Europe - Bank account in Poland

I was thinking of opening up a bank account. Not a Pole, not a Polish or EU home address. At a pinch I can have docs sent to a friend in the EU.

I have seen differing opinions about whether this can be done or not... I need a simple account, where I can deposit Zloty (or preferably Euro) and withdraw in person. A safe deposit box would be nice.

Any advice gratefully received...

Had the same issue as yourself in that I wanted to open an account as a non-resident, something that not all banks do. After a lot of research I was able to delay that decision by at least several months, but http://www.aliorbank.pl seemed like a good choice and I know someone who opened an account with them a few months ago.

I've seen their internet banking software and it's better than the stuff I use over here. Their branches are very advanced too, when you open an account you never sign any papers, you just sign on the screen and it's all computerised. Apparently within 10 mins you can be out the door with IBAN account numbers ready in your name.

I have a lot of friend that don't live in the EU have bank accounts in Poland
Some banks that do open them (from last time I checked) are
Pekao SA
Alior
Millennium

All you need is a passport from what I remember. All of them offer their online banking in English. I have accounts in all 3 of those banks (but am a Polish citizen) and never had any issues with any of the banks. Pekao SA has been around forever, but Alior does offer the electronic signing - no paper wasted option.

Checked this out during my last trip.

Some banks do insist you have a Polish address, which is not a postbox. This seem to be most of them - no address, no account.

Alior bank does not have this restriction: documents are indeed signed online (on a screen) to open your account, and a debit card (with no name on it, but linked to your account) can be issued on the spot. The internet banking initial code has to be sent to a mobile phone, and apparently there is sometimes a problem with foreign phones - so an investment of 10PLN in a local sim will do the trick.

Alior also has a good website, with an English version. Sorry if this sounds like a plug for them, just my impression (and this was in a smallish city with staff having moderate to low English-speaking ability)

Nice, modern bank with great ibanking software.

As for a SIM card, you can always get one with the Play network where a 5 PLN top-up (just over 1 EUR) keeps the card valid for an entire year. :)

The University of Warsaw recommends the bank for their Erasmus Mundus students, and almost all students maintain accounts with the said bank. (Informally, they say that staff at Bank Pekao, which has a branch across from Bank Millennium along Krakowskie Przedmieście, are not as pleasant.) However, the Erasmus Student Network here recommends Bank Zachodni WBK, which some of the other students also have (mostly those on regular, meaning European, Erasmus).

If it helps, Bank Millennium keeps two addresses on file for non-Poles: a Polish address and a foreign address.