A month in Kraków

Polish law exempts foreigners from residence registration, the meldunek, when they stay in Poland no more than 30 days. Past that, citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland register by the 30th day after arriving at the address and other nationals by the fourth day. EU citizens who stay beyond three months register their residence, in person, by the day after the three months end.

Non-EU visitors may stay 90 days in any 180 across the Schengen area, recorded since 10 April 2026 by the EU Entry/Exit System. British passports must have been issued less than 10 years before and stay valid three months beyond the departure from the Schengen area.

A flat let to visitors is a hotel service in an "other establishment" under the hotel services act. The government bill in the Sejm would set that at stays of under 30 days for one client and require an ID number in every listing; it awaits its second reading. A month can also run on a written lease under the Civil Code. The occasional lease, najem okazjonalny, adds a notarial deed in which the tenant agrees to leave, the address of another flat and a deposit of up to six months' rent, so ask which contract a month is offered under.

None. Kraków collected the opłata miejscowa from 2004 to 2015 and has not reintroduced it. An act passed by parliament in September 2026 and awaiting the President's signature on 5 October 2026 would let communes with landscape value adopt a levy from 2027, capped at PLN 5 a night and not charged on stays over 29 consecutive nights; Kraków has adopted nothing under it.

For a month outside the restricted traffic zones, Podgórze lies across the river about 2 km from the Main Market Square in a straight line, and Nowa Huta about 7 km east. In Podgórze the paid zone's subzone C now reaches the cemetery area, at PLN 7 for the first hour, free on Sundays; the subzone covering Rynek Podgórski itself was not confirmed.

A car kept for a month must clear the clean transport zone. A foreign-registered car must be entered in the SCT system even when it meets the standard. A non-compliant car from outside the city can buy a monthly pass during the transition to the end of 2028, at PLN 100 at the current level. The P+R car parks at tram terminals sell a ticket that covers one person's rides in the first city ticket zone for the day.

Airbnb calls 28 nights or more a monthly stay, charges the first month up front, releases it to the host 24 hours after check-in and charges each later month 10 days before it starts. How other platforms label long stays in Kraków was not verified as of October 2026.

Driving a foreign-registered car into the clean zone unregistered. Cameras check plates against the SCT database.

Staying past 30 days without the meldunek. For non-EU nationals the deadline is the fourth day at the address.

Counting Schengen days in Poland alone. The 90 days in 180 cover the whole area.

Expecting free Sunday parking in subzone A. It charges every day from 09:00 to 22:00 except shopping Sundays and public holidays.

Assuming hotel guests may drive into the Old Town. The restricted zone rules list residents, garages, deliveries and taxis; ask the host before arriving.