Warsaw · Relocation advisory · For families and professionals
Moving to Warsaw,
planned with someone who lives here.
I am Elwira Barańska, an independent relocation advisor in Warsaw. I work with people who are still living abroad: together we choose a district, shortlist an international school, search for a home and plan the move itself — in English, by video call, months before you land.
You do not need to be in Poland to start. Plan your move with a free 15-minute video consultation.
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- districts profiled
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- schools reviewed
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- relocation services
Before you arrive
Start from where you live today
Everything below can be started while you are still abroad, over video calls, e-mail and WhatsApp. Work I do personally is marked as such; the rest I coordinate with partners I know and introduce to you.
Choosing a district
With me, personally
We narrow eighteen districts down to two or three that fit your commute, budget and family. Start with the quiz, then we talk it through.
Take the district quizSchool shortlist
With me, personally
Comparing international, bilingual and Montessori schools, arranging visits and keeping track of application deadlines.
See the schoolsHome search from abroad
Coordinated with vetted local agents
A search matched to your district and school, with viewings attended for you and reported back by video.
How the search worksYour move plan
Planned with me, delivered with partners
One timeline covering permits, movers, temporary accommodation and the first weeks after landing.
See the full scopeThe city
Eighteen districts, one decision
Warsaw is not one city but a set of neighbourhoods with very different rhythms. Explore the map, filter by what matters, and compare districts side by side.
District boundaries and metro stations from OpenStreetMap (ODbL). Click a district for details.
Personal consultation
Which part of Warsaw is yours?
Ten short questions about your household, work and the life you want here. It takes about two minutes and ends with three districts worth seeing first.
Who is moving to Warsaw?
Multiple answers allowedPick everything that applies — for example two adults and children.
Education
International schools
For most families the school decides the district, not the other way around. These are the schools expat families in Warsaw consider most often.
Mokotów · Sadyba
The British School Warsaw
British · IB · International
2.5–18
Włochy · Ochota · Mokotów
Thames British School Warsaw
British · Cambridge · IB
3–18
Wilanów
British Primary School of Wilanow
British
3–14
Bielawa · Konstancin-Jeziorna
American School of Warsaw
American · IB
3–18
Ursynów · Kabaty
International American School of Warsaw
American · IB · Polish
4–18
Mokotów · Sadyba
Lycée Français de Varsovie
French · AEFE
2–18
Support
Everything after the decision
Residence permits, PESEL, banking, healthcare, movers, utilities, furnishing. Coordinated so you are not learning a new bureaucracy alone.
Immigration
Residence permits and visas
Guidance through temporary residence, work permits and family reunification applications.
Administration
PESEL and address registration
Obtaining a PESEL number and registering your address, the keys to most Polish services.
Administration
Banking setup
Opening a Polish account with English-language service and cards for the whole family.
Legal support
Legal advice
Contract review for leases and purchases, employment matters and family law.
Tax support
Tax advisory
Residency status, double-taxation treaties and annual filing.
School search
School and preschool search
Shortlisting schools, arranging visits, preparing applications and managing deadlines.
Property search
Property search
Curated rental or purchase search matched to district, school and commute.
Temporary housing
Temporary accommodation
Serviced apartments and short-term rentals for the first weeks.
Utilities
Utilities and internet
Transferring or opening electricity, gas, water, waste and internet contracts.
About
About me
I know what it feels like to move to a new city and have to figure everything out from scratch. I have lived in Lisbon, London and Ho Chi Minh City, travelled extensively to finally settle in Warsaw. Living back in Mokotów with my husband and two adorable children.
Along the way, I studied management, real estate brokerage and life coaching, and spent six years managing a boutique hotel and spa by a lake in Masuria. Managing a hotel probably explains me better than a list of qualifications: every day brought a new person, an unexpected problem or a last-minute request. I liked figuring things out, finding the right people and making everything work. I still do.
I’m direct, curious, fast-moving and very good at special assignments. Need the honest truth about a neighbourhood, the right school, a reliable contractor or a home that actually fits your life? Let’s talk.