Debt Collection Agency Poland: Elektroniczne Postępowanie Upominawcze & Komornik
Debt Collection Agency Poland: Central Europe's Largest Market
The Polish Scale
Poland is Central Europe's largest economy and the EU's 5th-largest member state by GDP — a market of 38 million people with growing international trade. For creditors, Poland offers a combination of EU enforcement instruments and a domestic system built around one of Europe's most efficient electronic payment order procedures: the Elektroniczne Postępowanie Upominawcze (EPU).
The EPU, processed through the e-Sąd (electronic court) in Lublin, handles over 2 million cases annually — making it one of the highest-volume electronic court systems in the world. For documented, undisputed B2B claims, the EPU produces enforceable titles in 2-4 weeks.
The Collection Process
Phase 1 — Wezwanie do zapłaty (payment demand). Written demand in Polish citing the contract, outstanding amount, and odsetki ustawowe za opóźnienie w transakcjach handlowych (statutory interest for late payment in commercial transactions). Polish statutory commercial interest: National Bank of Poland reference rate + 10 percentage points — currently among the highest in the EU.
Phase 2 — Amicable collection. Poland's business community is distributed across Warsaw (approximately 20% of GDP), Kraków, Wrocław, Poznań, Gdańsk, and Łódź. Recovery rates for commercial claims under 12 months: approximately 50-60%.
Phase 3 — EPU (electronic payment order). Filed entirely online at the e-Sąd in Lublin. The court issues a nakaz zapłaty (payment order) without a hearing. The debtor has 14 days to file a sprzeciw (objection). No objection? The order becomes enforceable. Filing fees: 1.25% of the claim value — significantly lower than standard court fees.
Phase 4 — Egzekucja komornicza (bailiff enforcement). Polish komornicy (bailiffs) are independent professionals with broad enforcement powers: bank account seizure, salary garnishment, movable and immovable property seizure, and business share attachment. The komornik system was reformed in 2019, improving efficiency and transparency.
EU Cross-Border Tools
As an EU member, Poland participates in all European enforcement instruments. The European Payment Order is particularly useful for creditors in Western EU states — it avoids the need for Polish-language domestic proceedings while producing an enforceable title valid across all EU member states.
Key Parameters
Statute of limitations: 3 years for commercial claims (Article 118 of the Civil Code). The clock runs from the date the claim became due.
Interest: Statutory commercial interest for late payment: NBP reference rate + 10 percentage points (currently approximately 16.5% — one of the highest in the EU).
Poland's EPU system, high statutory interest rates, and reformed komornik enforcement create a creditor-friendly environment for documented B2B claims — particularly when the electronic court route avoids the need for expensive Polish-language litigation.
