Selling in Poland under GPSR: Polish language, the BDO register and the 2026 act

Updated 29 October 2026

Poland applies the GPSR directly, but it only finished the national part on 3 January 2026. For a seller shipping from abroad, four things are specific to Poland: the new enforcement act, the language law, the BDO register and a brand-new list of EPR representatives for foreign companies.

A national product safety act since 3 January 2026

The Act of 7 November 2025 on the supervision of general product safety (Journal of Laws 2025, item 1826) entered into force on 3 January 2026 and replaced the 2003 act on general product safety. It sets out the enforcement powers that the GPSR leaves to member states:

The President of UOKiK (Office of Competition and Consumer Protection) supervises general product safety, and Trade Inspection inspectors carry out the checks.
UOKiK states that the maximum fine for a producer or importer that places non-compliant products on the market is now PLN 1 million; under the repealed rules it was PLN 100,000.

Polish in consumer information

Article 7a of the Polish Language Act requires Polish in consumer transactions for the names of goods and services, offers, warranty terms, invoices and receipts, and for warnings and consumer information required by other laws, including instructions. A description in a foreign language must come with a Polish version. Warnings and instructions shown in a generally understood graphic form need no text, but any text that accompanies the graphic must be in Polish.

The BDO register

Businesses that place packaged products, electrical and electronic equipment or batteries on the Polish market are entered in BDO, the database on products, packaging and waste management, kept by the marshal of the voivodeship:

Apply before you start the activity — or straight away if you already sell.
Put your BDO number on invoices, receipts, contracts and reports.
The registration fee, and then the same annual fee (due by the end of February), is PLN 200 for micro-enterprises and PLN 800 for other businesses.
Operating without a required entry, or without the number on your documents, can lead to an administrative fine of PLN 1,000 to PLN 1,000,000.

EPR representatives for foreign producers

On 28 October 2026 the BDO site announced that the Marshal of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship has entered the first authorised representatives for extended producer responsibility for packaging and batteries acting on behalf of foreign entities, as of 26 October 2026. The legal basis cited is PPWR Article 45(3) and Batteries Regulation Article 56(3). Under PPWR Article 45(3), a seller based outside Poland who ships packaged goods directly to consumers in Poland must appoint such a representative there. Batteries Regulation Article 56(3) says the same for batteries — including batteries built into appliances — sold at a distance directly to end users. The announcement lists the first nine registered representatives.

Checklist for Poland

An EU responsible person named on the product and in the listing — compare published provider prices.
Polish product names, offers, warranty terms, instructions and warnings.
A BDO entry for your packaging, electrical equipment or batteries, and the BDO number on your documents.
For packaging and batteries shipped to Polish consumers from abroad, an EPR authorised representative entered in BDO.
Polish warnings on the label: use the GPSR label generator.

Run the compliance checker for the full list. Background: packaging EPR and the Batteries Regulation.

Frequently asked questions

Is the BDO number the same thing as a GPSR responsible person?

No. BDO is Poland’s register for packaging, electrical equipment, batteries and waste. The GPSR responsible person is an EU-wide contact for product safety. You may need both.

Which authority checks products in Poland?

Under the act in force since 3 January 2026, the President of UOKiK supervises general product safety and Trade Inspection inspectors carry out the checks.

Sources

ohdock provides software tools and general information, not legal advice. Check the official texts, or ask a qualified adviser, for your situation.