Laws in Poland
How Poland is classified on 43 of the 48 laws this site maps, grouped by subject. Each links to the full answer and its source.
Body & Life
- Abortion
- Legal (limited) Abortion is permitted on limited grounds such as a risk to health.
- Euthanasia
- Illegal Active euthanasia is forbidden and treated as a milder form of murder under the Penal Code.
- Suicide Laws
- Not a crime
- FGM Laws
- No specific ban There is no FGM-specific law; only general criminal provisions could apply.
- Surrogacy
- Unregulated Surrogacy is mostly unregulated in Poland, with the Family Code defining the birth mother as the legal mother.
Money & Games
- Gambling Age
- 18 Minimum age to gamble: 18.
- Cryptocurrency
- Legal Cryptocurrency is legal to own and trade.
- Online Gambling
- Partially legal Online gambling is restricted to sites holding a Polish license.
Daily Life
- Jaywalking
- Offense / fined Crossing outside designated points within 100m is an offence.
- Drinking in Public
- Illegal Public drinking is generally illegal with strict enforcement.
- Public Smoking Bans
- Partial ban Smoking is banned in most indoor public places, but larger restaurants may have separated smoking areas.
- Driving Age
- 18+ Minimum age to drive a car: 18.
- Homeschooling
- Legal with conditions Homeschooling is legal only under conditions such as approval, registration or inspection.
Animals & Environment
- Fur Farming
- Banned Fur farming is banned.
- Cosmetic Animal Testing
- Banned Poland bans cosmetic animal testing and imports of tested products under EU law.
- Dog Meat
- Varies by region Legal status varies by region and specific practice, with some prosecutions and acquittals reported.
- Plastic Bag Bans
- Taxed / charged Plastic bags are legal but carry a mandatory charge or tax.
Civic & Family
- Voting Age
- 18 The voting age is 18.
- Compulsory Voting
- Voluntary Voting is voluntary.
- Minimum Working Age
- 14–15 Minimum working age: 15.
Relationships & Sexuality
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Not recognized Same-sex unions have no legal recognition, and marriage is constitutionally or statutorily barred.
- Same-Sex Activity
- Legal Same-sex sexual activity is legal.
- Age of Consent
- 14–15 The age of consent is 15.
- Sex Work
- Legal & regulated Selling sex is legal, but operating brothels, pimping, and coercive prostitution are prohibited.
- Pornography
- Illegal Poland criminalizes the production, distribution, and possession of pornographic content for dissemination.
- Divorce
- Legal Divorce is legal and available, with no-fault options determined by the court.
- Same-Sex Adoption
- Limited (step-child / single) Joint adoption is not open to same-sex couples; step-child or single-person adoption is.
- Incest Laws
- Criminal offense
- Marriage Age
- 18+ Minimum marriage age: 18.
Speech & Belief
- Blasphemy Laws
- Criminal offense Poland criminalizes insulting religious feelings with fines or imprisonment up to two years.
- Holocaust Denial
- Criminal offense Holocaust denial is a criminal offence.
- Conversion Therapy
- No ban Poland has no legal ban on conversion therapy, despite past legislative proposals.
Justice & Weapons
- Death Penalty
- Fully abolished Fully abolished for all crimes.
- Gun Laws
- Licensed / moderate Handguns can be licensed for sport, hunting or collecting, but personal protection alone is not a sufficient reason.
- School Corporal Punishment
- Banned The Constitution of Poland vests the ban on corporal punishment in schools.
- Military Conscription
- No conscription
Substances
- Cannabis
- Legal (Medical) Cannabis is legal for medical use only; recreational use remains prohibited.
- Drinking Age
- 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.
- Smoking Age
- 18 Minimum age to buy tobacco: 18.
- Psilocybin Mushrooms
- Illegal Psilocybin is a controlled substance; possession is a criminal offence.
- Salvia Divinorum
- Illegal Possession of salvia divinorum is a criminal offence.
- Khat
- Illegal Khat is classified as a narcotic drug and is illegal to sell and possess in Poland.
- E-Cigarettes
- Regulated E-cigarettes are legal but nicotine strength is capped by law.
Nearby countries
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.