In Poland you may collect amber washed up by the sea by hand, for your own use. Pumps, digging and washing out sand are banned, and in national parks you may not collect anything.
Is it legal to collect amber on the beach
Yes. Since 1 January 2019, amateur collecting of amber washed up by the sea has been legal in Poland. Before that, you needed a permit from the director of the Maritime Office (Bezprawnik, in Polish).
You collect for your own use, by hand, occasionally and in small amounts. Regular or large-scale collecting falls outside this rule.
How much amber you may collect
The law sets no limit in grams. The rule rests on personal use and on collecting occasionally in small amounts. The more and the more often you collect, the closer you get to unauthorised collecting.
What you may not do
- Use pumps or wash out sand, including underwater.
- Dig deep holes or dig up the beach.
- Damage the shore, the dunes or the vegetation.
Hands, a scoop net (kaszorek) and a small sieve are fine. Machines and tools for digging up the beach are banned (Nocowanie.pl, in Polish). For gear that is fine to use, see our guide to amber hunting gear.
National parks: a total ban
In Polish national parks you may not collect anything, including amber from the beach. This applies to Słowiński National Park and Wolin National Park.
- Słowiński National Park starts east of Łeba.
- Wolin National Park borders Międzyzdroje. Search only outside its boundary.
Nature reserves and Natura 2000
According to Bezprawnik, the collecting ban also covers Polish nature reserves (rezerwaty przyrody) and Natura 2000 areas. The scope depends on the specific area, so check it in the GDOŚ geoportal (the Polish environmental authority's map service) before you go.
Examples of reserves are on Wyspa Sobieszewska (Ptasi Raj) and near Mikoszewo (Mewia Łacha). Do not enter them.
How to check whether a stretch is covered by a ban
- Open the GDOŚ geoportal and check the boundaries of parks, reserves and Natura 2000 areas.
- Look for signs at the beach access points. Bans and park boundaries are often marked there.
- If in doubt, ask the local municipal office or the Maritime Office (Urząd Morski).
The beach pages on our site describe known restrictions, but they do not replace the current signs on the ground.
Dunes and cliffs
Dunes and cliffs are protected. Do not climb them or dig at their foot. Damaging vegetation or the shore can bring heavy fines.
Examples: the cliff at Orłowo, or the dunes at Jantar and Stegna.
Selling and extraction
The exemption covers personal use only. If you collect in order to sell larger amounts, it is no longer a hobby. Extracting amber on an industrial scale, for example with a pump, needs a licence. Doing it without one is a crime.
The amber trade is also controlled by the tax and customs authorities. If you plan to sell, ask a lawyer or the tax office.
Polish customs officers seize tonnes of amber from illegal trade every year (e-prawnik, in Polish). Seized goods are forfeited to the State Treasury.
Collecting while diving
One published interpretation limits hand collecting to the beach and the shallow surf zone. If you search for amber underwater, check the rules with the relevant Maritime Office. For diving, see our guide to amber underwater.
This is not legal advice. Laws and local orders change, so check the current legal status of your stretch of coast before you go.
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