Debt recovery in Poland

Poland's transformation from a post-communist economy to the EU's growth engine has been remarkable by any measure. What's equally remarkable, though less frequently discussed in business journals, is the parallel transformation of its legal system into one of Europe's most efficient environments for commercial debt recovery. The electronic payment order (Elektroniczne Postępowanie Upominawcze, or EPU) allows creditors to file claims online, receive court orders within days, and enforce them through a modern bailiff system that has been extensively reformed since EU accession.

The EPU system handles claims through the e-Court in Lublin (Sąd Rejonowy Lublin-Zachód), which processes electronic payment orders for the entire country. The process is paperless: the creditor files online, the court reviews the documentation electronically, and the payment order is issued and served on the debtor digitally. For documented commercial debts, the process from filing to enforceable order can take as little as two to three weeks — faster than most Western European jurisdictions.

Polish business culture has evolved significantly over the past two decades, but extended payment practices remain common, particularly in manufacturing, construction, and distribution sectors. The standard payment term in Polish B2B commerce is 30 to 60 days, but actual payment often stretches to 90 or 120 days. The EU Late Payment Directive, implemented in Polish law, has introduced penalties and interest provisions that make late payment more expensive — but cultural habits change slowly.

What makes Poland particularly interesting for debt recovery is the bailiff (komornik) reform that has modernised enforcement over the past decade. Polish bailiffs now operate with electronic access to bank registries, vehicle databases, and property records. A bank account seizure can be initiated electronically within hours of receiving the enforcement title.

For international creditors, Poland offers strong value: court costs are low (typically 5% of the claim value for traditional proceedings, with reduced fees for EPU), enforcement is reliable, and the legal system respects documented commercial obligations. The language barrier is real — proceedings are conducted in Polish, and all documents must be submitted in Polish or with certified translations — but this is a procedural requirement, not a substantive obstacle.

INTERCOL's Warsaw-based partners handle EPU filings, traditional court proceedings, and bailiff enforcement across all Polish judicial districts. For EU-based creditors with Polish debtors, the combination of low costs, fast procedures, and effective enforcement makes Poland one of the most favourable collection jurisdictions in Central Europe.