As a rule, no: since 1 September 2023 a bank that must confirm your identity can also do so on the basis of the mDowód, the digital ID in the mObywatel app, including when you open an account. The plastic card is still needed at the border and when applying for a new ID card. If a branch refuses, ask for verification in mWeryfikator and then file a complaint.
What the law says
The mObywatel Application Act states that where a provision requires identity to be confirmed on the basis of a document, such as an ID card, the mDowód fulfils that obligation. Banks, which check customer identity under the anti-money laundering rules, have applied this principle since 1 September 2023. This also covers opening an account and a visit to a branch.
How a bank should check an mDowód
The employee does not have to rely on simply looking at the screen. In the mWeryfikator app (the official verification app) or in the online verifier they display a code, which you scan in mObywatel. The bank then receives data signed with the minister’s seal, which cannot be forged with a screenshot.
When the plastic card is still needed
The mDowód is not a travel document, so at the border you need your ID card or passport. When you apply for a new ID card, the office will not confirm your identity with the mDowód. Banks abroad have no obligation to accept it. A dead phone battery also means no document. So take your plastic ID card to an important bank appointment.
When a branch refuses
Ask for verification in mWeryfikator and for the grounds for the refusal. If that does not help, file a complaint: the bank has 30 days to reply, and up to 60 days in a particularly complicated case. If the complaint is rejected, you can submit a request for intervention to the Financial Ombudsman (Rzecznik Finansowy).
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