Set up Joint Stock Company in Poland

Next to the Polish Limited Liability, the Joint Stock Company is one the main type of legal entities in Poland. It can be established by one or more individuals or corporate entities, with a single limitation: a Limited Liability Company with a sole shareholder cannot set up a Joint Stock Company.

The formation of a Joint Stock in Poland requires signing and notarizing the Articles of Association of the company (Company By-Laws). The minimum share capital of the Polish Joint Stock is 100,000 PLN while the shareholders are not considered liable for its debts and other obligations.

A Joint Stock Company in Poland will be formed of the following bodies: Management Board, General Assembly and the Supervisory Board.

The Polish Joint Stock is designed for investors willing to perform business on a larger scale and those potentially interested in the listing of shares on the Polish Stock Exchange. As a result the setup of this type of corporate entity involves a more formal incorporation procedure, expensive setup costs (compared to the Polish Limited Liability etc.).

Documents required for the formation of a Joint Stock in Poland
The following documents are necessary (not limited to the list below) for the setup of a Polish Joint Stock:
-    Extracts from the Trade Register where the foreign corporate entity is located showing current status of the respective shareholder;
-    Decision of the foreign corporate entity in regards to the setup of the Joint Stock Company in Poland and its structure;
-    Articles of Association of the foreign shareholder.

Timeframe to set up a Joint Stock Company in Poland
One must first note that because of its special structure and organizational bodies, agreeing on the final version of the Articles of Association of the Joint Stock could take longer than expected. While it usually takes about one month to set up a Joint Stock in Poland, there are situations where the timeframe could be prolonged to 2 months. However, besides the registration with the Polish Trade Register, a foreign investor might also consider registration with the Voivod Statistical Office and notification of other authorities (such as the Labor Inspection, the Social Security Office etc.) which might mean an additional 7 days.

BridgeWest offers assistance for setting up a company in Poland, including virtual office and other related services.