A collateral assessment on a Polish asset requires establishing three things before any valuation can be relied upon: what the asset actually is, what encumbers it, and what the sources do not show. The ceiling of what official registers allow is stated here before any engagement begins.
- What the registers show
- Land and mortgage book entries, pledge registrations, insolvency proceedings, and enforcement notices — each from a separate register. Source: Księgi Wieczyste, Rejestr Zastawów, Krajowy Rejestr Zadłużonych · verified 11.08.2026
- Access condition
- Each register has its own access path. Some require a national identifier; others require a declaration of legitimate interest. A foreign applicant without a Polish PESEL or NIP faces procedural barriers at each step.
- What the registers do not show
- Unregistered encumbrances, contractual restrictions on transfer, and enforcement proceedings filed but not yet entered do not appear in any public register.
- Cost
- Several registers are public and free of charge. The cost of this report covers the removed path: registration, identifier, language, electronic signature, and declaration of legitimate interest.
What collateral verification covers on a Polish asset
Polish collateral sits across at least four separate registers. No single query returns a consolidated picture. The land and mortgage book (Księgi Wieczyste) records ownership and mortgage entries for real property. The Pledge Register (Rejestr Zastawów) records registered pledges over movables and receivables. The National Register of Debtors (Krajowy Rejestr Zadłużonych) records insolvency and restructuring proceedings, as well as enforcement orders. The National Court Register (Krajowy Rejestr Sądowy) records the legal status of the entity holding the asset.
Each register is queried separately. Each has a distinct access path, response format, and update latency. An encumbrance entered in one register does not appear in another. Cross-referencing is a manual step, not an automated output.
| Register | What it records | Access condition | Known gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Księgi Wieczyste (EKW) | Real property ownership; mortgage entries; usufruct; easements | Public; requires land book number (KW number) | Unregistered mortgages; contractual transfer restrictions |
| Rejestr Zastawów | Registered pledges over movables, receivables, enterprise components | Public; requires debtor identifier or asset description | Pledges created before 1998; unregistered possessory pledges |
| Krajowy Rejestr Zadłużonych (KRZ) | Insolvency and restructuring proceedings; enforcement orders | Public; search by entity name or identifier | Filed but not yet admitted proceedings; cross-border insolvency not always mirrored |
| Krajowy Rejestr Sądowy (KRS) | Legal status of entity; share structure; representation rules | Public; free of charge | UBO chain above statutory threshold; nominee arrangements |
Why a free register still requires a paid report
Several of these registers are public and free of charge. The EKW system is accessible online without registration. The KRS is publicly searchable. The KRZ requires no subscription.
What a foreign buyer or lender cannot easily do is locate the correct entry. The EKW requires the KW number — a Polish land book identifier not printed on a title deed or commercial contract. The KRS requires the entity's KRS number or precise registered name in Polish. The KRZ returns results by Polish national identifier (PESEL or NIP), which a foreign counterparty does not hold. The report covers the removed path: locating the correct identifier, navigating the Polish-language interface, obtaining the extract in a form usable outside Poland, and cross-referencing results across registers.
What is included at each tier
The three tiers differ in the number of registers queried, the depth of cross-referencing, and the scope of the written analysis. The table below states what each tier includes and what it does not.
| Tier | Included | Not included |
|---|---|---|
| Signal | EKW extract (ownership section and mortgage section); KRS extract for the holding entity; KRZ search for the entity; written summary of entries found | Pledge register search; enforcement history beyond KRZ entries; UBO chain verification; prior transaction review; on-site inspection |
| Standard | Everything in Signal; Rejestr Zastawów search; KRZ search extended to related entities named in the KRS; cross-reference table of encumbrances across all queried registers; identification of register gaps and missing entries | UBO chain verification beyond KRS disclosure; contractual encumbrances not registered in any public register; physical asset inspection; legal qualification of findings |
| Extended | Everything in Standard; UBO chain mapped to the level the registers allow; review of publicly filed financial statements where available; identification of cross-border insolvency proceedings in the EU Insolvency Register; written analysis of register gaps with description of what cannot be established and why | Legal advice; legal qualification of encumbrances; valuation; physical inspection; any fact not derivable from official registers and public sources |
The limit of what the sources allow
The ceiling of what the sources allow is stated before payment. No register in Poland records unregistered encumbrances. A mortgage created by private agreement but not entered in the EKW does not appear in any public source. A contractual right of first refusal, a lock-up agreement, or a pledge created by possession rather than registration is invisible to every register queried in this report.
The KRZ records insolvency proceedings after admission. A petition filed but not yet admitted does not appear. The interval between filing and admission varies. A negative KRZ result means no admitted proceeding was found on the date of query — not that no proceeding exists.
The KRS discloses shareholders above the statutory threshold and the UBO register (CRBR) discloses beneficial owners above the 25% threshold. Ownership structures using nominee arrangements or fragmented holdings below the threshold are not captured. The Extended tier maps the chain to the level the registers allow and names the point at which the chain breaks and the reason it breaks.
Frequently asked questions
Does a clean EKW extract mean the property is unencumbered?
A clean EKW extract means no mortgage, usufruct, or easement was entered in the land book on the date of query. It does not cover unregistered contractual restrictions, pledges over the enterprise of which the property forms part, or enforcement proceedings not yet reflected in the EKW. A full collateral picture requires cross-referencing the EKW with the Rejestr Zastawów and KRZ.
What identifier is needed to query the registers?
Each register uses a different identifier. The EKW requires the KW number. The KRS and KRZ accept the KRS number, NIP, or REGON of the entity. The Rejestr Zastawów accepts the debtor's PESEL or NIP, or a description of the pledged asset. A foreign buyer typically holds none of these. Locating the correct identifier is the first step of every engagement.
How current are the register entries?
The EKW is updated after a court order is entered; the interval between the triggering event and the entry varies. The KRZ is updated after a court decision on admission of proceedings. The Rejestr Zastawów is updated after registration of the pledge agreement. Each report states the date of query. No report represents the state of the register at any date other than the date stated.
Can the report be used as a legal document?
The report is a factual compilation from official registers and public sources. It does not constitute legal advice and contains no legal qualification of the facts established. It is prepared for use in due diligence and lending processes as a factual input. Legal qualification of the findings is outside the scope of this product.
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.