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Embassies and consular services for Poland
| Location | Service areas |
|---|---|
| Embassy of the Republic of Poland | |
| New Zealand Embassy to Poland | Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine |
Our relationship with Poland
New Zealand and Poland enjoy a warm and friendly relationship, dating back to 1872 when the first Polish settlers arrived in New Zealand. New Zealand and Poland are building relationships between parliaments, Non-Government Organisations and think tanks. Academic partnerships have also been developed between universities in each country. 2023 marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
Poland and New Zealand both participate in the work of the Global Research Alliance and focus on the work of the Livestock Research Group which aims to cut greenhouse emissions from agriculture.
Trade and investment
The Polish-New Zealand Business Association(external link) (POLANZ), established in 2015 promotes cooperation between businesses from Poland and New Zealand, and works to stimulate interest in trade, investment, and culture between the two countries.
In July 2023, New Zealand and the EU signed a high-quality, comprehensive, and progressive Free Trade Agreement which entered into force in May 2024. As a European Union member state, Poland is party to the EU-NZ FTA. The FTA contains world-leading commitments on sustainable and inclusive trade.
The latest information about New Zealand's trade profile with Poland is available on the New Zealand Trade Dashboard(external link).
People and culture
The best-known members of New Zealand’s Polish community arrived in November 1944 when New Zealand welcomed about 800 war refugees, most of them orphaned children, who were cared for at a camp in Pahiatua, Tararua District and were affectionately called the “Pahiatua children”. Many stayed and became New Zealanders because the political situation in Poland prevented them from returning home after the war ended. November 2024 marked the 80th anniversary of their arrival in New Zealand.
After World War II about 200 Polish war veterans and 700 Polish displaced persons migrated to New Zealand. Then in the early 1980s a further 320 refugees fleeing from the Communist regime were given a home here. New Zealand now has a thriving Polish community.
Poland and New Zealand have shared experiences of our troops fighting alongside each other in World War Two, including at the battle of Monte Cassino and the Great Escape at Zagan.
New Zealand is represented at the annual commemoration of the liberation of concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. New Zealand was an early contributor to the Perpetual Fund set to maintain these camps as a testament to future generations.
Information for young Polish citizens interested in living and working in New Zealand can be found on Immigration New Zealand’s Poland Working Holiday visa(external link) website.
Young New Zealand citizens looking to work/study in Poland can contact the Embassy of Poland in Wellington(external link) for more information.