In 49 Days Banks Will Follow New AMLA Rules

8 June 2026 Poland Radar 0 Comments

AMLA guidelines require Polish banks to collect more client data from 26 July 2026, affecting account access and branch visits.

The European Anti-Money Laundering Authority will publish final AMLA guidelines on 26 July 2026. Consequently, banks across the EU, including in Poland, must collect precise client data. Therefore customers should expect more detailed questionnaires and fewer excuses for omissions.

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What AMLA means for your bank account

AMLA centralised anti-money laundering oversight on 1 January 2026. Moreover the new rules will replace varied national practices. In practice banks will no longer choose which customer questions to skip. Instead the institution must follow a common list of required information. Consequently banks will ask more about income, transaction patterns and ownership links. In addition the rules tighten document checks. For example a declared self-employed income will likely require a PIT form, CEIDG extract or contract. Therefore informal declarations will prove insufficient more often.

AMLA guidelines: how banks will enforce customer checks

Polish law from 1 March 2018 already forces banks to identify and verify clients. However AMLA standards will make the checks stricter and more uniform. Banks will send questionnaires more often. Consequently ignoring an online request can lead to quick service limits. First banks will send in-app reminders and emails. Then they may block online banking while leaving cards and branch access. Finally a bank may terminate an account contract. Therefore your funds will move to a technical account until you complete identification in person. In addition enterprises face tougher rules. Banks can demand that a company representative appears in branch. Not a bookkeeper. Not an employee. Only an authorised director or owner may sign forms. As a result businesses with complex ownership or cross-border ties may need several branch visits.

Practical risks for Warsaw businesses and freelancers

Warsaw hosts over half a million companies. Moreover many are sole traders in IT, consulting or finance. Consequently sudden large inflows to a freelancer account will trigger automated flags. Therefore a one-off payment of 150,000 PLN can trigger enhanced checks. In addition banks link questionnaires to the Central Register of Beneficial Owners (CRBR). If your questionnaire differs from CRBR records, the bank will increase monitoring automatically. Also AMLA builds a central EU database. Hence Polish client data will feed systems beyond KNF and GIIF. As a result banks face EU-level sanctions when they underperform.

💡 GOOD TO KNOW: If you live in Poland, treat AML requests like official mail. Bring your ID and PESEL (national ID number) when asked. For entrepreneurs, the company representative must attend in person. Keep your ZUS (social security) and NFZ (public health fund) records consistent with bank data. Finally reconcile your CRBR entry with the bank questionnaire before large transfers.

Prepare now to avoid disruption. Check your bank messages and deadlines. Moreover update documents and company registers in advance. However remember that banks will not ban cash withdrawals from ATMs. They will condition services on provided information instead. Therefore plan branch visits early when needed.

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