Australia

Australian and NZ citizens enjoy a visa-free entry for up to 90 days . Otherwise AUS/NZ citizens have the following extended-stay visa categories: 

Type D is a national visa allowing a stay for up to 1 year on the basis of work, study, dependant(s)

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Once your Type D visa is nearing its expiration you'll need to apply for Temporary Residence Card or Zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy/Karta Pobytu, which allows you to stay for an additional 1-3 years before needing to renew. It is important to inform the respective Voivodeship Office [Urząd Wojewódzki ] whenever your change employers, places of residency and personal information. 

Afer 5 years of continuous stay in Poland, you may qualify for a Permanent residence card [Zezwolenie na pobyt rezydenta długoterminowego UE] 

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This category also applies to Australian/NZ nationals who have married a Polish national who have been married for a minimum of 3 years and in Poland for an uninterrupted period of 2 years.

If you are a Austrialian/NZ citizen with Polish roots (such as your parents or grandparents are/were Polish citizens) you may qualify to be granted citizenship yourself. This not only opens doors to Poland but other EU member states as well. Dual-citizenship is allowed between Australia/NZ and Poland. Contact DokuPol for more information. 

If you are a holder of a valid Australian driver's permit and you wish to exchange it for a Polish one, you must reside in Poland for a minimum of 185 days first in order to qualify. This driver's permit will require sworn translation into Polish and candidates most likely need to pass a theory exam (also available in English). For more information contact DokuPol.

Once you arrive in Poland you should register your stay [Zameldowanie na pobyt czasowy] within 30 days. This document is issued by your respective City Hall [Urząd Miasta/Gminy] for a period that corresponds to your basis of legal stay (e.g. work, housing contract). The certificate is issued for a cost of PLN 17 and is useful when registering your stay or filing taxes. Non-Polish citizens automatically receive a PESEL number when registering their stay. PESEL numbers are similar to a Tax identification number. This number helps with banking and other government applications. 

Should you be a Polish citizen living in Australia/NZ and require legalization of documents, DokuPol can assist. This includes registering birth, marriage and death certificates from Australian/NZ institutions into the Polish database. DokuPol can also assist with legal name changes or divorce entries.