A foreign buyer or lender checking a Polish asset faces a fragmented registry landscape. Ownership, encumbrances, insolvency status, and corporate structure each sit in a separate official source. This page states what each source shows, what it does not show, and what the combined picture costs to assemble.
- What the land register shows
- Perpetual usufruct, ownership, mortgages, and easements by plot number. Source: Elektroniczne Księgi Wieczyste (EKW), Ministry of Justice · verified 02.07.2026
- What the pledge register shows
- Registered pledges over movables and receivables by debtor name or pledge number. Source: Rejestr Zastawów (KRS), Ministry of Justice · verified 02.07.2026
- What the insolvency register shows
- Restructuring and bankruptcy proceedings by entity name or NIP. Source: Krajowy Rejestr Zadłużonych (KRZ), Ministry of Justice · verified 02.07.2026
- What the company register shows
- Directors, share structure, registered capital, and filed financial statements by KRS number. Source: Krajowy Rejestr Sądowy (KRS), Ministry of Justice · verified 02.07.2026
What Polish official sources cover
Polish asset verification draws on four primary registers. Each is maintained by a separate authority. Each requires a different query parameter. A foreign party without a Polish national identifier (PESEL or NIP) faces access conditions that are navigable but not self-evident.
The land register (EKW) is public and free of charge. A mortgage, easement, or ownership entry is visible to anyone who holds the correct księga wieczysta number. What the register does not supply is that number itself: it must be obtained from the notarial deed, the cadastre, or a prior title search. Without the number, the register cannot be queried.
The company register (KRS) is also publicly accessible without registration. It shows current and historical directors, the share register for limited liability companies (sp. z o.o.), and filed annual financial statements. For joint-stock companies (S.A.), the shareholder register is not held centrally and does not appear in KRS.
The pledge register (Rejestr Zastawów) records security interests over movable assets and receivables. A pledge registered here ranks ahead of unsecured creditors in enforcement. The register is queryable by debtor name, PESEL, or NIP. A foreign party without a Polish identifier must locate the debtor's NIP before the query is possible.
The insolvency and restructuring register (KRZ) replaced the older Monitor Sądowy i Gospodarczy system. It shows active and closed proceedings. A negative result does not exclude a petition filed but not yet entered: processing delays between filing and registration are documented in practice.
Encumbrances: what the registers record and what they do not
For real property, the EKW land register is the authoritative encumbrance record. Mortgages, easements, and rights of perpetual usufruct appear in the relevant department of the register. The register reflects entries, not underlying contractual arrangements. A mortgage may be entered but the secured claim may have been partially repaid: the register shows the entry, not the current outstanding balance.
For movable assets and receivables, the pledge register is the relevant source. A registered pledge over machinery, inventory, or a receivables pool appears here. An unregistered contractual pledge does not appear and cannot be detected from public sources.
Tax and social security (ZUS) arrears create statutory priority claims that do not require registration to rank ahead of contractual creditors. These do not appear in EKW or the pledge register. They appear in enforcement proceedings, or they are disclosed voluntarily. A certificate of no tax arrears (zaświadczenie o niezaleganiu) can be obtained from the tax authority, but only the taxpayer or an authorised representative may request it.
| Encumbrance type | Source register | Publicly queryable | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mortgage over real property | EKW (land register) | Yes, by KW number | Outstanding balance not shown; KW number must be sourced separately |
| Registered pledge over movables / receivables | Rejestr Zastawów | Yes, by NIP or PESEL | Requires debtor's NIP; unregistered pledges invisible |
| Tax and ZUS arrears | No public register | No | Certificate available to taxpayer or authorised representative only |
| Insolvency / restructuring proceedings | KRZ | Yes, by name or NIP | Filing-to-entry delay; closed proceedings may be archived |
| Enforcement proceedings (komornik) | No central public register | No | Enforcement is visible only in EKW annotation or KRZ if insolvency follows |
| Shareholder-level encumbrances (S.A.) | No central public register | No | Share pledge over S.A. shares not in KRS; requires shareholder register held by company |
Corporate structure and beneficial ownership
For a sp. z o.o. (limited liability company), KRS contains the current list of shareholders with their shareholdings. Historical changes to the share register are visible in filed documents. This is the primary source for ownership at the first level.
For a spółka akcyjna (joint-stock company), the shareholder register is held by the company or a licensed entity. It does not appear in KRS. Bearer shares were abolished in Polish law, but the identity of S.A. shareholders below the disclosure threshold is not publicly available.
Poland operates the Centralny Rejestr Beneficjentów Rzeczywistych (CRBR), the beneficial ownership register. Following CJEU judgment C-37/20, public access conditions for EU UBO registers require verification against current Polish implementing rules before reliance. The CRBR entry reflects what the obliged entity declared; it is not independently verified by the register authority.
The limit of what the sources allow
The ceiling of what the sources allow is stated before payment. Four structural limits apply to Polish asset verification from public registers alone.
First, tax and ZUS arrears create statutory priority claims that rank ahead of mortgage creditors in certain enforcement scenarios. No public register records these. A lender relying solely on EKW and KRZ will not see them. Second, enforcement proceedings by a bailiff (komornik) are not centrally registered. They appear in EKW only if an annotation has been entered; they appear in KRZ only if insolvency follows. Third, for joint-stock companies, the shareholder register is private. Share pledges over S.A. shares are not in any public register. Fourth, the gap between a KRZ filing date and the registration date means a negative result on the date of search does not exclude a petition filed days earlier.
These gaps are not addressable by further register queries. They require either direct disclosure from the counterparty, notarial certificates, or representations and warranties in the transaction documents. This report identifies which gaps are present and which sources were checked; it does not close them.
Free sources and what the service adds
EKW and KRS are public and free of charge. This register is public and free of charge. What the service provides is the removed path: locating the correct KW number from the cadastre or deed, translating the output, identifying the NIP required for pledge and insolvency queries, cross-referencing results across four registers, and delivering a consolidated English-language report with source citations and a stated date of retrieval.
A foreign lender or buyer without Polish-language capability and without a Polish national identifier cannot complete this path unassisted. The service completes it and documents each step.
What is included at each tier
| Tier | Price (EUR) | Included | Not included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signal | €290 | EKW land register check (ownership and encumbrances) by KW number; KRS company register check (directors, share structure, filed financials); KRZ insolvency register check; English-language summary with source citations and retrieval date | Pledge register (Rejestr Zastawów) query; CRBR beneficial ownership check; cadastral identification of KW number if not supplied; cross-register discrepancy analysis; tax arrears certificate |
| Standard | €470 | All Signal scope; pledge register query by debtor NIP; CRBR beneficial ownership check; cadastral identification of KW number if not supplied by client; cross-register discrepancy table; English-language report with flagged gaps | Tax and ZUS arrears certificate (requires taxpayer authorisation); enforcement proceedings check (no central register exists); shareholder register for S.A. (private document); legal qualification of findings |
| Extended | €960 | All Standard scope; historical KRS document review (filed resolutions, share register changes); review of filed financial statements for three most recent years; CRBR chain analysis to stated UBO; written summary of register gaps and their transaction relevance; English-language report with source-referenced appendix | Tax and ZUS arrears certificate; enforcement proceedings (no central register); legal advice or qualification of findings; representations and warranties drafting; S.A. shareholder register (private document); any fact not derivable from named public registers |
Frequently asked questions
Does a clear EKW result mean the property is unencumbered?
A clear EKW result means no mortgage, easement, or annotation is entered in the land register on the date of search. It does not address tax arrears, ZUS arrears, or enforcement proceedings that have not been annotated. Those are outside the register's scope.
Can a foreign party query Polish registers directly?
EKW and KRS are accessible without registration by anyone holding the correct reference number. The pledge register and KRZ require a Polish NIP or PESEL to identify the subject. Obtaining those identifiers from the counterparty or from KRS is a prerequisite step.
How current is the register data?
EKW and KRS entries are updated on registration of the relevant document. There is a processing interval between submission and entry. KRZ shows the registration date of proceedings, not the filing date. Each report states the date of retrieval; it reflects the register state on that date only.
What is the difference between Signal and Standard for a lender?
Signal establishes ownership, registered mortgages, corporate standing, and insolvency status. Standard adds the pledge register check, which is essential for any transaction where movable assets or receivables form part of the collateral pool. A lender taking security over machinery or trade receivables requires Standard as a minimum.
Is the CRBR beneficial ownership entry reliable?
The CRBR entry reflects the declaration made by the obliged entity. The register authority does not independently verify the declared chain. Discrepancies between the CRBR entry and the KRS share register are flagged in the Standard and Extended reports.
Where the sources disagree
Discrepancies between KRS share register entries and CRBR beneficial ownership declarations occur where intermediate holding structures have not been updated following a transaction. A change in the KRS shareholder list that is not reflected in CRBR within the statutory period is itself a registrable fact. The Standard and Extended reports flag such discrepancies as a separate finding, not a footnote.
Discrepancies between EKW mortgage entries and the debtor's stated financial position arise where a mortgage secures a facility that has been partially repaid. The EKW entry shows the registered maximum amount; it does not show the current outstanding balance. This gap is noted in every report that includes an EKW check.
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.