The capital of Poland is home to about 1.78 million people, with an additional 3.1 million residing in the greater metropolitan area. That makes Warsaw the sixth most populous capital city in the European Union.
More than 85% of Warsaw was destroyed during the Second World War. The city's reconstruction during the communist era was slow and uneven, which means that even today, the city continues to grow in new and exciting ways. The Frontex headquarters is a good example of this: it’s one of the new office developments built in a post-industrial area of the city.
Warsaw boasts an extensive and affordable public transport system including buses, trams, and suburban trains. The city's Metro consists of only two lines, but continues to expand; the Frontex headquarters is located next to one of the newest stations, Rondo Daszyńskiego. A 90-day ticket for Warsaw residents, valid in all public transport zones and at any time of day and night, costs just under EUR 140, and Frontex staff are reimbursed for this expense.
Warsaw also offers plenty for nature lovers. Besides the parks you’d expect in any city, there’s the Vistula River, with a new boardwalk on the left bank, while the right bank remains largely undeveloped, featuring a bike trail through the woods and a small colony of beavers that have returned to the river in the past decade. The 364 hectare Kabaty Woods, easily accessible at the end of Metro Line 1, is a favourite spot for joggers and cyclists. In fact, 15% of the city’s area is covered by parks or forests. To the west, the city borders Kampinos National Park, which serves as an inviting place for visitors for hiking and bike riding purposes.
Today, most international food products can be purchased somewhere in Warsaw, and the city offers a wide range of international dining options. To mention just one example, the HappyCow Vegan Guide ranked Warsaw among the top 10 of the world’s most vegan-friendly cities in 2022.
Apart from the sloped banks leading down to the Vistula
River, Warsaw is as flat as a pancake.
True, if you’re looking for views of hills and valleys, Warsaw may
sound boring. But if you’re a cyclist,
it’s fantastic! Warsaw’s network of bike
paths is well-developed and much better managed than in many other European cities, and it is still growing.
The Frontex headquarters is also easily accessible by bike.
As the capital city, Warsaw serves as the hub of Poland’s road and rail transport networks. The country is also large enough that domestic air travel makes sense on selected routes.
Locations for weekend or vacation getaways in Poland include:
Warsaw’s Chopin International Airport is relatively close to the city centre – it is reachable in as little as 20 minutes from Frontex headquarters, depending on traffic. Poland's national carrier LOT has been growing in importance in recent years, seeking to position itself as the leading carrier for the Central European region, situated at the centre of an expanding long-haul network to destinations in Asia and North America. Warsaw also offers plenty of connections via other full service and budget airlines.
Other capital cities in this part of Europe, such as Berlin, Budapest, Prague, Stockholm, and Vienna can be reached by plane in less than 1.5 hours; just add another 30-60 minutes for Amsterdam, Brussels, and Paris. Destinations to the east of Poland include the Baltic States and Belarus.
The second airport most frequently used by Warsaw residents is Modlin Airport, located just north of the city.
Modlin Airport is situated less than fifty kilometres from the city centre and offers many excellent transport connections to the city centre.
Modlin offers mostly low-cost flights to cities such as London, Rome, Dublin, Milan, Oslo, Stockholm, Vienna, Paris, Barcelona, Riga, Alicante, Brussels, and Bologna.
Our Expatriate Services Team will help you with the various formalities associated with settling into Warsaw, including obtaining a special identification card from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (your residence permit), obtaining your PESEL number (national identification number in Poland), registering a motor vehicle, and representation if you need to deal with Polish authorities. The Team will also keep you on top of important events happening in the city that may impact the quality of your life here.
In addition to the Expatriate Services Team, Frontex, in liaison with our office building’s management, also provides a concierge service, which offers services such as the following:
You will be charged for the cost of the products and services themselves, but not for the concierge service.
If your contract is signed for a period of at least one year, you will be entitled to the reimbursement of expenses associated with the moving of your furniture and personal effects, including the cost of insurance. A detailed list of conditions will be provided to you once you receive your offer of employment.
You may be entitled to a flat-rate payment corresponding to the cost of travel for you and your family (living with you as part of your household) from your place of recruitment to your new place of employment. The flat-rate payment is based on an allowance per kilometre of geographical distance between the two aforementioned places plus an additional flat-rate supplementary payment, if the distance is at least 600 km.
Poland’s official currency is the złoty (PLN) and it is used for both everyday transactions and for larger items such as the purchase or rental of housing. Even if rental prices are agreed upon in euros or another currency, payment will most often be made in złoty.
Poland’s banking system is well-run and competitive. Visitors from many other countries will be pleased to find branches open until 8:00 PM, with some operating even on Saturdays. Credit cards are widely accepted, and ATMs, called "bankomat" in Polish, can be found on almost every street corner.
Warsaw is home to a broad range of expatriate communities, including sports teams, language-exchange clubs, business networking organisations, and play groups for children speaking a variety of languages.
Information is available via social media (Facebook), school platforms or through your embassy – or just ask around at Frontex! You’re sure to find what you’re looking for...and if you don’t, you’ll probably find others who will help you get started.
In recent years, Poland has become a hub for business services, ranking third in absolute number of jobs in the sector, behind India and the Philippines. Some of the biggest European and international companies have set up operations in Warsaw – some of them are Frontex neighbours – offering high-quality jobs in areas ranging from finance, through IT and supply-chain management, to human resources and services. Many of these roles don’t require Polish-language skills, and knowledge of other European languages is very desirable for positions serving operations in other countries. Poland’s nationwide unemployment rate was the second-lowest in the EU in 2023, and demand for workers in Warsaw is even higher.
Modern Warsaw is a diverse and dynamic city, the bustling, fast-changing cultural, political, and economic heart of the country. It features a diverse range of neighbourhoods, meaning there’s something for everyone, whatever your priorities are. Some of the residential areas most popular with current staff are:
The above are also among the city districts considered most attractive in terms of living conditions, even though other districts may offer just as much, often at a lower cost.
Willing to learn more about the Polish capital city? See Warsaw through the eyes of our colleagues and learn what they love about it.
