Warsaw is drawing more Germans than it has in years. In 2025, 4,941 German citizens moved to Poland, while 1,720 returned to Germany. The resulting migration balance was negative, putting Poland ahead of destinations such as the United Kingdom, Italy and the Netherlands among countries attracting German emigrants.
One of those who made the move is Kevin Wörner, a 33-year-old entrepreneur who relocated from Berlin to Warsaw. His company, Channel Craft, produces social-media content for medium-sized businesses in Germany and the United States. The firm now employs six people in Warsaw, alongside freelancers, and Wörner plans to expand its sales team.
Wörner says Poland’s atmosphere of economic optimism was a major factor in his decision. He describes Warsaw as an increasingly international city with a growing start-up scene, modern infrastructure and a strong sense that projects can be implemented quickly. Poland’s economy has grown by an average of three to four percent annually over the past two decades, according to the article.
Taxation is another attraction for entrepreneurs. Wörner’s Polish limited company pays nine percent corporate tax on annual revenue of up to two million euros. Revenue above that threshold is taxed at 19 percent. In Germany, corporate tax, the solidarity surcharge and local trade tax would result in a total burden of at least 30 percent in his case, he says. People transferring their tax residence to Poland can also receive an income-tax-free allowance of almost 20,000 euros for up to four years.
Business registration is also seen as less cumbersome. Wörner says that establishing his company in Poland took two days through the S24 online portal, while setting up a German GmbH involved longer waits for a notary appointment, the commercial-register entry and a tax number. Christine Schmitt, who operates between Germany and Poland, reports a similar experience: registering a Polish parent company took three days, compared with around two and a half months for a comparable process in Germany.
Poland’s digital public services are another frequently cited advantage. Schmitt points to the mObywatel app, which can contain digital identity documents, driving licences, vehicle papers and health information. She also highlights Blik, a Polish mobile-payment system that has been in use for about a decade, as well as digital services at petrol stations and automated retail concepts.
Living costs remain lower than in German major cities, although prices in Poland are rising. In central Warsaw, property prices have reached about 25,000 zloty per square metre, or roughly 6,000 euros. Wörner pays around 11,000 zloty a month for a 110-square-metre office with a roof terrace. He says housing and other costs are still generally below German metropolitan levels, particularly outside the capital and in smaller cities.
The economic transformation has changed Poland’s image among some Germans. Jens Althoff, head of the Warsaw office of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, says Germany still often has an outdated view of its eastern neighbour. He points to investment in infrastructure, digitalisation, railways and public spaces as evidence of the country’s development.
The picture is not uniformly positive. Rising prices are making central Warsaw unaffordable for some Polish residents, while incomes vary considerably across the country. Average gross pay is cited at around 4,400 euros in Warsaw, about 2,200 euros in economically strong regions such as Krakow, Gdansk and Silesia, and between 900 and 1,200 euros in rural areas of eastern Poland. Mortgage borrowers also face variable interest rates, which can make financing more expensive.
Poland’s social and political divisions are another limitation. Kabarettist Steffen Möller describes the country as economically successful but deeply split between conservative and liberal camps. He also characterises Polish society as more conservative than Germany’s and points to continuing disputes over the media and courts following the period in which the PiS party held power.
Despite these tensions, the people interviewed see lessons for Germany in Poland’s pragmatism and implementation speed. Schmitt argues that Polish public administration often treats citizens as customers and relies more on trust, whereas German processes are more heavily built around rules and formal requirements. She believes Germany should learn from its neighbour instead of viewing it from a position of superiority.
For some Germans, Poland therefore offers a combination of entrepreneurial opportunity, lower operating costs, digital convenience and a sense of momentum. Whether the trend continues will depend not only on Poland’s economic appeal, but also on how successfully Germany addresses the bureaucracy, costs and loss of dynamism that potential emigrants increasingly criticise.
Sources: Handelsblatt.