Poland operates two separate pledge registers. A collateral check on a Polish asset is incomplete if only one is queried. The Rejestr Zastawów (Ministry of Justice) records civil and commercial pledges. The Rejestr Zastawów Skarbowych (Ministry of Finance) records tax-authority security interests. Both must be searched before any collateral assessment can be called complete.
- What it shows
- Named pledgors, pledge subjects, creditor identity, and registered charge amounts. Source: Rejestr Zastawów, Centralna Informacja, Ministry of Justice · verified 2026-08-12.
- Access cost — civil register
- Certificate DW-1 (by pledgor): 20 PLN. Certificate DW-2 (by pledge subject): 20 PLN. Certified extract DW-4: 15 PLN. Source: Centralna Informacja tariff · verified 2026-08-12.
- Access cost — tax pledge register
- Search by subject: free. Wypis/zaświadczenie: 50 PLN via e-Urząd Skarbowy. Source: Rejestr Zastawów Skarbowych, Ministry of Finance · verified 2026-08-12.
- What it does not show
- Contractual pledges not yet registered, pledges registered after the search date, and possessory pledges held outside any register.
Two registers, one collateral profile
The Rejestr Zastawów (RZ) sits within the Ministry of Justice and is administered through Centralna Informacja. It records registered pledges on movables and rights under Polish civil and commercial law. A search returns the pledgor, the pledge subject, the secured creditor, and the registered amount. Certificates are issued per pledgor (DW-1) or per pledge subject (DW-2).
The Rejestr Zastawów Skarbowych (RZS) sits within the Ministry of Finance. It secures tax and customs liabilities owed to the state. A search by pledge subject is free. A formal certificate costs 50 PLN and is obtained through e-Urząd Skarbowy. The RZS is operationally separate from the RZ: different authority, different search interface, different certificate format.
A foreign lender or buyer who checks only the RZ may miss a tax pledge that ranks ahead of any privately negotiated security. Both registers must be queried, and both certificates must be dated on or after the intended transaction date.
| Register | Authority | What it covers | Search cost | Certificate cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rejestr Zastawów (RZ) | Ministry of Justice · Centralna Informacja | Civil and commercial registered pledges | Paid per query | DW-1 / DW-2: 20 PLN each · DW-4: 15 PLN |
| Rejestr Zastawów Skarbowych (RZS) | Ministry of Finance | Tax and customs authority security interests | Free (subject search) | Wypis / zaświadczenie: 50 PLN via e-Urząd Skarbowy |
What surrounds the pledge registers
A pledge in isolation tells only part of the story. The asset sits inside a corporate structure, and that structure carries its own encumbrances. The registers below are consulted alongside the RZ and RZS in a full collateral review.
| Register | What it contributes | Access |
|---|---|---|
| KRS (National Court Register) | Corporate identity, directors, capital, KRS number linking to RZ search | Free · no login required |
| EKW (Electronic Land and Mortgage Register) | Mortgages, easements, and encumbrances on real property | Free · search requires KW number, not owner name |
| KRZ (National Insolvency Register) | Restructuring and bankruptcy proceedings from December 2021 | Free · no login · search by NIP, KRS, PESEL, or case reference |
| MSiG (Official Gazette) | Insolvency notices and corporate announcements before December 2021 | Free · archive from 1996 · PDF only, no machine-readable data |
| Biała Lista (VAT whitelist) | VAT status, declared bank accounts, reason and date of any exclusion | Free · no login · point-in-time query by date available |
| CRBR (Beneficial Ownership Register) | Reported ultimate beneficial owners | Free · no login required |
| Repozytorium Dokumentów Finansowych | Filed financial statements linked to KRS | Free · no login required |
The path to the land register
The Elektroniczna Księga Wieczysta (EKW) is free to search. The barrier is structural: the system accepts a KW (land register) number, not an owner name or address. To obtain the KW number, the starting point is the ewidencja gruntów i budynków (cadastral register), held at the local starost office. A foreign buyer or lender without a Polish national identifier cannot retrieve the KW number directly from a public portal. That is the step that requires a local path.
Once the KW number is known, the EKW shows mortgages by rank, easements, and any other encumbrances recorded in the land register. It does not show pledges registered in the RZ or RZS — those are separate registers with separate certificates.
Insolvency: two registers, one cut-off date
Poland's insolvency register changed in December 2021. Proceedings opened from 1 December 2021 are recorded in KRZ (krz.ms.gov.pl), which is free, public, and requires no login. Proceedings opened before that date are in MSiG, also free, with an archive from 1996. A negative result in KRZ alone does not exclude an earlier proceeding. Both must be checked against the same entity.
KRZ is searched by NIP, KRS number, PESEL, or case reference. MSiG is searched by name, KRS, NIP, or text fragment. Neither system returns structured machine-readable data — results are PDFs and gazette pages.
The limit of what the sources allow
The Rejestr Zastawów records pledges that have been formally registered. It does not show pledges that exist contractually but have not yet been submitted for registration, pledges registered after the date of the search, or possessory pledges held outside any register. A clean RZ certificate confirms the absence of registered pledges as of the search date — it does not confirm the absence of all security interests over the asset.
The EKW is the authoritative source for real property encumbrances, but access depends on knowing the KW number. That number is not retrievable by owner name through any public portal available to a foreign party. The path runs through the cadastral register at local level. Without the KW number, the EKW cannot be searched, and the mortgage position on the property cannot be verified.
The KRZ covers insolvency proceedings from December 2021 only. MSiG covers earlier proceedings but delivers PDF pages, not structured data. Neither register provides a guarantee that a petition has not been filed and not yet processed. A negative result in both registers is the strongest available public-source confirmation — it is not absolute.
Where the sources disagree
The RZ and the KRS may show different addresses or different entity names for the same pledgor. The KRS reflects the current registered state; the RZ entry reflects the data submitted at the time of pledge registration. If the pledgor has changed its name or address since registration, the RZ entry will not update automatically. Cross-referencing both registers against the same KRS number identifies this discrepancy.
The Biała Lista and the KRS may show different bank accounts. The Biała Lista records accounts declared to the tax authority; the KRS does not record bank accounts. A payment made to an account not on the Biała Lista carries VAT joint-liability risk for the payer, regardless of what any other register shows.
Frequently asked questions
Does a clean Rejestr Zastawów certificate mean the asset is unencumbered?
No. It confirms the absence of registered civil and commercial pledges as of the search date. It does not cover tax pledges in the RZS, mortgages in the EKW, possessory pledges, or contractual security not yet submitted for registration. All four sources must be checked separately.
Can the EKW be searched without a KW number?
No. The EKW portal accepts only a KW number. The number is obtained from the cadastral register (ewidencja gruntów i budynków) at the local starost office. A foreign party without a Polish national identifier cannot retrieve this number directly from a public portal.
What is the difference between KRZ and MSiG for insolvency checks?
KRZ covers proceedings opened from 1 December 2021. MSiG covers proceedings from 1996 to that date. Both are free and public. A complete insolvency check queries both registers against the same entity identifiers.
What does a Biała Lista check establish?
It establishes VAT registration status, declared bank accounts, and the reason and date of any exclusion or reinstatement. It also allows a point-in-time query for any past date. A payment to an account not on the list carries VAT joint-liability risk for the paying party.
Is the CRBR (beneficial ownership register) publicly accessible?
Yes. CRBR is publicly accessible, free, and requires no login. It shows reported beneficial owners. The register reflects what has been declared — it does not independently verify the accuracy of those declarations.
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.