By Martin Nymann, AddonNordic ApS, the company behind CheckBiz. Updated 30 September 2026.
To check a Polish company before you pay it, look it up by its NIP (tax number) or KRS number in the Ministry of Justice’s free KRS search, confirm that the PL VAT number is simply “PL” plus the same NIP, and check that the bank account on the invoice appears on the Polish VAT white list. You can search a Polish company free on CheckBiz first; the full report with identity, VAT and sanctions costs €1.99, paid once, with no account.
| What you have today | What CheckBiz shows |
|---|---|
| An invoice with a company name, a NIP or PL VAT number and a bank account | Identity: registered name and number, address, status, legal form, founding date |
| Nothing checked yet | VAT registered: yes or no, from the official source |
| No idea if the name is on a sanctions list | Sanctions screening against EU and international lists |
| A decision to make | Trust verdict (green, yellow, red, or “insufficient data” where the register has too little) and a plain-English summary |
Contents
- Which numbers identify a Polish company?
- Step 1: Find the company in KRS
- Step 2: Match the VAT number to the NIP
- Step 3: Check the bank account on the white list
- What are the pitfalls when you check a Polish company?
- How do you check a Polish supplier in five minutes?
- What does the CheckBiz report cover for Poland?
- Frequently asked questions
Which numbers identify a Polish company?
A Polish company carries three numbers, and each one opens a different register. Knowing which is which saves most of the confusion.
| Number | Format | Where you check it | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| NIP | 10 digits | VAT white list (podatki.gov.pl) and VIES | Tax identity, VAT status, registered bank accounts |
| KRS | 10 digits, often with leading zeros | KRS search (prs.ms.gov.pl) | Legal form, board, who may sign, liquidation and bankruptcy |
| REGON | 9 digits | GUS statistical register | Statistical identity; useful to match records |
The VAT number is not a fourth number. It is “PL” followed by the NIP.
Step 1: Find the company in KRS
KRS (Krajowy Rejestr Sądowy) is the court register for limited companies, joint-stock companies, partnerships and foundations. Search by KRS number, NIP, REGON or name at the Ministry of Justice’s portal (prs.ms.gov.pl). The current excerpt (odpis aktualny) is free and downloads as a PDF.
The excerpt is split into six sections. Two of them matter most before you pay:
- Section 2 (dział 2) lists the management board and states how the company is represented (sposób reprezentacji) — who may sign on its behalf.
- Section 6 (dział 6) is where liquidation, bankruptcy, restructuring and mergers are entered.
Check that the name, address and KRS number match the contract and the invoice exactly.
Step 2: Match the VAT number to the NIP
A Polish VAT number is “PL” plus the ten-digit NIP. For the refiner ORLEN, NIP 7740001454 gives the VAT number PL7740001454. In VIES, that number returns valid, with the company name and address in Płock.
If the VAT number on an invoice does not match the NIP in KRS, stop and ask why before you pay. For the full picture of what a VIES answer proves, see what an EU VAT number check proves and what it doesn’t.
Step 3: Check the bank account on the white list
This is the step most foreign buyers skip, and the one Poland built a register for. The VAT white list (Wykaz podatników VAT) at podatki.gov.pl shows a company’s VAT status and every bank account it has registered with the tax office. You can search by NIP, REGON, KRS number or account number.
Paste in the account number from the invoice. If it is not on the list for that NIP, treat it as the classic sign of invoice fraud: a real company, a changed bank account. Polish businesses that pay more than PLN 15,000 to an account not on the list can be held jointly liable for the supplier’s unpaid VAT — that is how seriously Poland treats this list.
What are the pitfalls when you check a Polish company?
1. “Active VAT payer” does not mean the company is solvent. Getin Noble Bank is in bankruptcy. On 27 September 2026 the white list still showed it as an active VAT payer (czynny), and VIES returned its VAT number as valid. The warning sits in the name itself: “GETIN NOBLE BANK SPÓŁKA AKCYJNA W UPADŁOŚCI”. Polish law requires a company in bankruptcy to add “w upadłości” to its name, and one in liquidation to add “w likwidacji”. Read the full name, then check section 6 of the KRS excerpt and the insolvency register KRZ (krz.ms.gov.pl), which has listed bankruptcy and restructuring proceedings since December 2021.
2. One signature may not bind the company. Many Polish companies can only be represented by two board members acting together, or a board member together with a proxy (prokurent). ORLEN’s excerpt, for example, requires two board members jointly. If a contract is signed by one person, compare it with the representation rule in section 2.
3. A sole trader is not in KRS. One-person businesses (jednoosobowa działalność gospodarcza) are registered in CEIDG, the business activity register, not in KRS. If you cannot find a supplier in KRS, search CEIDG before you conclude it does not exist — and note that you are dealing with a private person trading under a name, not a limited company.
How do you check a Polish supplier in five minutes?
- Search the NIP or KRS number in KRS and read the full company name, including any suffix.
- Check section 2: who may sign, and whether one signature is enough.
- Check section 6 and KRZ for liquidation, bankruptcy or restructuring.
- Confirm the VAT number is “PL” plus the NIP, and that VIES returns it as valid.
- Check the invoice’s bank account against the white list for that NIP.
For the same routine in other countries, start with how to verify a company in Europe before you pay it, and keep the supplier scam red flags you can check in a register at hand.
What does the CheckBiz report cover for Poland?
Search a Polish company free on CheckBiz by name or NIP. The €1.99 report puts the registered name and number, address, status, legal form, founding date, VAT registration and a sanctions screen against EU and international lists in one place. Filings and ownership data vary for Polish companies; the coverage page shows what each country includes, and how it works explains where the data comes from. For bankruptcy, restructuring and signing rules, the KRS excerpt and KRZ are the final word.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check a Polish company for free?
Search it by KRS number, NIP or name in the Ministry of Justice’s KRS search (prs.ms.gov.pl) and download the current excerpt. Then check the NIP on the VAT white list at podatki.gov.pl. Both are free.
What is the difference between NIP, KRS and REGON?
NIP is the ten-digit tax number and the base of the VAT number. KRS is the ten-digit court register number for companies and partnerships. REGON is the nine-digit statistical number. A limited company has all three.
How is a Polish VAT number built?
“PL” followed by the ten-digit NIP. For NIP 7740001454 the VAT number is PL7740001454.
What is the Polish VAT white list?
The public list of VAT payers kept by the Polish tax administration. It shows each company’s VAT status and the bank accounts it has registered, so you can check that you are paying the company’s own account.
How do I know if a Polish company is bankrupt?
Look for “w upadłości” in the company name, check section 6 of the KRS excerpt, and search the insolvency register KRZ at krz.ms.gov.pl. An active VAT status on the white list does not rule out bankruptcy.
Why can’t I find a Polish supplier in KRS?
It may be a sole trader. One-person businesses are registered in CEIDG, not KRS. Search CEIDG by NIP or name.
Before you pay a Polish supplier, search it free on CheckBiz and get identity, VAT status and a sanctions screen in one €1.99 report.
Read also
- How to check a French company’s SIREN and VAT number before you pay it
- How to verify a German VAT number when VIES shows no company name
This content was generated with artificial intelligence.
Read also: How to check a Swedish company in Bolagsverket before you sign a contract