How a Ukrainian can buy a flat in Poland in 2026: permit, PESEL, documents, mortgage

How can a Ukrainian buy a flat in Poland? You buy a separate flat on the same terms as a Pole: without an MSWiA permit, regardless of UKR status, residence card or place of residence. A valid ID document (e.g. a passport), a translator at the deed if you do not speak Polish, and payment by bank transfer are enough; a PESEL number is not required. A permit is needed only for a house with a plot or for the plot alone. Below: the permit table, documents for the notary, payments and the purchase step by step – with prices from our offer.

Key points

• Under Polish law a Ukrainian citizen is a foreigner from outside the EEA – but buying a self-contained residential unit does not require a permit (Art. 8(1)(1) of the Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Foreigners).
• A detached house with land and a building plot require an MSWiA permit; the stamp duty for the permit is PLN 1,570, and the permit is valid for 2 years.
• After 5 years of living in Poland since obtaining a permanent residence permit or an EU long-term resident permit, you no longer need a permit for a house or a plot either (Art. 8(1)(2)).
• A PESEL number (Polish national identification number) is not a condition of the purchase – a valid identity document, e.g. a passport, is enough for the notarial deed (akt notarialny). If you do not speak Polish, the deed must be translated for you.
• Our listings include 54 new flats up to PLN 500,000 in Warsaw and 100 in Wrocław (as of 27 September 2026).

Can a Ukrainian buy a flat in Poland without a permit?

The rules are set out in the Act of 24 March 1920 on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Foreigners (consolidated text Dz.U. 2017 item 2278, amended by the Act of 17 July 2026, Dz.U. 2026 item 1099). As a rule, a foreigner acquiring real estate needs a permit from the minister responsible for internal affairs (Art. 1(1)). The most important exception concerns flats.

Without a permit you can buy a self-contained residential unit within the meaning of the Act on the Ownership of Premises, i.e. a flat with its own land and mortgage register (księga wieczysta) – which is standard on the primary market (Art. 8(1)(1)). The exemption also covers a garage unit or a share in one (e.g. a space in an underground car park) if it serves your housing needs (Art. 8(1)(1a)). The broader exemptions for EEA and Swiss citizens (Art. 8(2)) do not apply to you.

There is one important caveat: the exemptions in Art. 8(1) do not apply to property in the border zone (Art. 8(3)). The zone covers the entire area of the municipalities (gminy) adjacent to the state border and, where their width is less than 15 km, the neighbouring municipalities as well (Art. 12 of the State Border Protection Act). Warsaw and Wrocław are not in it, but if you are considering a flat in, say, a municipality on the border with Ukraine, check this before you reserve. You will find a detailed overview of the rules for all foreigners in our guide buying a flat in Poland as a foreigner.

What you are buying and the MSWiA permit – table

What you are buying	MSWiA permit?	Notes
A flat from a developer or on the secondary market (self-contained unit)	No	Art. 8(1)(1); exception – border zone
A parking space in an underground car park / garage unit	No	If it serves housing needs (Art. 8(1)(1a))
A detached house with a plot (also from a developer)	Yes	Unless the house is separated as a self-contained residential unit – check the subject of the agreement
A building plot	Yes	Area for living needs max. 0.5 ha (Art. 1a(5))
A house or plot 5 years after a permanent residence / EU long-term resident permit	No	Art. 8(1)(2); does not apply in the border zone
A house or plot – spouse of a Polish citizen, 2 years after permanent residence / EU long-term resident permit	No	Only into the spouses' statutory joint property (Art. 8(1)(3))

If you do need a permit, you have to show ties to Poland. The Act gives examples: Polish descent, marriage to a Polish citizen, a temporary or permanent residence permit or an EU long-term resident permit, running a business or a farm in Poland (Art. 1a(2)). The list is open, but UKR status on its own is not mentioned in it. The permit costs PLN 1,570 in stamp duty (opłata skarbowa), and before the purchase you can apply for a promise of a permit (promesa) valid for one year. How to apply and which documents to attach is covered in our article MSWiA permit to buy property in Poland.

UKR status, residence card and buying a flat in 2026

Since 5 March 2026 the Act of 23 January 2026 on phasing out the solutions under the Act on Assistance to Citizens of Ukraine (Dz.U. 2026 item 203) has been in force. People with a PESEL number with UKR status are now beneficiaries of temporary protection under the Act on Granting Protection to Foreigners, and many transitional provisions apply until 4 March 2027. For buying a flat, however, these changes make no difference: the right to acquire a self-contained unit does not depend on the type of residence.

The type of residence does matter for a mortgage – banks check how long you can legally stay in Poland, as well as your income. More in our article mortgage in Poland for Ukrainian citizens (PESEL UKR, CUKR).

The notary enters your citizenship in the deed (Art. 92 § 1(4a) of the Notaries Act) and within 7 days sends a copy to the MSWiA, which keeps a register of real estate acquired by foreigners (Art. 8(4) and Art. 8a of the Act). This is routine – you do not have to do anything.

Documents for the notary: passport, PESEL, translator

The notary must establish your identity on the basis of a document provided for by law (Art. 85 of the Notaries Act, consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 item 614). In practice a valid passport or residence card is enough. Prepare:

• your passport or another valid identity document;
• your PESEL number, if you have one – it is not mandatory, but it makes things easier at the bank and at public offices. How to get one is described in our PESEL, NIP and bank account checklist;
• an unblocked PESEL – if you have placed a block on your PESEL number (e.g. in the mObywatel app), the notary must refuse to draw up the purchase deed (Art. 85a of the Notaries Act). Lift the block before your appointment;
• if you are married – information on your marital property regime (joint or separate property);
• if you are taking a mortgage – the loan agreement and documents from the bank.

If you do not have a good command of Polish, the notary must translate the deed personally or with the help of a translator (Art. 87 § 1(1) of the Notaries Act). When a sworn translator is needed is explained in our article sworn translator at a Polish notary. If you cannot come in person, you can complete the purchase through an attorney – see our guide to powers of attorney (in Polish).

How to pay for the flat: transfer, cash and AML rules

When buying from a developer, you pay into a housing escrow account (mieszkaniowy rachunek powierniczy) in line with construction progress (Art. 8(1) of the Developer Act, consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 item 880). This means the price of the flat goes to the bank by transfer – handing cash to the developer is not an option. More about the escrow account (in Polish).

Be ready for questions about the source of your money. Banks and notaries (for deeds transferring ownership of real estate) are obliged institutions under the Act on Counteracting Money Laundering (Art. 2(1)(1) and (13), consolidated text Dz.U. 2025 item 644). They must apply customer due diligence measures, among other cases for transactions worth EUR 15,000 or more (Art. 35). In practice it is worth having to hand:

• bank statements showing where the funds come from (salary, sale of property in Ukraine, savings);
• the sale or gift agreement, if the money comes from such a transaction;
• confirmations of transfers from abroad – make a transfer from Ukraine well in advance, as the bank may check it.

A large cash deposit into your account just before the purchase usually prompts questions from the bank – it is better to keep the funds in an account with a clear history.

Buying your first flat in Poland and not sure where to start? We will help you choose a new-build flat from a developer and guide you through the purchase – usually no commission for you, as our fee is normally paid by the developer.

Buying a flat from a developer step by step

1. Budget and financing. Cash or a mortgage? If you need a loan, check your borrowing capacity first.
2. PESEL and a bank account. Not mandatory, but they make payments and a mortgage easier.
3. Choosing a flat. A self-contained unit – no permit; a house with land – with a permit.
4. Reservation and the information prospectus. The developer gives you the prospectus (prospekt informacyjny) before the agreement – ask for a translation if needed.
5. Developer agreement (umowa deweloperska) at the notary. You split the notary and court fees equally with the developer – see our article on the developer agreement.
6. Payments into the escrow account according to the construction schedule.
7. Handover inspection (odbiór) and the transfer-of-ownership agreement. You become the owner after the second deed.

Each stage in detail: how to buy a new-build apartment in Poland.

How much does the purchase cost? Example for a 2-room flat

Take a 2-room flat (living room + 1 bedroom) for PLN 511,792 – the median price of 2-room flats in the Fabryczna district of Wrocław, based on TM Invest listing data as of 27 September 2026. The developer's price already includes 8% VAT, and when buying from a developer you generally do not pay PCC (civil law transactions tax) – more in PCC tax on buying property in Poland. Your citizenship does not change these rates.

Item	Calculation	Amount
Maximum notary fee for the developer agreement (½ rate), incl. 23% VAT	(PLN 1,010 + 0.4% × PLN 451,792) ÷ 2 = PLN 1,408.58 net; gross PLN 1,732.55; your half	PLN 866
Entry of the claim in the land and mortgage register	PLN 150, split equally with the developer	PLN 75
Maximum notary fee for the transfer-of-ownership agreement (½ rate), incl. 23% VAT	PLN 1,408.58 net + 23% VAT	PLN 1,733
Opening the land and mortgage register and entry of ownership	PLN 100 + PLN 200	PLN 300
MSWiA permit	not applicable – self-contained unit	–
Total (excluding copies of the deed and translator)		approx. PLN 2,974

For a house with a plot, add PLN 1,570 for the permit, and with a mortgage – the mortgage entry (PLN 200). Full breakdown: costs of buying an apartment in Poland.

Where to look for a flat for PLN 500,000–600,000? Data from our listings

Based on TM Invest listing data as of 27 September 2026, a budget of up to PLN 600,000 gives you a real choice in both cities – most offers are in the districts with the lowest price per m².

City / district	Flats up to PLN 500,000	Flats up to PLN 600,000	Median PLN/m²	2 rooms: from / median
Warsaw (all listings)	54	323	PLN 18,000	PLN 449,317 / PLN 755,824
Warsaw – Białołęka	–	–	PLN 14,122	PLN 449,317 / PLN 553,358
Wrocław (all listings)	100	378	PLN 15,736	PLN 453,218 / PLN 662,405
Wrocław – Fabryczna	–	–	PLN 13,394	PLN 453,218 / PLN 511,792

Warsaw – Białołęka is the district with the lowest median price in our Warsaw listings: 609 available flats in 18 developments, median PLN 14,122/m². Half of the 2-room flats here cost less than PLN 553,000. See new flats in Białołęka.

Wrocław – Fabryczna has the lowest median in Wrocław: PLN 13,394/m² with 347 available flats in 9 developments. The cheapest studio costs PLN 335,315, and the median price of a 2-room flat is PLN 511,792. See new flats in Fabryczna. If you are choosing a district to live in, not just on price, our ranking of the best districts to live in Wrocław will help.

How to buy a flat in Poland as a Ukrainian – the plan in brief

In short: make sure you are buying a separate residential unit (then no MSWiA permit is needed), set your budget and form of payment, choose a flat, reserve it, sign the developer agreement at the notary and pay into the escrow account according to the schedule. The stages are described above, and here is where to look for a flat:

• Białołęka – the cheapest new flats within the Warsaw city limits;
• Mokotów – good access to the centre and the metro;
• Wola – metro line M2 and a growing number of new developments;
• Fabryczna in Wrocław – flats in Wrocław at lower prices than in the centre.

If you need financing, start with the article: mortgage for Ukrainian citizens. We will match a developer flat to your budget – usually without a commission for the buyer, as the developer usually pays us.

Frequently asked questions

Summary

Buying a flat in Poland as a Ukrainian citizen is simpler than many people assume: you buy a self-contained unit without an MSWiA permit, without a PESEL and regardless of your residence status. A permit is needed for a house with a plot, a plot on its own and property in the border zone. Things to watch are the translation of the deed, the source of your money and – if you take a mortgage – the banks' requirements.

Looking for a flat in Warsaw or Wrocław? We will find a new-build flat from a developer within your budget – usually no commission, as our fee is normally paid by the developer. If you need a mortgage, book a consultation with our mortgage expert – we will compare offers from several banks with your residence status and income in mind.

Legal status as of September 2026. The calculations are indicative, and this article does not constitute legal or tax advice. In non-standard cases (border zone, a house with a plot, inheritance) consult a notary or a lawyer.

Sources

• Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Foreigners – consolidated text, Journal of Laws (Dz.U.) 2017 item 2278 (Art. 1, 1a, 3, 3d, 7, 8, 8a).
• Act of 17 July 2026 amending the Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Foreigners and the Notaries Act – Dz.U. 2026 item 1099.
• Stamp Duty Act – consolidated text, Dz.U. 2025 item 1154 (annex, part III item 8 – PLN 1,570).
• State Border Protection Act – consolidated text, Dz.U. 2026 item 919 (Art. 12 – border zone).
• Act of 23 January 2026 on phasing out the solutions under the Act on Assistance to Citizens of Ukraine – Dz.U. 2026 item 203.
• Notaries Act (Prawo o notariacie) – consolidated text, Dz.U. 2026 item 614 (Art. 85, 85a, 87, 92).
• Act on Counteracting Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing – consolidated text, Dz.U. 2025 item 644 (Art. 2, Art. 35).
• Developer Act – consolidated text, Dz.U. 2026 item 880 (Art. 8).
• Regulation on maximum notary fees – consolidated text, Dz.U. 2024 item 1566; Act on Court Costs in Civil Cases – consolidated text, Dz.U. 2025 item 1228.
• Flat prices: TM Invest catalogue of new developments, as of 27 September 2026.