Practising law in Poland as a foreign lawyer

Register as a foreign lawyer

For: EU lawyers and lawyers from outside the EU who want to practise in Poland.

1. Apply to the district bar council (for advocates) or the regional chamber of legal advisers, which keep the registers of foreign lawyers.
2. Once entered, you may advise on your home-country law and on international law. For lawyers from outside the EU, we found no requirement to pass an exam or complete an internship to be listed, though that could differ by home country, so check.

Cross-border services by non-EU lawyers are narrower than for EU lawyers, and court work is limited.

Full membership: advocate (adwokat) or legal adviser (radca prawny)

For: Anyone who wants to practise Polish law.

1. Hold a master's degree in law from Poland, or a foreign equivalent that is recognised in Poland.
2. Complete the bar's training (aplikacja) and pass the bar exam. A second route combines a master's degree and about five years of legal experience with the bar exam.
3. Show full legal capacity and good character, then be entered on the list of advocates or legal advisers.