Lending In A Nutshell

Mortgage in Poland - requirements for foreigners

Foreigners can take out mortgages in Poland, although exact terms will vary depending on individual banks. Each bank has it’s own set of requirements but in general these are the basic requirements:

01.

Income in Poland

Banks in Poland require a borrower has an income in Poland. That’s the first and crucial requirement. Differents sources of income are acceptable:

employment contract for limited or unlimited period of time
self-employment
running a bussines in Poland
casual contract (e.g. umowa zlecenie or umowa o dzieło)
income from a property rental in Poland
pension

If you are a foreigner and work abroad you don’t qualify for a mortgage in Poland. If you have Polish citizenship and work abroad you have a chance to get a mortgage in Poland.

02.

Residency status

You need to be a Polish resident or you must have a living address in Poland.

If you are from the EU banks require copy of your Certificate of Registration of an EU Citizen Residence. If you are from outside the EU you need to provide a bank with a Residency Card (Karta Pobytu).

There are exceptions – some banks in Poland don’t require a Residency Card or a Certificate of Registration of an EU Citizen Residence.

03.

PESEL

Pesel is a Polish Personal Identification Number. Most banks in Poland require a borrower has a Pesel number but there are a few banks which don’t require that.

04.

Deposit

The maximum mortgage you can take out in Poland is 90% of the value of the property you want to purchase, which means you have to provide at least a 10% deposit. However, some banks will ask for a higher deposit. A 20% deposit gives you access to most banks and better rates.

05.

Permission to buy a land or a house in Poland

There is a legal distinction in Poland between:

independent residential premises (a flat)
land – developed (with a house) or undeveloped

A foreigner can buy a flat without any permission. It doesn’t matter whether you are resident in Poland or not. If a foreigner wants to buy a land (developed or undeveloped) a special permission may be required.

06.

Documents required for a mortgage application:

Passport
Proof of your residency status (required by most banks in Poland)
Proof of earnings (e.g. salary certificate from your employer, financial statement of your business in Poland)
Bank statements (three to six months)
Preliminary agreement for a property and documents regarding a propery (if applicable)