Polish registers cover collateral position in detail — but only if the correct identifier is used, the right register is queried, and the language barrier is removed. This page maps what each official source discloses, where each chain ends, and what a foreign buyer or lender cannot establish from the sources alone.
- Land and mortgage register
- Discloses ownership, all mortgage entries, and encumbrances by book number or property address. Source: Elektroniczne Księgi Wieczyste (EKW), ekw.ms.gov.pl · verified 11.07.2026
- Registered pledges
- Discloses pledges on movables and rights, including priority rank and secured amount. Source: Rejestr Zastawów, ms.gov.pl · verified 11.07.2026
- Insolvency and restructuring
- Discloses filed proceedings, appointed administrators, and asset freezes. Source: Krajowy Rejestr Zadłużonych (KRZ), krz.ms.gov.pl · verified 11.07.2026
- Company structure
- Discloses shareholders, share capital, and registered representatives. Source: Krajowy Rejestr Sądowy (KRS), rejestr.io / ekrs.ms.gov.pl · verified 11.07.2026
- Beneficial ownership
- Discloses declared UBO chain to natural-person level. Source: Centralny Rejestr Beneficjentów Rzeczywistych (CRBR), crbr.podatki.gov.pl · verified 11.07.2026. Access regime subject to verification by local counsel before reliance.
What the Polish register landscape covers
Poland operates separate registers for each layer of collateral. No single query covers all of them. A mortgage on real property appears only in the land and mortgage register. A pledge on machinery, receivables, or shares appears only in the pledge register. An insolvency freeze appears only in KRZ. Missing one register means missing an encumbrance that is legally valid and fully enforceable.
The table below maps each register to the collateral layer it covers and states the identifier a foreign requester must supply.
| Register | Collateral layer | Required identifier | Language of output |
|---|---|---|---|
| EKW — Elektroniczne Księgi Wieczyste | Real property: ownership, mortgages, easements, encumbrances | KW number (book number) or cadastral parcel reference | Polish |
| Rejestr Zastawów | Registered pledges on movables, rights, and receivables | PESEL (individual) or NIP/KRS number (entity) | Polish |
| KRZ — Krajowy Rejestr Zadłużonych | Insolvency, restructuring, consumer bankruptcy, asset freezes | PESEL or NIP | Polish |
| KRS — Krajowy Rejestr Sądowy | Corporate structure, share capital, registered charges on company | KRS number or company name | Polish |
| CRBR | Declared beneficial ownership chain | NIP of the entity | Polish |
| Centralna Ewidencja i Informacja o Działalności Gospodarczej (CEIDG) | Sole traders: status, suspensions, registered activity | NIP or PESEL | Polish |
Real property collateral: the land and mortgage register
EKW is the authoritative source for real property encumbrances. It records mortgages in order of entry — rank determines enforcement priority. The register is divided into four sections: ownership, rights and encumbrances, mortgages, and perpetual usufruct where applicable.
The critical access condition: the query requires the KW book number. That number does not appear on a standard title document visible to a foreign party. It must be obtained from the notarial deed of acquisition, the cadastral authority, or a local intermediary. Without the KW number, the register returns nothing — there is no name-based search in EKW.
EKW is publicly accessible online without registration. What a foreign buyer pays for is the removal of the access path: obtaining the KW number, reading Polish-language output, and translating mortgage entries into a format usable for due diligence.
EKW does not show: oral agreements affecting use, tax liens that have not been formally entered, or pending applications not yet reflected in the current register state. An application to enter a new mortgage may be lodged and not yet visible in the electronic record.
Pledge register: movables, rights, and receivables
The Rejestr Zastawów covers pledges registered under the Act on Registered Pledge and the Pledge Register. This includes pledges on machinery, vehicles, inventory, intellectual property rights, shares in limited liability companies (sp. z o.o.), and receivables.
A pledge on shares in an sp. z o.o. is not visible in KRS. It appears only in the pledge register. A foreign lender who checks KRS alone will not see a prior pledge on the shares being offered as collateral.
The register returns results by debtor identifier. If the debtor is a natural person, the PESEL number is required. PESEL is not public. Obtaining it requires either the cooperation of the counterparty or a formal legal basis. This is a structural access barrier for foreign requesters.
Insolvency and restructuring: KRZ
KRZ replaced the earlier Monitor Sądowy i Gospodarczy as the primary insolvency publication register. It covers bankruptcy proceedings, restructuring proceedings, consumer bankruptcy, and court-ordered asset freezes.
A negative result in KRZ does not confirm the absence of an insolvency filing. A filing may have been submitted and not yet published. Publication lag exists between court filing and register entry. For assets where insolvency risk is material, KRZ should be checked in combination with the relevant court's own docket.
KRZ discloses the appointed administrator or trustee, the type of proceeding, and the relevant court. It does not disclose the asset schedule or the creditor list — those documents are held by the administrator and are not public by default.
Corporate structure and registered charges: KRS
KRS discloses the registered structure of Polish companies: shareholders, share capital, management board, supervisory board, and registered representatives. For sp. z o.o. entities, the shareholder list (lista wspólników) shows names and share values.
KRS does not show pledges on shares — those appear in the pledge register. KRS does not show the beneficial ownership chain beyond the first legal layer — that is in CRBR. KRS shows the registered address, which may differ from the operational address.
KRS documents are publicly accessible. The output is in Polish. Shareholder lists for sp. z o.o. are filed with the court registry and are accessible as submitted documents, not structured data. Discrepancies between the filed list and the actual ownership state are possible and have occurred — KRS reflects what was filed, not necessarily the current state.
Beneficial ownership: CRBR
CRBR contains the declared ultimate beneficial owner of Polish legal entities. Entities are required to report their UBO chain to the level of the natural person who ultimately controls or benefits from the entity. The register covers sp. z o.o., spółka akcyjna, and other forms specified by statute.
CRBR shows declared information. It does not verify the declaration against underlying agreements, shareholder registers, or trust arrangements. A declaration may be incomplete or outdated. The register records what the entity reported, not what an independent investigation would establish.
Access to CRBR is subject to verification by local counsel before reliance, following the CJEU C-37/20 ruling on UBO register access across EU member states. The current access regime for foreign requesters should be confirmed before any CRBR-based report is commissioned.
The limit of what the sources allow
Each Polish register covers one collateral layer. No register cross-references another. A complete collateral picture requires querying EKW, the pledge register, KRZ, KRS, and CRBR separately — with the correct identifier for each. If any identifier is missing, that register cannot be queried.
The structural limits are the following. EKW requires the KW book number, which is not available from public name-based search. The pledge register requires PESEL for natural-person debtors, which is not public. KRZ shows filed proceedings but not asset schedules or creditor lists. CRBR shows declared ownership, not verified ownership. KRS shows filed documents, not current facts if filing is delayed.
The chain ends at the point where the identifier is unavailable, where the register holds documents but not structured data, or where the source discloses what was declared rather than what is true. The report states explicitly at which point the chain ends and why — before payment, not after.
Where the sources disagree
Discrepancies between registers are a known condition, not an edge case. The shareholder list in KRS may show a different ownership structure than the CRBR declaration. The pledge register may show a pledge on shares that KRS does not reflect. An EKW entry may show a mortgage that the seller's own documentation does not disclose.
When sources disagree, the disagreement is itself a material finding. A collateral report that reconciles register outputs against each other delivers more than the sum of individual register queries. The reconciliation step is where the verification work lies.
Sanctions and enforcement lists
Polish entities and individuals may appear on EU sanctions lists (EU Consolidated List), OFAC SDN, UK sanctions registers, and national Polish lists maintained by the General Inspector of Financial Information (GIIF). Sanctions status is not visible in KRS, KRZ, or EKW.
A sanctions check requires a separate query against each relevant list. The EU Consolidated List is maintained by the European Commission and is publicly accessible. OFAC and UK lists are maintained by their respective authorities. A negative result on one list does not clear status on others.
| List | Maintained by | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| EU Consolidated Sanctions List | European Commission | Individuals and entities under EU restrictive measures |
| OFAC SDN | US Treasury | Specially designated nationals and blocked persons |
| UK Sanctions List | FCDO / OFSI | Individuals and entities under UK autonomous sanctions |
| Lista ostrzeżeń publicznych KNF | Polish Financial Supervision Authority | Entities under KNF public warnings |
| GIIF lists | Generalny Inspektor Informacji Finansowej | AML-related designations under Polish law |
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreign party query Polish registers directly?
EKW and KRS are publicly accessible online without registration. The output is in Polish. Querying EKW requires the KW book number, which is not available through a name-based search. Querying the pledge register for a natural-person debtor requires PESEL, which is not public. Practical access depends on having the correct identifier and reading Polish-language output.
Does a clean KRS record mean the company has no encumbrances?
No. KRS does not show pledges on shares or assets — those appear in the pledge register. KRS does not show insolvency proceedings — those appear in KRZ. KRS does not show tax liens unless formally entered. A clean KRS record means the company's filed corporate documents contain no visible adverse entries. It does not clear collateral status.
How current is the EKW mortgage record?
EKW reflects entries as recorded. An application to enter a new mortgage may be lodged with the court and not yet reflected in the electronic register. The gap between application and entry can be days or weeks depending on court workload. For time-sensitive transactions, the application log at the relevant district court should be checked separately.
What does the pledge register not cover?
The pledge register covers registered pledges under the Act on Registered Pledge. It does not cover civil-law pledges (zastaw zwykły) created under the Civil Code, which are not subject to registration. A civil-law pledge may exist and be enforceable without appearing in any register.
Is CRBR reliable as a UBO source?
CRBR contains declared information. Polish law requires entities to report their UBO chain and to update the declaration when ownership changes. The register does not independently verify declarations. Discrepancies between CRBR and KRS shareholder lists are a known condition. CRBR access for foreign requesters is subject to confirmation under current Polish implementation of the CJEU C-37/20 ruling.
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.