Flight compensation in Poland
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Quick answer
All flights departing Warsaw, Kraków, Gdańsk, Wrocław, Katowice and other Polish airports are covered by Regulation 261/2004 on any airline; inbound flights on EU airlines (LOT, Ryanair, Wizz Air, Buzz) are covered too. The Passenger Rights Ombudsman at ULC runs a free ADR procedure, and the Polish Supreme Court has set the limitation period at one year.
Who is covered
- Departures from Poland
- Every flight departing an airport in Poland is covered, whichever airline operates it.
- Arrivals into Poland
- Flights arriving from outside Europe are covered only when the operating airline is licensed in the EU/EEA; a third-country airline (Emirates, Qatar Airways, American Airlines) is not.
- Applicable rules
- EU Regulation 261/2004
- Currency
- EUR (or PLN equivalent)
- Enforcement authority
- Rzecznik Praw Pasażerów (Passenger Rights Ombudsman at ULC)
- Limitation period
- 1 year
- Supreme Court resolution of 17 March 2017 (III CZP 111/16).
- Escalation path
- Airline → Passenger Rights Ombudsman at ULC (free ADR) → sąd rejonowy simplified procedure.
Limitation periods differ by country and can be as short as one year. This is the period to bring a court claim; complaint bodies may have their own deadlines.
What can I claim for a flight from Poland?
Every flight departing from Poland is covered under EU261, whichever airline operates: €250–€600 per passenger for an arrival delay of 3 hours or more, a cancellation announced under 14 days ahead, or denied boarding. Flights into Poland from outside Europe are covered when the airline is licensed in Europe.
Does this apply to your flight?
Flight from or to Poland?
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Already known from this page
- Poland
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Rules and amounts
Regulation 261/2004 applies to every departure from Poland and to inbound flights on EU airlines. Amounts: €250 / €400 / €600 (paid in EUR or the PLN equivalent). Warsaw–London and Warsaw–Lisbon exceed 1,500 km and pay €400.
Passenger Rights Ombudsman (Rzecznik Praw Pasażerów)
Based at the Civil Aviation Authority (ULC), the Ombudsman runs a free out-of-court dispute procedure for claims under the Regulation. You must first claim from the airline; after a refusal or 30 days without a reply you can file online. The procedure is not binding, but airlines participate and typically follow the outcome. ULC itself is the enforcement body and can fine airlines.
Courts and limitation
District courts (sądy rejonowe) handle claims through a simplified procedure. The Polish Supreme Court held in 2017 that passenger compensation claims under the Regulation are subject to a one-year limitation period — file promptly.
Sources
- European Commission — DG MOVEAir passenger rights (including list of National Enforcement Bodies)
- European Parliament and CouncilRegulation (EC) No 261/2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights
- European Union — Your EuropeAir passenger rights
Last legally reviewed: 12 September 2026 · Content updated: 12 September 2026
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Enter the flight; the check applies the rules for departures from Poland, tells you the amount and names the body to escalate to.