How to Choose a Virtual Office in Warsaw? What to Consider When Choosing

Do you care about the strict center (e.g., Śródmieście, near the Palace of Culture), or perhaps you want to emphasize presence in a specific business district (e.g., Wola – modern office buildings, Mokotów – office hub)? A prestigious address might cost a bit more but makes an impression. Addresses on the outskirts of the city may be cheaper but less recognizable.

If you plan to occasionally pick up mail in person or use a conference room, choose a location that's convenient to reach. Warsaw can have traffic jams – maybe an address near your place of residence or well-connected (close to the metro) is better?

Ask whether the address is located in a typical office building or, for example, in a residential tenement house. An address in a well-known office center (e.g., Rondo ONZ, near Central Station) may inspire more confidence than an exotic address in a residential district.

Does it include both a company registration address and a correspondence address? (Usually yes, but make sure). Does the price include unlimited mail reception, or is there a monthly letter limit?

How and how quickly does the company inform you of an incoming letter/package? Will you get an email/SMS right away the same day?

Do they offer document scanning on request, and if so – is it paid additionally or included? How does forwarding of originals work – by traditional mail, courier? Can you set up automatic forwarding, e.g., once a week?

Can the virtual office provide a Warsaw phone number with forwarding or secretarial service? This is important for some businesses (e.g., if you want to have a local number 22 instead of a mobile number on your website).

Does the company have a physical office where they provide conference rooms or coworking? If so, how many hours per month do you have at your disposal as part of the package, and how much do any additional hours cost?

Some providers also offer accounting services, help with company registration, legal advice, courier package reception, and even address rental for headquarters in other cities. Consider whether you might need something like this.

You can find offers for e.g., $15/month and others for $40/month. Check what exactly this amount includes. Sometimes a very cheap package contains only the absolute minimum (address + letter reception, but without notifications or scans – you pay extra for everything else).

Find out how much it costs to scan one page of a document, forward a letter, receive a package (some charge additionally for each registered letter received or package above a certain number). A fair company should give you a price list for such services right away.

Ask if there's a discount for upfront annual payment (often there is, e.g., you pay for 10 months, use it for 12). Check the minimum contract period – can you purchase for a month, quarter, year? Flexibility can be valuable, but a longer period sometimes means a better price.

Does the company require any one-time fee to start (e.g., a refundable deposit for potential shipments)? This rarely happens, but it's better not to be surprised.

Check how long the company has been operating and how many clients they have. A longer presence and a large number of served companies suggest that the service provider has established procedures and is unlikely to disappear overnight.

Look for reviews on the internet (Google, social media) about the virtual office. Pay attention to what others say about notification reliability, friendly service, possible problems. Single negative opinions can happen to anyone, but if you see a recurring complaint (e.g., "they constantly lose letters" or "it's hard to get a scan"), that's a warning sign.

Some companies boast about what well-known brands they serve. If a virtual office has known startups or companies in its portfolio, it builds trust. Of course, your company may be small, but it's important that the service has dealt with demanding clients.

Already at the stage of asking about the offer, pay attention to how the company communicates with you. Do they respond quickly to emails? Do they provide comprehensive information by phone? This usually indicates their approach to clients. The virtual office will be your "front desk" in a way – you want them to be professional and helpful.

Ask for a sample rental/address agreement for review. Check if it contains everything you need to register your company (exact address, declaration of right to the premises, etc.). A good agreement protects both parties – you and the provider – and clearly defines obligations (e.g., yours regarding contact information updates, and the company's regarding your privacy protection).

Life can be unpredictable – you might want to change your address in a year. Check how much notice you need to give to terminate the agreement and if there are any associated costs (e.g., penalty for early termination).

Ask how the company protects your data and correspondence. Do they have GDPR procedures? (They should, after all, they will be processing your mail). Are document scans shared in a secure way (e.g., through an encrypted client portal)? This is important, especially if you'll be receiving financial documents, contracts – you want to be sure they won't fall into the wrong hands.

Make sure that if your business grows, the chosen virtual office has options to keep up. E.g., do they have larger packages, do they allow transition from just an address to a full serviced office, etc. This way, you'll avoid another address change as your company develops.