New Zealand and Poland enjoy a warm and friendly relationship. It dates back to at least 1872 when the first Polish settlers arrived in New Zealand. In March 2018, we marked the 45th anniversary of our diplomatic relations.
New Zealand and Poland have an air services agreement, film co-production agreement, double taxation agreement and a working holiday scheme in place.
New Zealand and Poland are also building relationships between their parliaments, NGOs and think tanks. The New Zealand Institute of International Affairs and the Polish Institute of International Affairs have agreed to hold regular meetings to discuss international relations. Academic partnerships have also been developed between universities in each country. Finally, 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.
We have also shared experiences of our troops fighting alongside each other in World War Two, and in 2019 we mark the 75th anniversary of 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.
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 2019 will mark the 75th 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 of around 5,000-6,000 people.
|
Total trade in goods |
$258.1 million | |
|
Exports to Poland |
$70 million |
Top exports: fish fillets and machinery |
|
Imports from Poland |
$188.1 million |
Top imports: trucks, vans and harvesting machinery |
|
Poland's GDP |
US$586 billion |
Trade between New Zealand and Poland has shown steady growth in recent years. An example is New Zealand wine, for which demand is rapidly growing in Poland.
In collaboration with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, the New Zealand Embassy in Warsaw held successful New Zealand Business Days in March 2015, October 2016 and April 2018. These days helped to educate Polish and New Zealand businesses about trade and economic opportunities between our countries.
New Zealanders aged between 18 and 30 can apply for a 12-month working holiday visa for Poland.
To apply, you can go to the Polish Embassy in Wellington. If you are overseas you can also apply through any Polish Consulate (external link).
For more information, read the Embassy of Poland's website (external link).
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has temporarily closed the physical premises of the New Zealand Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The New Zealand Embassy in Poland is proud to partner with Wspólnota Polska to present the story of the Polish Children of Pahiatua, and what happened next, from 31 October – 17 November 2019 outside Krakowskie Przedmieście 64 in Warsaw. Zapraszamy!
The New Zealand Embassy in Poland is proud to partner with Wspólnota Polska to present the story of the Polish Children of Pahiatua, and what happened next, from 31 October – 17 November 2019 outside Krakowskie Przedmieście 64 in Warsaw. Zapraszamy!
There is currently an outbreak of measles in New Zealand. The outbreak is pre-dominantly in the Auckland region.