Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the most foreign clients have arrived in these banks

It is estimated that there are currently about 1.5 million Ukrainians in Poland. Some of them came to us before Russian aggression in 2022. We checked how the number of foreigners served by Polish banks has changed since the outbreak of war.

Depending on the sources, it is estimated that there are currently about 1.5 million Ukrainian citizens in Poland (e.g. the Ministry of Interior and Administration, the Office for Foreigners). About a million are people using temporary protection in connection with the war. However, it should be remembered that some of the Ukrainians who came shortly after the outbreak of the war could return to Ukraine or go to other countries.

We decided to check how the number of foreigners increased among clients of banks operating in Poland since the outbreak of the war in February 2022. Data on the number of served foreigners (not only Ukrainians) provided us with only 7 banks. At the end of the first quarter of 2025, they served 2.5 million foreigners, i.e. as much as 1.2 million more than at the end of 2021. PKO BP himself increased the number of foreign customers by as much as half a million.

The vast majority of foreign customers have set up bank accounts. At the end of March 2025, banks served over 2.3 million accounts for foreigners, i.e. 1.1 million more than in December 2021. Here again the leader is PKO BP, which increased the number of accounts by half a million.

There is no accurate data on how many Ukrainians serve banks in Poland. Only six banks provided us with such information. In total, they serve 1.1 million Ukrainian citizens. However, PKO BP is missing here. However, taking an increase in the number of foreign clients in this bank after the outbreak of war, it can be assumed that the vast majority of foreigners are Ukrainians. It can therefore be assumed that it is even above 400,000. In total, this would give at least 1.5 million Ukrainian citizens in Polish banks.

Foreign citizens staying in Poland for longer need bank accounts for similar reasons as Poles. The accounts are affected by remuneration for work and social benefits. They can pay non -cash with cards, and electronic banking allows them to transfer money online (also abroad). Keeping large sums of money in a bank is also safer than storing them, e.g. in a rented apartment.

It is also worth recalling that Ukrainian citizens were a privileged (due to the war) group of customers. Many Polish banks have introduced special, simplified procedures for opening accounts for Ukrainian citizens, often with minimal documentary requirements (e.g. only a passport or temporary certificate of the identity of a foreigner) and free accounts and cards for the initial period. Many banks also offer customer service in Ukrainian.

Source: