Polish SIM card and eSIM for newcomers: how to get a number
Short answer: Buy a prepaid starter for about 5 zł from Orange, T-Mobile, Play or Plus and register it in person with a passport or ID card; the monthly package was around 35 zł on 13 October 2026.
Getting a Polish phone number takes about ten minutes if you know how the system works. The main surprise for newcomers is that prepaid SIM cards must be registered to a real person. The second is that the headline prices on operator websites are promotions that change often, so this guide shows what the operators themselves published on 13 October 2026 and how to read it.
The four networks
Poland has four nationwide mobile networks: Play, Orange, T-Mobile and Plus. Each sells prepaid starters (called "na kartę"). You buy a starter, top up your balance and switch on a monthly package that pays from that balance. There is no contract, and you can stop topping up at any time.
For a first number, prepaid is the simplest route. You do not need a Polish bank account or a PESEL number to start, only a document that lets the operator register you.
You must register a prepaid SIM
Since the anti-terrorism rules of 2016, prepaid cards are registered to the person who uses them. The telecom regulator UKE explains that you register the card in person by showing an ID card or passport. Scans, photocopies and photos of documents are not accepted. The operator may only collect your name and either your PESEL or the type, series and number of your identity document. Children with their own ID card can register their own card from the age of 13.
In practice this means you should carry your original passport (or residence card, where the operator accepts it) when you buy a starter. Some operators also offer online registration. Orange, for example, says the quickest way is its online registration page, and you can also register at a nearby shop or kiosk. Play says you can buy and register a starter at a kiosk, grocery store, petrol station, Play store or in the Play24 app.
What the operators advertised on 13 October 2026
These are the figures shown on the operators' own pages when this article was written. Treat them as examples, because promotions change and some are limited in time.
Orange. On its starter page Orange sells a "Starter Orange 5" for 5 zł, as a physical SIM sent by post, and an eSIM starter for 5 zł. The 5 zł starters include calls, SMS and MMS without limit in Poland and the EU for 30 days, and 825 GB of internet, with 12.03 GB for use in the EU. The service renews automatically every month for 35 zł, so you need at least 35 zł on your account. There is also a 49 zł starter for two months and a 299 zł starter that comes with a year of account validity.
T-Mobile. On its prepaid page T-Mobile advertises a starter kit for 5 zł. You top up your account with at least 10 zł, then switch on a package. The page shows GO! M free for the first 30 days, after which it renews at 35 zł every 30 days, if you top up at least 10 zł within 30 days of activating the SIM. T-Mobile warns that the details are in its regulations, so read those before you rely on the free month.
Play. The English page for foreigners says you buy and register a starter, top up at least 10 zł, and activate a promotion in the Play24 app or with a short code. Check the page for the current conditions, because the "200 GB" offer it describes is marked as ending on 31 December 2025, and a newer package is promoted at the top of the page.
The point is not which operator is cheapest today. It is that all three sell a starter for about 5 zł, and the real cost is the monthly package, which at the time of writing was around 35 zł for the big networks.
eSIM or a plastic SIM?
An eSIM is a SIM stored in your phone. Orange sells an eSIM starter online: you order it, receive an email with a QR code, scan the code in your phone settings, register the number online and install the Mój Orange app. It works only if your phone supports eSIM and is not locked to another network, so check that before you pay. If you arrive without a working Polish number, a physical starter bought at a shop and registered on the spot is the safer choice.
Buying online has one more advantage that Orange states on its page: you can withdraw from a starter bought in the online shop within 14 days of receiving it. That right does not apply if you choose to collect and pay in a shop.
How to set up your number step by step
1. Decide whether you need a physical SIM today or can wait for an eSIM by email.
2. Buy the starter at a shop, kiosk, petrol station or online. Keep your passport or ID with you.
3. Register the number with your passport or ID, or with your PESEL if you already have one.
4. Top up the balance. The minimum shown by T-Mobile and Play is 10 zł, and Orange needs 35 zł on the account for its renewal.
5. Switch on a monthly package in the operator app or with the code the operator gives.
6. Install the operator app so you can see your balance and renewal date.
Roaming inside the EU
The packages above include calls and SMS in the EU, but the data allowance abroad is much smaller than the domestic one. Orange lists 12.03 GB for use in the EU, and T-Mobile's XL package lists 17.19 GB of EU data, after which T-Mobile charges 5.82 zł per extra GB. If you travel often, read the EU data line before you choose a package.
Keeping the number
Your Polish number often becomes the number for your bank, parcel lockers and government apps, so do not let it lapse. Prepaid accounts expire if you do not top up. Orange offers a starter with a year of account validity, and it says its online starters include a free service that keeps the account valid for a year. Ask for the account validity rules before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a PESEL to buy a Polish SIM card?
No. The operator may register you with the number of your identity document instead of a PESEL, according to UKE.
Can I register a SIM with a photocopy of my passport?
No. UKE says the card is registered in person with an original ID card or passport, and scans or photocopies are not accepted.
How much is a Polish prepaid starter?
Orange and T-Mobile advertised starters at 5 zł on 13 October 2026. The monthly package is paid separately and was 35 zł on the Orange and T-Mobile pages.
Can I get an eSIM in Poland?
Yes. Orange sells an eSIM starter online for 5 zł, delivered as a QR code by email. Your phone must support eSIM.
Can I return a starter bought online?
Orange states that you can withdraw from an online starter purchase within 14 days of receiving it, unless you collected and paid in a shop.
Sources
* Photo: Bidouille82, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
