The PESEL number is the basic civil identifier in Poland, which consists of eleven digits. Both Polish citizens and foreigners with a permanent or temporary residence permit in Poland receive PESEL.
In order to obtain a PESEL number, you must submit an appropriate application at the municipal office or at the customer service point of the Civil Status Office. The application can be submitted in person or sent by post, but for people from outside the European Union, personal presence is required.
The application must contain basic personal data such as name, date and place of birth and citizenship. In the case of foreigners who do not have a Polish identity card or passport, it is necessary to provide other documents confirming their identity, such as a residence card.
After submitting the application and verifying the data, the authority shall issue a PESEL number. This number is assigned permanently and is used to identify a person in various public institutions, m.in. in the tax offices or ZUS-ie.