Poland in Australia

Apart from the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Canberra, Poland also maintains a Consulate General in Sydney and five consulates run by honorary consuls (Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart, Melbourne and Perth). On 18-21 August 2018 the President of the Republic of Poland, H.E. Andrzej Duda visited Australia as a Guest of Government during the first ever official visit of Polish president to Australia. The last consultations at the level of foreign ministers took place in May 2017 during the visit of Minister Witold Waszczykowski to Australia. In 2014 Poland and Australia signed a Memorandum on a bilateral Work and Holiday Maker Visa Arrangement. The Polish community in Australia (approximately 184,000 people) plays an important role in the overall relationship between Poland and Australia.

Bilateral economic agreements between Australia and Poland include:  Investment and Promotion and Protection Agreement (1991);  Double Taxation Agreement (1991);  Social Security Agreement (2010);  Memorandum of Understanding on a bilateral Work and Holiday Maker Visa Arrangement, which entered into force in 2014. Since Poland's accession to the EU, economic cooperation between Poland and Australia has gained a decisive pace. In trade, Polish exports grew at a much faster pace than imports, and the negative balance turned into positive and increased year by year (see the Table). Currently, Poland is the 36th trading partner for Australia (0.3% of Australia's total foreign trade). For Poland, Australia is the 41st trading partner (0.3% of total foreign trade). For the last several years, the dominant positions in Polish exports to Australia are machines, equipment and transport equipment (297.9 M USD). Over 80% of all imports from Australia to Poland are trade in natural resources, mainly fuels and mineral oils, and metal ores.  On August 21, 2018, the representative office of the Polish Trade and Investment Agency began its activity in Sydney - the office was opened by the President of the Republic of Poland, H.E. Andrzej Duda during his official visit to Australia.

Table: Poland’s trade with Australia between 2016-2018 (mln USD) 

Source: GUS.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the total value of foreign investments of Australia in Poland reached USD 2.25 billion in 2018, of which USD 1.1 billion is FDI. About 130 Australian companies are currently doing business in Poland. They are mainly investors as well as distributors and importers. Amcor, Mincom and Macquarie are among the most dynamically growing. Other forms of presence of Australian companies on the Polish market are activities based on franchise systems and cooperation in the area of education through the offices of educational agents.

Links
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
NSW Business Chamber
Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce and Industry
South Australian Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry - Business SA
Chamber of Commerce & Industry Western Australia
Chamber of Commerce & Industry Queensland
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Australian Securities Exchange
Reserve Bank of Australia
Australian Government, incl. economic agencies
Australian Immigration and Border Protection
 

Polish-Australian cultural cooperation is carried out both through public institutions and diplomatic missions, as well as by a number of non-governmental organizations, foundations and other entities promoting and developing cultural relations between the two countries. The agreement on a Work and Holiday Visa arrangement signed in 2014 by Poland and Australia contributes to the development of people-to-people contacts. Since 1 October 2019, the annual visa cap for Polish and Australian citizens interested in participating in the program has been increased to 1,500. Polish community in Australia plays a particularly important role in promoting Polish culture. There are numerous cultural organizations in Australia, Polish houses, clubs and cultural centres, Polish community media, theatres, song, dance and music groups. The largest Polish cultural event in Australia is the PolArt Festival of Polish Art and Culture, held since 1975 every three years in a different state capital city. Thanks to the multicultural policy of Australia, whose architect (known as the “father of Australia’s multicultural policy) was a sociology professor Jerzy Zubrzycki, Poles, like other national groups, can develop and cultivate their ties with Poland. Polish immigrants have strongly contributed to the social, economic and cultural development of Australia. The names of Polish historical figures, such as Paweł Edmund Strzelecki and Tadeusz Kościuszko, are an important part of Polish cultural heritage in Australia.

In recent years scientific and research cooperation between Poland and Australia has been developing dynamically. Research and publishing cooperation between Polish and Australian scientists is ongoing, bilateral cooperation at university level is being developed covering both exchange of academic staff and students. The technical cooperation of scientific agencies supporting the research and development (R&D) sector is being built, and scientific and technical cooperation within Australian and Polish private sectors and the private sector with research centres is emerging.  The National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) conducts projects in Australia supporting international academic exchange within its own international programs, as well as promoting Polish system of higher education and science and the Polish language. Polish research centres and companies cooperate with Australian partners in the field of science, implementation of innovative technologies and research. In addition, many Polish students receive annually grants and scholarships offered directly by Australian educational and research centres for foreign students.

Recognition of academic qualifications

National Agency for Academic Exchange