Convert PLN to CHF Polish zloty ↔ Swiss franc Free Online Secure
Type an amount in Polish zloty and read it in Swiss franc at once. The page uses the European Central Bank's reference rate, and tells you which day that rate is from.
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Common amounts — Convert PLN to CHF (Polish zloty ↔ Swiss franc)
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The last thirty days
Where these codes and rates come from
The three letters in EUR, USD or JPY are not an abbreviation someone invented for a website: they are ISO 4217, a standard in which the first two letters are the country's own code and the third is usually the initial of the currency. The figures on this page come from the European Central Bank, which publishes one set of reference rates each working day, around 16:00 Central European time, agreed between the central banks of the Eurosystem. They are a daily snapshot meant for statistics and accounting, not a live trading feed — which is exactly why they are the same number for everyone, rather than whatever one bank happened to quote at one moment.
Where you meet an exchange rate
You meet an exchange rate four or five times a year without thinking about it: booking a trip, paying an invoice issued abroad, buying from a foreign shop, reading a salary offer in another currency, or checking what a card charge really cost. In all of these the reference rate is the honest middle, and the price you actually pay sits a little to one side of it. Knowing the middle is what lets you see how wide that margin is.
Questions people ask
Is this the rate my bank will give me?
No, and no page can promise one. This is the European Central Bank's reference rate: the midpoint published once a day for statistics. A bank, a card scheme or an exchange office adds its own margin on top — usually between half a percent and three percent, sometimes more at an airport counter. Use this figure to judge the offer you are given, not to predict it.
How often does the figure change, and what happens at weekends?
The European Central Bank publishes once each working day, in the afternoon, Central European time. There is no publication on Saturdays, Sundays or TARGET holidays, so on those days the page shows the last working day's rate and says which day it belongs to. The chart alongside is one year of the same daily series.
Is the answer exact?
Where both units are defined in terms of one another by whole numbers, yes — the page says so above the figure, and the only rounding is in how many digits are shown. Where the ratio has no finite decimal, the page shows twelve significant digits and says the relation is approximate rather than pretending otherwise.
Does anything I type leave my device?
No. The arithmetic runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded and there is no server to upload it to. Load the page once and it keeps working with the network switched off.
The franc that moved into half a million Polish homes: how a Swiss currency became a family matter in Poland
In the middle of the 2000s, a bank adviser in Poland could offer a young couple a mortgage that looked almost too good. The loan would be paid out in zloty, so that they could buy their flat, but the instalments would be linked to the Swiss franc, and because Swiss interest rates were far lower than Polish ones, the monthly payment was noticeably smaller. Several hundred thousand households signed such contracts, in Poland and in other countries of the region. For years it worked. Then, on 15 January 2015, the Swiss National Bank dropped the minimum exchange rate it had been holding against the euro, and the franc jumped within minutes. Overnight, instalments that had been tied to the franc grew by a fifth or more, and a loan that had looked like a bargain became a heavy burden. The term "frankowicze", franc borrowers, entered the Polish vocabulary, and the courts have been busy with their cases ever since. Whether you hold such a loan, plan a trip to Switzerland or simply wonder about the strongest currency in Europe, the first question is the same: how many francs does a zloty buy? Use this page to Convert PLN to CHF with the daily reference rates published by the European Central Bank. Both currencies are quoted against the euro, the page combines them into a zloty-franc figure and prints its date under the result. The amount you type never leaves your browser.
Using the converter
Zloty in, francs out
Before booking, Convert PLN to CHF for the whole budget and keep the figure beside your itinerary.
Type an amount in zloty and read the equivalent in Swiss francs. A franc is worth several zloty, so the result is a good deal smaller than the number you entered, and it carries rappen, the hundredths of a franc. The date of the rate appears beneath it; at weekends and on public holidays the page uses the last working day and says so. A table of round amounts and a thirty-day line complete the page. For the opposite direction, when you hold francs and want zloty, open Convert CHF to PLN.
A reference, not a bank table
The published rate is a mid-market figure fixed once on each working day, without any bank margin. Your bank, an exchange office or a card will give you less, and the difference is what they charge. Treat each attempt to Convert PLN to CHF as a reference to hold against the offers you meet: under one per cent is excellent, two to three per cent is typical at banks, and over four per cent is a signal to look elsewhere. In the examples below, purely for arithmetic, an invented round rate of four zloty to one franc is used. It is not a forecast and not today's price.
How a franc-indexed loan worked
The loan in two currencies
Anyone with an old franc loan should Convert PLN to CHF for the instalment and compare it with the bank's figure on the statement.
A franc-indexed loan was not a loan made in francs in the strict sense. The bank paid out zloty, but the contract fixed the debt in francs at the exchange rate of the day. Each month, the instalment was calculated in francs and converted back into zloty at the rate the bank published for that day. Suppose, for arithmetic only, that a couple borrowed an amount equal to 50,000 francs at an exchange rate of two zloty per franc, receiving 100,000 zloty. When the rate rose to four zloty per franc, the same debt in francs would be worth 200,000 zloty, even though the couple had paid for years. The monthly payment grew in proportion.
Why it looked cheap
A low rate looks attractive until you Convert PLN to CHF for a scenario in which the franc is thirty per cent stronger.
Switzerland has long had low interest rates, so a loan tied to the franc carried a lower interest charge than a plain loan in zloty. A borrower with a salary of 5,000 zloty could afford a larger flat. The risk, hidden in small print, was that the franc could grow stronger against the zloty, and the debt would rise with it. Many borrowers were told that the franc was a stable currency and that the risk was small. The strength of the franc, a safe haven in times of fear, was exactly what made the risk real.
The buy and sell spread
Banks used their own tables, with one rate for buying francs and another, higher one, for selling. The difference, called the spread, could amount to several per cent on each instalment. This detail became central in the court cases, because borrowers argued that they had not been told how the bank would set the rate. When you Convert PLN to CHF on this page, you see the middle rate, between buying and selling, which is one reason a bank's table gives a different figure.
15 January 2015
The day the floor disappeared
In September 2011, to stop the franc from rising too fast against the euro, the Swiss National Bank announced it would defend a floor of 1.20 francs per euro. For more than three years it bought euros in large quantities to keep the rate there. On 15 January 2015, with no warning, it ended the policy. The franc rose by about a fifth against the euro in minutes, and fell back a little afterwards, but it never returned to the old level. In Poland the zloty weakened against the franc as well, and instalments rose accordingly.
What borrowers did
Those who settled or switched currency usually began by comparing offers with a Convert PLN to CHF done on the same day.
Some borrowers kept paying and hoped for a fall in the franc. Others sold their flats or switched to loans in zloty. Many went to court, claiming that clauses in their contracts were unfair, as the bank had set the exchange rate itself and had not explained the risk. Consumer groups, law firms and associations helped them. The cases were complicated and took years.
Political reactions
The government considered several plans to help borrowers, including a fund financed by banks and proposals for converting loans at a favourable rate. Banks, which feared large losses, resisted some of them. Regulators encouraged voluntary settlements. A number of banks set up programmes for converting loans into zloty on negotiated terms.
The courts
Europe's highest court
A ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union in October 2019, in a case that came from Poland, held that a loan contract could be annulled if it contained unfair terms that could not be removed without changing the nature of the contract. Subsequent decisions of the Court and of the Polish Supreme Court clarified how the money should be returned and what claims the banks could make. Thousands of borrowers have since won cases in lower courts, while other cases continue. Each contract is different, so outcomes vary.
What a borrower should do
Anyone with such a contract should gather the loan agreement, annexes, payment statements and correspondence with the bank, and consult a qualified lawyer or a consumer advice centre. Deadlines matter, and rules on limitation periods have been debated in the courts. Online calculators can show how much has been paid, but a legal opinion is needed to decide a strategy. This page cannot give legal advice.
Lessons for the future
The episode taught Poland and its neighbours that borrowing in a currency in which you do not earn exposes you to exchange-rate risk that may be impossible to control. Regulators later limited foreign-currency loans to households, and banks became more careful. For ordinary savers, the lesson is simple: compare what you owe with what you earn, in the same currency.
The franc today
A safe haven
Switzerland has political stability, a current-account surplus, low inflation and a trusted central bank. In times of crisis, investors buy francs, which pushes the price up. That explains why the franc often strengthens when other currencies are under pressure. For someone who earns in zloty, this means that Swiss prices look high, and a franc in the bank looks like a good store of value, but it also means that the exchange rate can move against anyone who owes francs.
Swiss prices for visitors
Menu prices are in francs, so Convert PLN to CHF for a typical day and multiply by the number of days.
Switzerland is expensive. A coffee costs 4 to 6 francs, a lunch in a simple restaurant 20 to 30, a bed in a hostel 40 to 70 and a double room in a mid-range hotel 180 to 300. A day pass for public transport costs 50 to 80 francs. Convert PLN to CHF for each item, and compare the result with the cost in Poland. Many Polish travellers reduce the bill by sleeping in hostels or campsites, shopping in supermarkets and walking in the mountains.
Switzerland for Polish citizens
Polish citizens can enter Switzerland with an identity card or passport, as the country is in the Schengen area, though not in the European Union. They can stay up to ninety days without a permit. Those who plan to work need permits that depend on the type of job and canton. Cross-border workers, who live in nearby countries and commute daily, are common in border regions.
A Swiss week for a Polish visitor: lakes, trains and a castle with Polish memories
Zurich and the lake
Boat rides and day cards are small items, yet a week of them deserves a single Convert PLN to CHF at the start.
Most flights from Poland to Switzerland land in Zurich, the largest city, which sits at the northern end of a long lake. The old town has narrow lanes, church towers and fountains with drinking water, while Bahnhofstrasse is one of the most expensive shopping streets in the world. A boat trip on the lake costs about 8 to 12 francs for a short ride, a swim in a lakeside bath 8 to 10. Public fountains give free water everywhere in Switzerland, so a reusable bottle saves a few francs a day. A city transport day card costs around 9 to 15 francs, depending on zones. Convert PLN to CHF for the airport train and a day card, and you will see how a short stay differs from a long one.
Rapperswil, the Polish castle on the lake
Half an hour by train from Zurich, the town of Rapperswil rises on a hill above the water, crowned by a castle. From 1870, Polish exiles who had left their country after the failed uprisings of the nineteenth century set up a national museum and library in its rooms, at a time when Poland did not exist on the map as an independent state. Count Władysław Plater, who led the project, wanted a safe place to keep Polish books and relics. The building still holds Polish memory, with exhibitions and a library, and the walk along the lake promenade, past roses and the long wooden pedestrian bridge to Hurden, is lovely. Entry to the castle is a modest sum, and the sunset over the water is free.
Polish names across Switzerland
Polish students, scholars and artists sought refuge in Switzerland during several periods of history. Zurich and Geneva hosted exiles, and a few streets and monuments recall them. A modern Polish community lives in the larger cities, with churches and cultural societies.
Lucerne and the mountains
Lucerne is a postcard town: a covered wooden bridge across the river, a lake ringed with peaks and boat rides to Mount Pilatus and Rigi, each with a cog railway. A return trip to Pilatus costs roughly 70 to 100 francs in summer. A ticket to the Rigi, called the queen of the mountains, is of the same order. If you plan two or three such excursions, a regional pass may be cheaper, so Convert PLN to CHF for each option and compare the totals.
The Jungfrau region
For high Alpine scenery, travellers go to the Jungfrau region: Interlaken, Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, a valley with dozens of waterfalls. The railway to the Jungfraujoch, which climbs inside the mountain to a station at 3,454 metres, costs more than 200 francs for a return trip from Interlaken, one of the priciest rides in Europe. Cheaper alternatives are walks in the valleys, cable cars to lower viewpoints, and the famous Schynige Platte railway. In the high season, book hotel rooms months ahead.
Swiss tastes and Swiss tables
Cheese, chocolate and the national dishes
A fondue looks expensive until you Convert PLN to CHF and divide the price by the number of people at the table.
The great dishes of Switzerland are fondue, in which bread is dipped into melted cheese, and raclette, in which cheese is scraped over potatoes. A fondue for two in a restaurant costs 50 to 80 francs, a raclette plate 25 to 35. Rösti, a golden potato cake, accompanies many dishes. Chocolate is sold in every shop, in bars costing 2 to 5 francs, and in boxes from pastry shops at much higher prices. The cheapest way to eat well is a supermarket picnic, with bread, cheese, fruit and a bar of chocolate, for 8 to 12 francs.
Coffee and drinks
Coffee is served strong and small, and a large cup with milk costs 5 to 6 francs. Beer is 6 to 9 francs a half-litre in a restaurant. Swiss wine, rarely exported, is well worth trying. In many mountain restaurants, a hot chocolate with a view is worth the price. Tipping is not required, since service is included, but rounding up is welcome.
Trains, passes and punctuality
Swiss trains are famously punctual. A Swiss Travel Pass offers unlimited travel on trains, buses and boats for three to fifteen days and entry to hundreds of museums, but it costs several hundred francs. Whether it pays off depends on the itinerary. Half-fare cards and point-to-point tickets bought online in advance are cheaper for fixed plans. Plan the route, add the tickets and Convert PLN to CHF for the total before you buy anything.
A week's budget in three styles
Thrifty
Hostels and camp sites, supermarket meals and long walks can keep the daily cost near 100 to 140 francs per person. A week thus comes to 700 to 1,000 francs, without the flight. With the invented rate of four zloty per franc, that is 2,800 to 4,000 zloty.
Comfortable
A mid-range hotel, one restaurant meal a day, two railway excursions and a boat trip bring the daily cost to 250 to 350 francs per person, or 1,750 to 2,450 for a week. Reserve rooms well in advance for the summer.
Generous
Four-star hotels, tasting menus and the high-altitude railway can push a week beyond 4,000 francs per person. At this level a margin of two per cent on the exchange is a considerable sum, so compare the offers of banks with the reference figure.
Units and practicalities in Switzerland
Mountains and distances
Mountain heights are given in metres, and Convert m to ft turns them into feet; the Jungfraujoch railway station, for instance, stands at 3,454 metres. Road signs show kilometres, and Convert km to mi is handy for visitors from countries that use miles. Temperatures are in Celsius, and Convert °C to °F gives Fahrenheit.
Cards and cash
Cards convert for you, but you should Convert PLN to CHF at the till to see whether the statement shows a fair amount.
Cards are widely accepted, and contactless payment is common. Some small mountain huts and farm shops prefer cash in francs. Refuse the offer to be charged in zloty at a terminal, because the rate offered is worse than your bank's. Cash machines may charge a fee, so withdraw larger amounts less often.
Time
Switzerland and Poland are on the same clock, Central European Time. If your travel continues east, Convert CET to EET shows the one-hour difference with Eastern Europe.
Other zloty conversions
If your trip continues
Travellers heading to the euro area can use Convert PLN to EUR, those going to London Convert PLN to GBP, and those crossing the Atlantic Convert PLN to USD. For the other side of Europe there is Convert PLN to HUF.
One habit worth keeping
Write down the rate and date whenever you exchange or pay, and compare them later with the statement. It takes seconds and removes doubt.
Mistakes to avoid
Borrowing in a currency you do not earn
A low interest rate may hide an exchange-rate risk. Before you sign, ask how the instalment would change if the rate moved by twenty or thirty per cent, and decide whether you could bear it.
Ignoring the spread
When you buy or sell currency, the buy and sell rates differ. Always compare the rate that applies to your transaction with the reference figure you get when you Convert PLN to CHF.
Using an old rate
A rate from last month can be wrong by several per cent. The date shown beside the result protects you.
In short
The only thing fetched from the network is the table of daily rates, while your amount stays in the browser and no account is needed. From the mortgage contract to the mountain railway ticket, the routine is the same: Convert PLN to CHF, read the date and compare each offer with the number on this page.