Buying property in Poland as a foreigner

A foreigner, including a citizen of Ukraine, Belarus or the UK, can buy an apartment in Poland without any permit. Two conditions apply: it must be a self-contained residential unit (samodzielny lokal mieszkalny), and it must not be in the border zone. Land and houses with land are different: buyers from outside the EEA and Switzerland usually need a permit from the Ministry of the Interior (MSWiA). Every purchase is signed before a Polish notary.

Do foreigners need a permit to buy an apartment in Poland?

Not for a separate apartment outside the border zone, whatever your citizenship. A permit from the Ministry of the Interior (MSWiA) is usually needed only by buyers from outside the EEA and Switzerland who buy a house with land, a building plot or other land.

The rules come from the Act of 24 March 1920 on the acquisition of real estate by foreigners. In practice:

The border zone (strefa nadgraniczna) covers municipalities along the state border and the coast. Warsaw, Kraków and Wrocław are outside it.

There are further exemptions for land. For example, a foreigner who has lived in Poland for at least five years since receiving a permanent residence permit or EU long-term resident permit does not need a permit. A purchase made without a required permit is void, so if you are buying anything other than an apartment, confirm the position with the notary before signing.

The permit costs zł 1,570 in stamp duty, and a promise of a permit (promesa) costs zł 98. A permit is valid for two years, a promesa for one year.

Citizens of Belarus. We found no Polish rule, as of October 2026, that bars Belarusian citizens from buying an apartment. EU sanctions do, however, restrict deposits above €100,000 per bank for Belarusian nationals, with an exception for people holding a residence permit in an EU country. This can affect how you move and hold money, so discuss it with your bank early.

Can I buy an apartment with UKR status or a CUKR card?

Yes. Neither PESEL UKR status nor a CUKR card is needed to buy an apartment, and neither stops you from buying one. The Act on the acquisition of real estate by foreigners does not depend on your residence title: a separate apartment outside the border zone needs no permit, and the notary identifies you by your passport. Your status matters to the bank, not to the deed.

UKR status expires on 4 March 2027. Since 4 May 2026, Ukrainians who held UKR status on 4 June 2025 and have held it without a break for at least 365 days can apply online, through the MOS portal, for a CUKR card: a three-year temporary residence permit. The deadline is 4 March 2027 (Office for Foreigners). Owning an apartment does not by itself give you the right to stay in Poland. If you need a mortgage, read how banks treat UKR and CUKR.

Documents you need

• Passport or another identity document the notary accepts.
• PESEL number. Not required by law in the deed, but in practice needed for a mortgage, most bank services and tax matters. Foreigners who register a stay of more than 30 days receive it automatically; others can apply at any municipal office, stating the legal reason they need it.
• Polish bank account. Optional, but it makes escrow payments, mortgage repayments and utility bills simpler. Banks check the origin of funds sent from abroad, so keep documents that show where the money came from.
• Residence card or other proof of legal stay. Banks require it for a mortgage; the notary does not need it for an apartment purchase.
• Marriage certificate, if you are married. The notary will ask about your marital property regime because it decides who becomes the owner. Foreign documents may need a sworn translation.

Notarial deeds are drawn up in Polish. If you do not speak Polish, the notary must translate the deed personally or with a sworn translator (tłumacz przysięgły).

Step by step: from choosing a project to the keys

1. Choose a project and check the developer. Look at the company register, the land register (księga wieczysta) of the plot and the building permit. Our guide how to check a developer in Poland walks through each check, and how to read a land register online explains the register section by section.
2. Get the information prospectus (prospekt informacyjny). The developer must give it to you free of charge, on paper or another durable medium, before any reservation or agreement. It lists the permit, the land register number, the escrow account and previous projects.
3. Sign a reservation agreement (umowa rezerwacyjna), if you want one. It must be in writing. The fee cannot exceed 1% of the price and counts towards the price. It is refunded if a bank refuses your mortgage after a negative creditworthiness assessment, or if the developer changed the prospectus without telling you.
4. Arrange financing. If you need a mortgage, get the bank’s decision before the next step. See mortgage in Poland for foreigners.
5. Sign the development agreement (umowa deweloperska) before a notary. Notarial form is mandatory. The notary’s fee and the court fees for this agreement are split equally between you and the developer. Your claim to the apartment is entered in the land register of the developer’s plot.
6. Pay into the escrow account (mieszkaniowy rachunek powierniczy). Payments follow construction stages set out in the agreement. If the developer uses an open escrow account, your payments are also covered by the Developer Guarantee Fund (Deweloperski Fundusz Gwarancyjny). See open or closed escrow account.
7. Inspect the apartment (odbiór). This happens once the occupancy permit has become final. You can list defects in the inspection report. The developer has 14 days to accept or reject them and 30 days to fix accepted defects.
8. Sign the final deed. The notary establishes separate ownership of the apartment and transfers it to you. A new land register is set up for your unit.
9. After the purchase. Within 14 days, file property information with the municipality for property tax, then register with the residents’ association (wspólnota mieszkaniowa) and sign utility contracts.

Which agreement do you sign: development or preliminary?

Umowa deweloperska is used when the building is not finished. It must be a notarial deed and gives you the full protection of the 2021 Act: prospectus, escrow account and the Guarantee Fund, which covers sales started from 1 July 2022.

If the building is already finished, the developer may offer an agreement to establish and transfer ownership of a completed apartment. Since 2022 such agreements with a developer are covered by the same Act and must also be notarial.

An umowa przedwstępna (preliminary agreement) is the general civil-law tool. Its form matters. If it is only in writing and the seller refuses to complete, you can claim damages but cannot force the sale. If it is a notarial deed, you can ask a court to compel conclusion of the final agreement. Whatever the seller, insist on notarial form.

What does a Polish notary do in the purchase?

A Polish notary is a public official, not your personal lawyer. The notary:

• drafts the deed, reads it out and explains its consequences;
• must safeguard the rights and legitimate interests of both parties and refuse unlawful transactions;
• collects court fees and taxes due on the deed and pays them to the state;
• files the land register application electronically, no later than on the day of the deed;
• sends a copy of the deed to MSWiA when the buyer is a foreigner. From 19 November 2026 this goes through an electronic repository, with a fee charged to the parties; the amount is to be set by regulation.

For an independent review of the agreement, hire your own lawyer.

Typical timeline

Delays most often come from construction schedules and land register courts, not from the notary.