A lender or buyer taking security over a Polish asset needs to know two things before the transaction closes: what the collateral is actually worth, and what already encumbers it. The debtor standing behind that collateral is the third variable. Polish official registers allow a structured factual picture of that debtor to be assembled before funds move. This page describes what those registers contain, what they do not, and what a compiled report costs.
- What the registers show
- Insolvency filings, restructuring proceedings, enforcement history, and registered pledges — each from a named Polish official register, verified July 2026.
- Condition of access
- Several registers require a declared legitimate interest or a Polish national identifier (PESEL/NIP/KRS). Remote access without local registration is limited for foreign applicants.
- What the registers do not show
- Undisclosed liabilities, informal arrangements, and encumbrances not yet registered. The ceiling of what the sources allow is stated before payment.
- Collateral angle
- This report focuses on encumbrances and debtor financial standing as they affect the security package — not on the debtor's commercial profile.
What Polish registers cover for a debtor check
Polish law maintains several registers relevant to a debtor's standing. The National Court Register (KRS) holds corporate identity, registered capital, management, and any statutory restrictions on the entity's capacity to act. The National Debt Register (KRD) and the Economic Information Bureaux (BIG) hold payment default data reported by creditors. The National Register of Insolvency (Krajowy Rejestr Zadłużonych, KRZ) holds insolvency and restructuring proceedings opened under the Insolvency Law and the Restructuring Law. The Register of Pledges (Rejestr Zastawów) records registered pledges on movable assets and receivables.
Each register is maintained by a separate authority. Each has its own access rules and its own update cycle. A complete picture of a debtor's encumbrance position requires querying all of them. No single portal aggregates all four with real-time data.
| Register | Authority | What it records | Access condition for foreign applicant |
|---|---|---|---|
| KRS (National Court Register) | Ministry of Justice | Corporate status, capital, management, restrictions | Public portal; no registration required for basic data |
| KRZ (National Register of Insolvency) | Ministry of Justice | Insolvency and restructuring proceedings | Public portal; search by entity identifier |
| Rejestr Zastawów (Register of Pledges) | District courts | Registered pledges on movables and receivables | Paid certificate; requires entity identifier (NIP/PESEL) |
| KRD / BIG (Debt registers) | Private bureaux, supervised by UOKIK | Payment defaults reported by creditors | Declared legitimate interest; formal request procedure |
Encumbrances that affect the security package
A registered pledge on movable assets or receivables ranks ahead of an unsecured creditor in enforcement. The Register of Pledges records the pledgee, the pledgor, the subject matter, and the maximum secured amount. A certificate from the register is the primary instrument for verifying whether a specific asset or receivable is already encumbered. The certificate is issued by the district court holding the relevant register section. The procedure requires the entity's NIP number and a formal written request. Turnaround time varies by court.
Insolvency and restructuring proceedings are recorded in the KRZ from the date of the court's decision to open them. A search of the KRZ by entity identifier shows whether any proceeding is open, the type of proceeding, the appointed administrator or supervisor, and the stage. The KRZ does not show proceedings that were closed before the register's launch date or proceedings that were never formally opened despite a filed application.
Payment default data held by BIG and KRD reflects what creditors have chosen to report. Creditors are not obliged to report. A clean record in these registers does not confirm the absence of payment disputes or informal arrears.
The enforcement trail
Active enforcement proceedings against a debtor are not centralised in a single public register. Court enforcement officers (komornicy) maintain their own records. The debtor's court file may contain enforcement orders, but court files are not publicly searchable by debtor identity. The KRZ records enforcement proceedings that have been transferred to insolvency, but not standalone enforcement that remains outside insolvency. This is a structural gap in the public record. The report describes what was found and names the point where the trail ends.
The limit of what the sources allow
The registers described above do not show: liabilities that have not been registered as pledges; tax arrears below the threshold for public disclosure; enforcement proceedings that have not reached the insolvency stage; side agreements between the debtor and existing creditors that reduce effective recovery; and assets transferred out of the debtor's estate before any insolvency filing. The KRZ shows proceedings from its launch date forward. Older insolvency history is not accessible through this portal.
The ceiling of what the sources allow is stated before payment. Where a register returns no result, the report states that the search was conducted, the identifier used, and the date of the query. A negative result is a result — it is not confirmation of a clean position.
Foreign applicants face an additional constraint: several access procedures require a Polish national identifier or a declaration of legitimate interest submitted in Polish with a qualified electronic signature. The removed path — identifier, language, signature, declaration — is what the compiled report provides.
What is included at each tier
| Tier | Price | Included | Not included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signal | €590 | KRS status check; KRZ insolvency search; summary of findings; source list with query dates | Register of Pledges certificate; debt register query; enforcement trail review; document-level review |
| Standard | €990 | All Signal content; Register of Pledges certificate for named assets; KRD/BIG debt register query with declared legitimate interest; structured encumbrance table | Enforcement trail outside insolvency; review of court files; UBO chain beyond registered data; legal qualification of findings |
| Extended | €2,200 | All Standard content; enforcement trail review via court enforcement officer records; cross-register discrepancy analysis; limit-of-sources statement per register; analyst review memo | Legal advice; court file access requiring party status; assets or liabilities not appearing in any register |
Where the sources disagree
The KRS may show a company as active while the KRZ shows an open restructuring proceeding. Both records are correct: restructuring does not automatically affect registered status. The financial statements filed with the KRS may show a balance sheet that does not reflect pledges registered after the statement date. The debt registers may show no defaults while the Register of Pledges shows a pledge securing a large facility. Each of these discrepancies is itself a finding. The Extended report maps them explicitly.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the report take?
Signal tier: three to five working days. Standard tier: five to seven working days, depending on district court turnaround for the pledge certificate. Extended tier: seven to twelve working days. Timelines are confirmed at the point of instruction.
What identifier is needed to run the search?
For a corporate debtor: KRS number and NIP. For an individual debtor: PESEL and NIP where applicable. If the identifier is not known, the report includes an identifier trace from the KRS as a preliminary step.
Is the Register of Pledges publicly accessible?
The register is accessible on request. A certificate is issued by the district court on payment of the applicable court fee. The procedure requires the entity's NIP and a written request submitted in Polish. Remote access for foreign applicants without local representation is in practice constrained by the language and signature requirements.
Does a clean KRZ result mean the debtor is solvent?
No. The KRZ records proceedings that have been formally opened. A filed application that has not yet resulted in a court decision does not appear. Informal financial distress does not appear. A clean KRZ result means no open insolvency or restructuring proceeding was found on the date of the query — nothing more.
Can the report be used as a legal opinion?
No. The report is a factual compilation from official registers. It contains no legal qualification of the findings. For legal advice on the implications of the findings for a specific transaction, contact info@kordeckipartners.com.
Disclaimer: This report is a factual compilation from official registers and public sources. It is provided for informational purposes only, does not constitute legal advice, and contains no legal qualification of the facts established. KORDECKI & Partners assumes no liability for actions taken or not taken based on this material. For advice regarding your particular situation, please contact info@kordeckipartners.com.