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Money in Poland, sorted.
A calm, current plan for the money side of your trip: why your card covers almost everything, the small amount of zloty worth carrying, the ATMs to avoid, and the taxes to know in a country that is cheaper than most of Europe.
The way you cross the border changed in 2026, though not the cost. Since April 2026 the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) has been live: instead of a passport stamp, you give a quick fingerprint and photo at the border, which then tracks your 90 days automatically. There is no fee and no form. A separate online authorization, ETIAS, is due to start in late 2026 and will add a small fee once it applies, but for now a US passport is all you need.
The three things people ask
Will my card work? Do I need cash? Are ATMs easy?
The quick read for a first trip.
Your card
Works nearly everywhere
Visa and Mastercard, Apple Pay and Google Pay are taken almost everywhere, even small shops and market stalls, and locals pay by phone with BLIK. Amex is less widely accepted. You can go most of a day without touching cash.
Check yours →Cash
A little, in zloty
Carry a small amount of zloty for the smallest vendors, market stalls, tips and rural stops. Remember it is zloty, not euros: a few tourist spots take euros at a poor rate, so pay in zloty. Get it from a bank ATM as you go.
How much to bring →ATMs
Avoid Euronet
Use a machine attached to a real bank (PKO BP, Santander, ING, mBank) and skip the blue-and-yellow Euronet ATMs, which are everywhere in tourist areas and push poor exchange. Whichever you use, decline the 'pay in US dollars' offer and choose zloty.
See ATMs in Poland →(opens in a new tab)Cash or card
About as cashless as Europe gets, with a little cash for the smallest spots.
A rough feel for everyday spending. Cards and phone payments cover almost everything, including small shops and many market stalls. Cash is a small backup, for the tiniest vendors, tips, church boxes and the odd rural stop, and you rarely need much of it.
See what the trip really costs →Your money plan
Four steps and you're set.
Before you go
- Bring a no-foreign-fee Visa or Mastercard, plus a backup. Amex is patchier here.
- Expect to pay by card or phone for almost everything; carry only a little cash for the smallest spots.
- Know it is the zloty, not the euro, so do not bring euros expecting to spend them.
- At the border you will now be fingerprinted and photographed under the new EES system. There is no fee and no form, and a US passport is all you need for now.
At the airport
- Skip the exchange counters and the Euronet ATMs. Use a bank ATM in the arrivals hall, and decline 'convert to US dollars.'
- Grab about 200 to 400 zloty for your first day or two of small cash needs.
- Buy a transit ticket or tap your card straight onto the tram or bus; most Polish cities take contactless on board.
- Set up an eSIM before you land; Poland has fast, cheap mobile data.
Day to day
- Tap your card or phone for nearly everything, and choose zloty every time.
- Keep a little cash for market stalls, milk bars, tips and church donation boxes.
- For transit, tap your card on the tram, bus or metro, or buy tickets from a machine.
- If an ATM or shop offers to charge you in dollars, say no and pay in zloty.
A golden rule
- Always pay in zloty, never US dollars. Choosing your home currency (dynamic currency conversion), and using Euronet ATMs, both quietly add a few percent.
- Tip lightly. Round up or leave about 10% for good table service, in cash, and only say 'thank you' as you pay if you mean keep the change.
Staying connected
Will my phone work here? And what will it cost?
Excellent and cheap. Poland has fast, wide 4G and strong 5G across the cities and along the main routes, from Plus, Play, Orange and T-Mobile. A prepaid SIM costs very little, but for most visitors an eSIM from Airalo, Nomad or a similar provider is the easy route. Your US plan may include some roaming, so check the rate first. You do not need mobile data to pay by card, but you will want it for maps and tickets. The cost is where people get caught out, and on most US plans it lands in one of two buckets.
Your plan may already include it
Often, do nothing
Some US plans include slow data abroad at no extra cost. If that is you, the honest move is to leave it alone.
we earn nothing
Or it charges quietly, after the fact
The bill lands later
On pay-per-use plans the cost runs in the background while you travel, and the charge can show up weeks after you are home. Forgetting to switch off data roaming is the classic one. For a week or more, an eSIM is usually cheaper and keeps you in control.
Check what your own carrier charges before the trip, not after.
If an eSIM is the cheaper call, Nomad covers Poland.
Get your Nomad eSIM for Poland→(opens in a new tab)we may earn a commissionMedical cover
The one cost with no price tag.
Every other number on this page has a price you can look up. This one does not, and it can be the largest of them all. Most US health plans cover little or nothing once you leave the country, and Medicare covers essentially none of it abroad. A serious illness or injury is paid up front, and a medical evacuation runs from tens of thousands of dollars to past $100,000 if you are remote or an ocean from home.
First, you may not need to buy anything.
A cheap, refundable trip close to home does not need this. And if you are healthy, headed somewhere with good care, and one of the premium cards on the shortlist above already includes emergency medical and evacuation, you may be covered already. Check your card's benefits guide before you buy. Saying that costs us the commission, and it is still the right call.
How much cover matters here
Here, good hospitals are easy to reach and the care is high quality, so for a healthy traveler this leans more toward your call than a must.
If you do want cover, this is what it is for: the evacuation and the up-front hospital bill, the part no card limit is meant to absorb.
Enough for most trips
Faye, or a comparable whole-trip policy
Bundles trip protection with emergency medical, which is enough cover for most travelers on a typical trip.
The deeper end
A dedicated travel-medical plan built for serious care and evacuation abroad
Stronger on medical care and evacuation, for a remote or higher-risk trip where that is the real exposure.
If it happens
Call it first, then call your insurer's 24/7 assistance line, which is what confirms payment and arranges an evacuation. 112 reaches every service, in English. If you prefer the direct lines, 999 is an ambulance, 998 the fire service and 997 the police. The 911 number does not work here.
TrueTripCosts explains the gap and points to options. It does not set your coverage amounts or act as your insurance advisor, and every policy carries its own exclusions, so read them before you buy. Emergency number checked Jul 2026. Confirm the current number before you travel, as local lines can change.
Currency basics
The Polish zloty, in plain terms.
Quick conversion
Poland uses the zloty (written zl, code PLN), not the euro. At about 3.8 to the US dollar in 2026, 100 zloty is roughly 26 dollars and 10 zloty about 2.65. Notes run 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500, and prices already include the 23% VAT, so the tag is what you pay.
It's zloty, not euros
Poland is in the EU but kept its own currency. Shops, taxis and restaurants price and take zloty, not euros. A few tourist spots accept euros at a poor rate, but always pay in zloty, and a card spares you the guesswork entirely.
Contactless everywhere
Poland is one of the most cashless countries in Europe. Cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay work almost everywhere, even tiny shops and market stalls, and locals pay by phone with the BLIK app. Keep a little cash only for the smallest vendors.
Tipping is light
Tipping is modest. In restaurants with table service, rounding up or leaving about 10% for good service is normal, ideally in cash. One quirk: saying thank you (dziekuje) as you hand over money can mean keep the change, so use it deliberately.
Real exchange rate
What your money is really worth here.
This is the mid-market rate, the one the banks trade at and the yardstick every other rate is measured against. Your card lands a little below it, and if a screen ever offers to bill you in dollars, that is worse again. So this is the number to expect, and how you spot a bad one.
1 US dollar is about
Taxes and refunds
No city tax in the cities, and money back on shopping.
Good news on both counts. There is no citywide tourist tax in Krakow, Warsaw or most Polish cities; only designated resort and spa towns like Zakopane add a small local climate fee, usually a few zloty per person per night. Everyday prices already include VAT, a 23% standard rate with reduced rates of 8% on things like hotels and 5% on books and basic food, so the figure on the tag is what you pay. If you shop, non-EU visitors can reclaim the 23% VAT on goods: spend over 200 zloty in one store on one receipt, ask for a Tax Free form, keep the goods unused, and have customs confirm it (done electronically at Polish airports and border points) when you leave the EU. After the operator's fee you get back roughly 14%, not the full 23%. Refunds are for goods, not hotels, meals or fuel.
Before you book: passports, the six-month rule and whether you need a visa. Not a US citizen, or connecting through Europe? The rules can differ, and even a layover can need its own visa. See our passports and visas guide →
Watch out for
The small traps that catch first-timers.
Tipping
Tip lightly.
Poland tips modestly, and nobody expects the percentages common in the US. In a restaurant with table service, rounding up or leaving around 10% for good service is normal, and cash straight to the server is best. For a quick coffee, a bar or counter service, tipping is not expected, though a rounded-up bill is welcome. Taxi fares are usually just rounded up. The one thing to know is a local quirk: handing over your money and saying dziekuje (thank you) is commonly taken to mean 'keep the change,' so if you want change back, say it after you get it, not as you pay.
Common questions
Quick answers.
Do I need cash in Poland?
Not much. Poland is one of the most cashless countries in Europe, and cards and phones work almost everywhere, even small stalls. Keep a little zloty for the tiniest vendors, tips, milk bars and rural stops, and pull it from a bank ATM as needed.
Is it zloty or euros in Poland?
Zloty. Poland is in the EU but kept its own currency, the zloty (zl, PLN). Shops and restaurants price and take zloty; a few tourist spots accept euros at a poor rate, so pay in zloty or by card.
Which ATMs should I avoid in Poland?
Skip the standalone blue-and-yellow Euronet machines common in tourist areas, which push poor conversion and fees. Use an ATM attached to a real bank such as PKO BP, Santander, ING or mBank, and always choose zloty, not dollars.
Should I pay in zloty or US dollars?
Always zloty. If a card terminal or ATM offers to charge you in US dollars, decline; that dynamic currency conversion adds a few percent. Paying in the local currency lets your card's network handle the exchange fairly.
What is BLIK?
BLIK is Poland's hugely popular phone-based payment system, used by locals for shops, transfers and cash withdrawals. As a visitor you do not need it: your contactless card or Apple and Google Pay works in all the same places.
Is there a tourist tax in Krakow or Warsaw?
No. Poland's major cities do not charge a citywide tourist tax. Only designated resort and spa towns, like Zakopane, add a small local climate fee of a few zloty per person per night.
Can I get a VAT refund on shopping in Poland?
Yes. Non-EU visitors can reclaim the 23% VAT on goods: spend over 200 zloty in one store on one receipt, ask for a Tax Free form, keep the goods unused, and have customs confirm it when you leave the EU. After fees you get back roughly 14%, and it is for goods, not hotels or meals.
Do you tip in Poland?
Lightly. Round up or leave about 10% for good table service, in cash. Tipping is not expected for counter service or a quick coffee. Note that saying thank you as you hand over money is often read as 'keep the change.'
Do I need a visa or ETIAS for Poland?
Not right now. US citizens visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180. Since April 2026 you give a fingerprint and photo at the border under the new EES system, with no fee and no form. ETIAS, a small online authorization fee, is due to start in late 2026.
What it really costs
What you'll really spend in Poland.
Your flights if you want them counted, your room, your on-the-ground spending, the two fees most US cards add without telling you, and Poland's tourist tax. One number, nothing waiting on the statement. No bank to pick, no sign-up, nothing saved.
Optional. Enter your round trip fare per traveler to fold flights into the total.
In Poland, plan for about $0.
Realistically somewhere between $0 and $0.
Whether at an ATM or a card terminal in a shop or restaurant, always choose to be charged in the local currency, not dollars. Paying in dollars (called dynamic currency conversion) lets the machine set its own, worse, exchange rate on top of any fee.
Rough guide, not a quote. The percentage here is a blended stand-in for a typical US card's foreign fee, not your exact rate. The real number moves with the card you carry: one no-foreign-fee card can cover both sides, while a plain rewards credit card only removes the fee on what you buy, and cash still costs a little unless that card also waives ATM and foreign-cash fees. A debit card, or accepting the "pay in dollars" (dynamic currency conversion) offer at a till or ATM, can push it higher. Rates checked Jun 2026 and rounded.
How this estimate is built
These are the assumptions behind the number. Change the room price, nights, travelers, or travel style above, and every line here moves with them.
- Hotel
- Daily spending
- Flights
- Cash vs card
- ATM withdrawals
- Foreign fee
- The range
- Tourist tax
Not sure which card to bring? See my pick for Poland.
Already carry a card with no foreign transaction fee? Then you are set for Poland, and can skip this. There is nothing to buy.
If you are getting a card for Poland, this is the pairing I would pick: a no-foreign-fee credit card for spending, and a fee-free ATM debit card for cash. We earn nothing on these today. Always confirm the current fee with the issuer before you apply. Checked Jun 2026.
Capital One charges no foreign transaction fee on any of its cards.
No foreign transaction fee
Fee-free ATM cash worldwide
Want one account that holds and spends in the local currency? A different job from the three above, and the one I reach for abroad. It is free to open; you can create a virtual card in the app and add it to your phone wallet in minutes, without waiting for the physical card; and you can convert US dollars into the local currency inside the account before you travel, then spend from that balance. Wise uses the mid-market rate plus a small conversion fee (around 0.4% and up), with no flat foreign fee.
The three picks above pay us nothing, and their tags say so. Wise is the only option here that can earn us a commission, and its tag says that too. Paid or not, the pick is still the pick.
Travelers, not touristsA few Polish words go a long way
A few Polish words go a long way
Nobody expects a visitor to master Polish, but a warm dzien dobry, a dziekuje, and a little curiosity about the country's history mark you as a guest rather than a tourist. Poles are proud and hospitable, and they notice the effort.
Say a few words
Tip: A simple dzien dobry as you walk into a shop or cafe is expected politeness in Poland, and it sets a warm tone. At a milk bar (bar mleczny), the cheap and beloved cafeteria left over from an earlier era, you order at the counter and often bus your own tray; it is one of the best-value meals in the country.
Know a story
The dragon under Wawel Hill
Krakow's founding legend lives at the foot of Wawel Hill, where a fire-breathing dragon once terrorized the city until a clever cobbler's boy tricked it with a sulphur-stuffed lamb. Today a metal dragon by the river breathes real fire for delighted crowds, and the castle above is the historic heart of Poland.
Good to know: the dragon statue puffs fire every few minutes
The trumpet call that stops mid-note
Every hour a trumpeter plays the hejnal from the tallest tower of St Mary's Basilica on Krakow's main square, and the tune always breaks off abruptly. Legend says a medieval trumpeter was shot in the throat by a Tatar arrow mid-warning, and the city has honored him by cutting the call short ever since.
Good to know: listen for it on the hour, played to each direction
The man who moved the Earth
Poland gave the world Nicolaus Copernicus, the astronomer who placed the sun, not the Earth, at the center of the heavens and changed how humanity sees itself. You meet his legacy across the country, from Torun, his birthplace, to Warsaw, where a grand statue of him sits outside the science academy.
Good to know: Torun celebrates him with its famous gingerbreadPoland is warm, proud and full of history worn openly, from royal Krakow to rebuilt Warsaw and the peaks of the Tatras. A few words of Polish and real curiosity about the past are noticed and generously returned.
No links here, nothing to buy. This part is just to help you travel well.
Sources, and how this guide was checked
Last checkedJul 2026
Changed since last checkFirst publication. Confirmed the money facts that matter most this year: the zloty sits at about 3.8 to the US dollar, Poland is one of the most cashless countries in Europe, and there is no city or tourist tax in Krakow, Warsaw or most cities, only a small local climate fee in designated resort and spa towns. VAT is 23%, and non-EU visitors can reclaim it on shopping over 200 zloty per store. On entry, the EU's biometric Entry/Exit System went live in April 2026, and a US passport is still all you need for now.
- Krakow Airporttax-free shopping for non-EU visitors, the 23% VAT, the 200 zloty minimum per receipt and the customs confirmation on departure
- European Union travel portalthe Entry/Exit System (EES) now in operation at Schengen borders, and ETIAS due to follow
- Poland.travelthe official tourism site, for getting around and visitor basics
Our own judgmentThe daily cash share, the tipping feel, and the likely behavior of Euronet ATMs are our own estimate from experience and consistent traveler reports, not an official figure. The small resort climate fee is set by each municipality and shown here as a representative amount.
More money guides in Europe
If you are also weighing up nearby destinations, each guide covers cards, cash, ATMs and the fees to expect.
Going deeper on Poland
The money questions people ask on the ground.
Short, focused answers to the specific things that catch first-timers out in Poland.
- Tipping in PolandPoland tips a little more than Western Europe: about 10% at a restaurant. There is one quirk worth knowing, where saying thank you as you pay can mean keep the change. Here is what you actually owe.
- Do I need cash in Poland, or can I use cards?Short answer: a card for most things, a little zloty for the rest. Poland is very card-friendly, keeps the zloty rather than the euro, and is a pleasant bargain by Western European standards. Here is how to handle it.
- Bringing your dog or cat to Poland.Poland runs on the single EU pet-entry process for a US-origin dog or cat: microchip, rabies in the right order, and an EU health certificate on a 10-day clock. No quarantine, no rabies titer. Here is what that means for Poland, and the local parts worth knowing.
This is how Poland stands today.
Money rules move. We can let you know for free if that changes.