Vendere in Polonia: Allegro, Amazon.pl e registro BDO

Polish is mandatory for consumers in Poland

The Polish Language Act (Ustawa o języku polskim) applies to dealings with consumers who live in Poland when the contract is performed in Poland (Article 7(1)) — so it covers you when you ship from Germany to a Polish buyer. Article 7a(1) lists what must be in Polish: names of goods, offers, guarantee terms, invoices and receipts, warnings and consumer information required by other laws, instructions for use and information about the properties of goods, including in advertising.

Foreign-language descriptions, offers and warnings are allowed, but must be accompanied by a Polish version (Article 7a(2)). Only warnings and information expressed in a commonly understood graphic form need no Polish; any text next to the pictogram must be in Polish (Article 7a(3)). Offering only foreign-language names, offers, warnings or guarantee terms is an offence punishable by a fine (Article 15(1)); the consumer protection authority UOKiK and the Trade Inspection monitor it (Article 7b).

A machine translation is a start, not a finished listing: see machine translation of listings.

BDO register and the registration number

BDO is Poland’s register of businesses that place products, packaging and waste-relevant goods on the market (Waste Act, Ustawa o odpadach, Article 50(1)). Among others, it covers those placing on the market electrical equipment, batteries, packaging and packaged products (Article 57(1)). On entry, the marshal of the voivodeship assigns an individual registration number (Article 54(1)).

• A foreign business without a Polish branch applies directly to the Marshal of the Masovian Voivodeship (Article 53(3)(2)); a foreign battery seller without a branch applies through its Polish intermediary (Article 53(3a)).
• The number must appear on documents drawn up in connection with the activity (Article 63), such as invoices. Leaving it out can lead to an administrative fine (Article 194(1)(5a)).
• The law does not set a format. The Ministry’s BDO page suggests the footer next to the tax ID or the company stamp; it does not mention websites. Showing the number on your shop or offer page is good practice, but we found no rule that requires it under the Waste Act.

For electrical equipment there is an extra, explicit rule: the number goes on invoices and other documents for equipment placed on the market (WEEE Act, Article 12(1)).

Electrical equipment and batteries from abroad

Under the Polish WEEE Act (Ustawa o zużytym sprzęcie elektrycznym i elektronicznym), a seller based in another Member State or outside the EU who sells equipment by distance means directly to households in Poland is a producer (Article 4(11)(d)). Such a producer must appoint an authorised representative (autoryzowany przedstawiciel) based in Poland, by written contract on pain of nullity (Article 26(2)–(4)). The representative is entered in BDO and carries out the duties the Act sets for whoever places equipment on the market (Article 26(5) and (8)). What applies to the equipment and the listing:

• the crossed-out wheelie bin on the equipment (Article 14(1)),
• information for household users on collection and the meaning of the symbol (Article 13), in Polish,
• Polish distributors may only sell equipment from producers who are registered or have a registered authorised representative (Article 39, point 1(a)).

Batteries, including those built into devices: since 18 August 2025, the EU Battery Regulation requires registration in every Member State where a producer first makes batteries available (Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, Article 55). In Poland, a foreign battery seller without a branch registers through its Polish intermediary (podmiot pośredniczący).

The Commission proposed in December 2025 to make authorised representatives for EPR optional for EU‑based producers until 1 January 2035 (COM(2025) 983). By mid-October 2026 this had not been adopted, so the Polish obligation applies.

Packaging: where it depends

Poland’s packaging act (Ustawa o gospodarce opakowaniami i odpadami opakowaniowymi, consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 poz. 619) defines placing on the market as making packaging or packaged products available for the first time in Poland, including import and intra-EU acquisition for business purposes (Article 8(24)). Unlike the WEEE Act, it has no procedure for a foreign distance seller to appoint an authorised representative. For a Polish importer, or a Polish business that buys goods in Germany for resale, the duties clearly apply: BDO registration and the recovery and reporting obligations, directly or through a packaging recovery organisation.

For a seller in Germany who ships packaged goods directly to Polish consumers, the national act gives no clear answer. Since 12 August 2026, the EU Packaging Regulation counts such a seller as the producer for that packaging (Regulation (EU) 2025/40, Article 3(1)(15)(d)), requires an authorised representative for EPR in Poland by written mandate (Article 45(3)), and requires marketplaces to collect registration numbers before letting producers sell to consumers (Article 45(4)). How Poland will register these producers is not yet settled; ask the BDO helpdesk or a compliance provider before marketplaces start asking. The Commission proposed in December 2025 to suspend the representative obligation in Article 45(3) until 1 January 2035 (COM(2025) 982); by mid-October 2026 this had not been adopted.

Reform status: the long-planned overhaul of packaging EPR (draft UC100) had not been passed by October 2026. The 2026 amendment of the packaging act (Dz.U. 2026 poz. 174) concerns the deposit system for beverage packaging, not online sellers.

Textiles and toys: Polish names and warnings

The fibre composition must be visible before purchase, also online, in the official language of the country of sale (Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011, Article 16(1) and (3)). Polish names from Annex I:

Example: “Skład: 95 % bawełna, 5 % elastan”. More in textile fibre names.

Toys: warnings that affect the decision to buy, such as minimum and maximum age, must be clearly visible before purchase, also online (Directive 2009/48/EC, Article 11(2)), and in Polish under the Language Act. The Polish version of the Directive uses “Ostrzeżenie” and, for small parts, “Nie nadaje się dla dzieci w wieku poniżej 36 miesięcy”, together with a short indication of the hazard. Example: “Ostrzeżenie. Nie nadaje się dla dzieci w wieku poniżej 36 miesięcy. Zawiera małe elementy, które mogą zostać połknięte.” More in toy warnings online.

Allegro, Amazon.pl and Kaufland.pl: product safety fields

Since 13 December 2024, every online offer must show the manufacturer, the EU responsible person where the manufacturer is outside the EU, product identifiers and warnings in the consumer’s language (GPSR, Regulation (EU) 2023/988, Article 19). On Allegro, according to Allegro’s community moderators:

• manufacturer data is stored under “Ustawienia sprzedaży” → “Dane producentów” and assigned to offers in the listing form or in bulk in “Mój asortyment”,
• the responsible person is stored under “Osoby odpowiedzialne” and is needed when the manufacturer is not based in the EU,
• safety information is attached as PDF, JPG or PNG: the instructions, photos of the markings on the packaging, or the warning text — in Polish.

Amazon.pl and Kaufland.pl have their own product safety fields. Whichever marketplace you use: the safety text in the field must match the product, and the description should repeat warnings that matter before purchase. More in GPSR in online listings; the GPSR generator prepares the block.

Checklist and listing check

• title, description, warnings and guarantee terms in Polish,
• electrical goods: Polish authorised representative, BDO number on invoices,
• batteries: registration in Poland through a Polish intermediary,
• packaging: clarify your status under the PPWR and the BDO rules,
• Polish fibre names with percentages,
• toy warnings in Polish, visible before purchase,
• GPSR data filled in the marketplace’s fields.

The free listing check finds generic environmental claims such as “ekologiczny”, “przyjazny dla środowiska” or “zrównoważony” and CE wording like “certyfikowany CE” in Polish text, and checks title and keyword limits. For single phrases use the claims checker. Environmental claims are covered in the green claims ban guide.