A collateral verification for a Polish asset crosses at least four separate registers before a picture of encumbrances becomes usable. The question is not whether those registers exist — they do, and most are publicly accessible — but whether the data they hold is current, consistent, and complete enough to support a credit or acquisition decision.
- What the land register shows
- Mortgages, easements, usufructs, and ownership chain — by parcel and book number. Source: Elektroniczne Księgi Wieczyste (EKW), ekw.ms.gov.pl · verified 16.07.2026
- What the pledge register shows
- Registered pledges over movables and receivables, with creditor and amount where disclosed. Source: Rejestr Zastawów, ms.gov.pl · verified 16.07.2026
- What the insolvency register shows
- Restructuring and bankruptcy proceedings, court-appointed administrators, and asset freezes. Source: Krajowy Rejestr Zadłużonych (KRZ), krz.ms.gov.pl · verified 16.07.2026
- What no single register shows
- Cross-register consistency. A mortgage in EKW and a pledge in Rejestr Zastawów over the same underlying asset are recorded independently. Neither register references the other.
How collateral verification works across Polish registers
Polish law distributes security interests across registers that were built at different times, under different ministries, and with different identifiers. A mortgage attaches to real property and is recorded in the land and mortgage register (EKW) by book number. A registered pledge attaches to movables, shares, or receivables and is recorded in a separate pledge register by debtor identifier. A fiscal lien may appear in neither of those — it arises by operation of tax law and is disclosed in the KRZ only after a formal proceeding has opened.
The collateral angle asks three things: what encumbers the asset, for how much, and in what priority. Each register answers one part of that question. None answers all three simultaneously.
Register by register: what each source covers
Elektroniczne Księgi Wieczyste — EKW
EKW is the land and mortgage register. It records ownership, co-ownership shares, perpetual usufruct, mortgages, and limited property rights. Each book covers one parcel or one unit. A multi-building development may have dozens of separate books. The search requires a book number — not an address. Address-to-book-number mapping is not provided by EKW itself.
The register is public and free of charge. What a verification engagement provides is the removed path: locating the correct book numbers across a fragmented cadastral structure, reading entries in Polish, cross-referencing entries across related books, and presenting findings in a language and format usable for a credit committee or transaction counsel.
Rejestr Zastawów — Pledge Register
The pledge register records registered pledges (zastaw rejestrowy) over movables, shares, receivables, and enterprise assets. It is maintained by district courts. Entries are searchable by debtor name or PESEL/NIP identifier. The register discloses the creditor, the pledged asset category, and the maximum secured amount where one is stated.
A pledge over shares in the operating company that owns the real property will appear here — not in EKW. This distinction matters for acquisition structures where the target is an SPV holding land.
Krajowy Rejestr Zadłużonych — KRZ
KRZ is the national insolvency and restructuring register. It discloses open proceedings, appointed administrators or supervisors, and court orders affecting asset disposal. An entry here means the debtor's ability to encumber or transfer assets is restricted — by court order, not merely by contract.
A negative result in KRZ does not confirm that no application has been filed. Applications that have not yet been processed by the court are not visible. The gap between filing and registration varies by court load.
Krajowy Rejestr Sądowy — KRS
KRS records the corporate status of the entity holding the asset. For collateral purposes, the relevant entries are: current management authority (who can grant security), share structure (who can pledge shares), and any court-ordered restrictions on management. KRS does not record pledges over shares — those appear in the Rejestr Zastawów.
Where the sources disagree
Register entries reflect the date of filing, not the date of the underlying transaction. A mortgage may have been discharged by agreement but the deletion entry not yet submitted to EKW. A pledge may have been assigned to a new creditor without the register being updated if the original creditor did not apply for amendment.
The KRS management register and the actual signatory authority may diverge if a board change was registered after the relevant transaction date. A security granted by a director whose authority had lapsed is not automatically void — but the question requires legal analysis, not register reading.
Discrepancies between registers are findings, not gaps. A mortgage in EKW that does not correspond to any open KRZ proceeding is a normal state. A pledge in Rejestr Zastawów over assets that the KRS shows have been transferred to a different entity is a discrepancy that requires explanation before the transaction closes.
The limit of what the sources allow
Polish registers are segmented by asset type and by the legal relationship being recorded. No single query covers all encumbrances on all assets held by a given debtor. A full collateral picture requires parallel queries across EKW (by book number), Rejestr Zastawów (by debtor identifier), KRZ (by debtor name and NIP), and KRS (by entity number). Each query uses a different identifier. None of the registers cross-reference the others.
Fiscal liens and customs liens arise by operation of law and are not recorded in any of the above registers until enforcement proceedings open. Their existence before that point is not verifiable from public sources. This is the ceiling of what official Polish registers allow — stated here before any engagement begins.
The KRZ filing gap described above applies equally to restructuring plans filed under the simplified restructuring procedure (PSR). A PSR opens on the day the debtor publishes a notice in Monitor Sądowy i Gospodarczy — before any court involvement. The KRZ entry follows later. A deal signed in the window between MSiG publication and KRZ registration is signed without register confirmation of the debtor's restricted capacity.
What a single-jurisdiction collateral report covers
A collateral verification report for a Polish asset covers the following in sequence:
| Register | What is established | Identifier required | What is not established |
|---|---|---|---|
| EKW | Mortgages, easements, ownership entries per book | KW book number | Pledges over shares; off-register arrangements |
| Rejestr Zastawów | Registered pledges, creditor, asset category, secured amount | NIP or PESEL of debtor | Unregistered pledges; civil law pledges (zastaw zwykły) |
| KRZ | Open insolvency or restructuring; asset disposal restrictions | NIP or entity name | Pending applications not yet registered |
| KRS | Corporate status; management authority; share structure | KRS number | Pledges over shares; beneficial ownership beyond first layer |
| MSiG | PSR notices; compulsory auction announcements | Entity name or NIP | Entries before the relevant publication window |
Civil law pledges (zastaw zwykły) do not require registration. They are valid between the parties and bind third parties with notice. A register search will not reveal them. Their existence is established only through document review — not through any public source.
Frequently asked questions
Can a single query cover all Polish encumbrances?
No. Polish security law distributes encumbrances across asset-specific registers with different identifiers and different ministries. A mortgage search in EKW does not capture pledges. A pledge search in Rejestr Zastawów does not capture mortgages or fiscal liens. A complete picture requires parallel queries across at least four sources.
Does a clean KRZ result confirm the debtor is solvent?
No. KRZ shows open proceedings that have been registered. A petition filed but not yet processed is not visible. A debtor may have published a PSR notice in MSiG — which restricts asset disposal — without a KRZ entry existing yet. Both sources must be checked.
Is the EKW land register current?
EKW reflects entries that have been submitted and processed. A discharged mortgage remains visible until the creditor submits a deletion application and the court processes it. The register shows the state as recorded — not necessarily the state as agreed between the parties.
What identifier is needed to search the pledge register?
The Rejestr Zastawów is searched by debtor NIP (for companies) or PESEL (for individuals). A search by asset description or address is not available. If the debtor's NIP is not known, it must be established through KRS or other company identification before the pledge search can proceed.
Are fiscal liens visible before enforcement opens?
No. Fiscal and customs liens arise by operation of law. They do not appear in EKW, Rejestr Zastawów, or KRZ until a formal enforcement proceeding has been registered. Their existence before that point is not verifiable from public sources. This limitation applies to all register-based collateral reports in Poland.
Can one report cover a group of related entities?
Yes, but each entity is a separate query set. A group of five SPVs each holding a parcel requires five KRS checks, five KRZ checks, and separate EKW searches for each book number held by each entity. The report consolidates findings — the underlying queries do not merge.
Sources
- Elektroniczne Księgi Wieczyste — ekw.ms.gov.pl — retrieved 16.07.2026
- Rejestr Zastawów — ms.gov.pl — retrieved 16.07.2026
- Krajowy Rejestr Zadłużonych — krz.ms.gov.pl — retrieved 16.07.2026
- Krajowy Rejestr Sądowy — ekrs.ms.gov.pl — retrieved 16.07.2026
- Monitor Sądowy i Gospodarczy — imsig.pl — retrieved 16.07.2026
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.