02 / Expertise

Buying property in Poland as a foreigner

An apartment in Gdańsk, a house by the sea, a plot for investment. We check whether you need a permit, what the land register really says, and what the public registers say about the plot before you sign.

Who this is for

  • Foreign individuals buying an apartment, a house or a holiday home in Poland.
  • Investors buying land, a building or a portfolio, alone or through a Polish or foreign company.
  • Heirs who inherited Polish property and need to sell it or put it in order.

What we do

01 · Permit check

We tell you, in writing, whether the purchase needs a permit from the Minister of the Interior under the Act of 24 March 1920, or whether an exemption applies. The answer depends on who buys (individual, EEA citizen, company controlled by foreigners), what is bought (apartment, garage, land, agricultural land over 1 ha) and where (border zone).

02 · Full property due diligence

Before you pay a deposit, we review the property the way a careful investor would:

  • land and mortgage register (księga wieczysta) in its full version, sections I–IV, with the history of entries;
  • cadastre: area, land use classes, boundaries, compliance with the register;
  • zoning: local plan, planning decisions, the new municipal general plan;
  • utility networks on the plot (power lines, gas, water) and easements;
  • protected areas, forest, flood risk, heritage protection;
  • access to a public road;
  • comparable prices from the official register of transaction prices.

The result is a report with findings, risks priced in money, and clear recommendations: buy, renegotiate, or walk away.

03 · Transaction support

Review of the preliminary agreement and the notarial deed, conditions protecting your deposit, coordination with the notary, the bank and the seller, and English-language explanations at every step.

04 · After the purchase

Registration in the land register, tenancy agreements, disputes with developers, easement and utility-line claims, sale of the property later.

How it works

  1. Short call or e-mail. You send the address, the plot number or the land-register number.
  2. Quote. A fixed fee for the permit check and for the due diligence report.
  3. Report. Delivered in English, with sources and dates.
  4. Signing. We stay with you until the deed and the land-register entry.

Fees

Fixed fees agreed in advance for the permit check and the due diligence report. Transaction support by fixed fee or hourly rate. We quote before we start.

Questions, answered.

Do I need a permit to buy an apartment in Poland?

Usually not. Under Article 8(1)(1) of the Act of 24 March 1920 on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Foreigners, buying a separate residential unit (an apartment with its own land-register entry) does not require a permit from the Minister of the Interior. The exemption does not apply in the border zone (Article 8(3)).

I am a citizen of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland. Do I need a permit?

As a rule, no. Article 8(2) of the 1920 Act exempts citizens and entrepreneurs of the EEA and Switzerland; the transitional restrictions for agricultural land and second homes have expired. Agricultural land remains subject to separate rules that apply to every buyer, Polish or foreign.

What happens if a foreigner buys without a required permit?

The acquisition is invalid (Article 6(1) of the 1920 Act), and a court may declare it invalid also at the request of public authorities (Article 6(2)). This is why we check the permit question before the notarial deed, not after.

What is a property due diligence report?

A written review of the land register in its full version (with history), the cadastre, zoning, utility networks crossing the plot, protected areas, flood risk, access to a public road and comparable transaction prices. It ends with a list of risks and what each of them costs.

Can you represent me if I cannot come to Poland?

Yes. Most of the work is done remotely. For the notarial deed you can sign in person or through a power of attorney; we explain the formalities for your country.

Related insights

Your next step

Let’s start with
a conversation.

office@gulla.pl ↗+48 501 794 580

Gdynia & Słupsk, Poland

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