make their transition as smooth as possible.

Safety and peace of mind

Poland has earned the reputation of one of the safest countries in Europe. It is the 3rd least criminal country in Europe (see graph below), has one of the lowest homicides rates in the world, has a score of 0.0 on the 2023 Global Terrorism Index, and is almost at the top of the ranking of safest countries for women, with only 8.6 acts of sexual violence per 100 000 inhabitants (compared to 200.3 for Sweden and 126 for France). In contrast, most large Western cities have become very unpleasant to live in for this reason, leading to inhabitants spending increasing shares of their income to find accommodation in “safe” neighbourhoods. As safety is not an issue in Poland, the choice of a neighbourhood can be determined primarily by more natural criteria such as proximity to the centre or to one’s workplace, without having to add the crime rate parameter. Additionally, criminality in Poland actually tends to decrease instead of increasing: according to the 2023 report from the Polish Ministry of Interior and Administration, which is clearly the opposite of Western Europe’s trend.

Economic boom

Poland's strong and steady economic growth is another “pull factor” for Western expats. Poland is often called the “green island” of Europe, as for nearly three decades, the country's GDP has been uninterrupted and has consistently grown faster than the European average. Even with global economic challenges, the World Bank expects this trend to continue, offering a sense of stability and opportunity. This “boom” is visible when exploring Poland’s urban landscapes. Warsaw is the perfect example of this: the business center in the heart of the city has been completely reshaped in just a few years. Skyscrapers have been popping up everywhere, deeply transforming the city and making it almost unrecognizable for someone who left the city 10 years ago—and it’s still ongoing! As you read this article, old Soviet-era buildings are being torn down and replaced with modern glass skyscrapers such as the Varso Tower, completed in 2021, which has become the tallest building in the EU.

The most attractive and rapidly growing sector in Poland is IT. Over the last few years, Poland has become Silicon Valley’s favourite spot in Europe. The Polish Government has understood the importance of becoming the European leader in this sector and is helping giants like IBM, Google and Intel invest more via the Investment and Trade Agency. For instance, this Agency has recently participated in the largest FDI in the history of Poland: an Intel investment project amounting to a colossal 4.6 Billion USD. Poland is home to one of the largest pools of IT engineers in Europe with around 430,000 for a total population of 38 million (and 15 000 new IT graduates per year!). The IT sector in Poland amounts to around 20 billion USD and generates 9% of the country’s GDP, and it is growing rapidly. This shows that the population is particularly tech-savvy and focused on the future. This sector also provides numerous career opportunities for expats, with an increasing number of jobs available in English. This trend is largely driven by significant offshoring from American firms. Cities like Warsaw, Wrocław, and Poznań have turned into new tech hubs, drawing talented expats from all over the world and fostering innovation.

Quality of Life at an Affordable Price

Many young people in the West are finding it increasingly difficult to afford a decent quality of life. A large portion of their salary goes toward renting a small flat to avoid living in unsafe neighborhoods, while rising food prices strain their budgets further. At the same time, they face worsening living conditions, including growing safety concerns, dirtier streets, dysfunctional and expensive public transport, and rising unemployment, which inevitably increases competition among young workers. Poland follows the opposite trend: mean salaries keep increasing while the unemployment rate decreases, making it the 2nd country with the lowest unemployment rate in the EU. Moreover, Poland’s minimum wage (around 7.35$ per hour) is now higher than the US’s!

For expats—especially digital nomads earning income from their home country—living in Polish cities is remarkably affordable. Housing, transportation, and daily expenses are a fraction of the cost compared to Western cities like London, Paris, or New York. For instance, $1,000 per month (around 4,100 PLN) typically covers a 35-50m² comfortable one-bedroom apartment in Warsaw’s most central district.

While moving to Poland 20 or even 10 years ago might have felt isolating for Westerners, today’s large cities are now far more open to European markets and cultures. Expats can easily connect with others through regular international meetups in pubs and restaurants. They also find authentic global cuisine, fresh products like French baguettes, Italian wine and cheeses in supermarkets, and Neapolitan pizza on nearly every corner. Western expats can enjoy their familiar lifestyle, but with improved living conditions and significantly lower costs. Another advantage for expats is that Polish people - especially the youth - speak English very well: Poland is the 15th best country in the world in terms of non-native English proficiency according to the EF Proficiency Index.

Relocation to Poland made easy: The role of “Move to Poland”

While it has now become simple and seamless to adapt to the Polish lifestyle and integrate into this society, the process of moving to Poland, finding one's way around, and obtaining a residence permit is not as straightforward due to the language barrier. This is why a company has emerged to help Western expats who are enthusiastic about finding a better life in Poland but hesitant to take the step into the unknown due to concerns about the complexity of the language and their limited knowledge of the country.

Founded by two expats who moved to Poland 6 years ago and have been through all the Polish expatriation steps themselves, Move to Poland offers comprehensive packages to help newcomers through every stage of the relocation process. They teamed up with local experts and their services cover everything from legalizing a stay, securing housing and employment, enrolling children in schools to providing in-person administrative assistance for bureaucracy tasks such as generating a PESEL (Polish national identification number), registering residence, and even setting up a business.

Conclusion

As challenges such as safety concerns and economic slowdown are becoming cumbersome for westerners who feel their lifestyle and standard of living are going downwards, Poland is quietly building a reputation as a stable and forward-moving country. It is therefore no surprise that more and more expats are considering moving to Poland. This is clearly not a passing trend, but rather a proof of the country’s growing appeal for people looking to build their lives with peace of mind and the pleasant and stimulating experience of living in a rapidly growing country.

Pawel Morisson

Co-Founder - Move to Poland