Importing From India to Poland

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Here's a number that surprised us. In FY2025-26 India shipped 43 million cotton T-shirts to Poland, worth US$70.26 million and up 18% on the year (TradeStat EIDB (opens in a new tab), HS 61091000, our query). That's more than it sent to Spain or Italy, and in the EU only Germany, the Netherlands and France took more.

So Poland isn't a side market for Indian apparel any more. This page covers what's Polish about it: the import VAT and how to settle it in the return, the Polish label, what Polish controls keep stopping, and the choice between a Baltic port and a North Sea hub. One caveat - we haven't broken down who in Poland is buying, so we won't guess.

Last researched 28 September 2026 · Next review 24 October 2026 · Written by SourcingFrom

Duty is the same across the EU: see the EU bloc page.

1. VAT, and Settling It in the Return

Import VAT is charged at the Polish standard rate of 23% (Your Europe, VAT rates (opens in a new tab), checked by the Commission 13 July 2026). That's one of the higher rates in the EU, so the cash flow matters.

Under Article 33a of the Polish VAT Act, an active VAT payer can settle import VAT in the return for the period the import happened, instead of paying at the border. A small taxpayer filing quarterly can't use it for those imports (Biznes.gov.pl, how to account for VAT (opens in a new tab)). We read the government summary, not the Act itself, so check the conditions with your accountant before you count on it.

2. A Polish Label, With the Diacritics

The textile label must be in Polish. Polish fibre names carry diacritics (bawełna, not bawelna), and not every label printer handles them. Ask for a test print before the bulk run. It's a two-minute check that saves a relabelling job in a Polish warehouse.

3. What Polish Controls Stop

Poland raised 106 EU food alerts on Indian goods between 2021 and September 2026, and 22 of them came in 2026 alone (our count of RASFF Window (opens in a new tab), to 23 September 2026). Two patterns stand out. Salmonella in sesame, including black sesame in September 2026 (RASFF 2026.8297 (opens in a new tab)), and banned substances in food supplements sold online. If you sell Indian supplements online into Poland, the Polish authority is clearly watching that channel. Test plans are on Quality control.

4. Gdańsk or a North Sea Hub

Customs is run by the National Revenue Administration (KAS) (opens in a new tab). Gdańsk and Gdynia are the Baltic container ports, and a large share of Polish imports from Asia also lands at Hamburg, Rotterdam or Antwerp and comes in by rail or road under transit.

That's your choice. A Baltic call saves the overland leg, and a North Sea hub may sail more often. We found no India-Gdańsk service in the schedules we read, so we can't give you the Baltic transit. Add the overland leg and the transit paperwork to the Rotterdam figures on the EU bloc page, and get the Baltic option quoted to compare.

Next Step

EU duty and product rules are on the EU bloc page. Every Indian agreement is on India's trade agreements.