Land and mortgage register (księga wieczysta) in Poland: how to check it online and what sections I–IV mean (2026)
Author: Tacjana MasiukiewiczLaw and contracts~15 min read
You can check a land and mortgage register (księga wieczysta) online and free of charge in the Electronic Land and Mortgage Registers service (ekw.ms.gov.pl) – all you need is the register number in the format division code/number/check digit, for example WA2M/00012345/6. An extract with the force of a court document has cost 30 zł (ordinary) or 75 zł (complete) since 31 March 2026. Below we explain where to find the register number, what is in sections I-O, I-Sp, II, III and IV, which entries are red flags and how to read the register of a developer's land before you sign the agreement.
Key facts
- Anyone who knows the register number can browse it free of charge on the internet, but a printout from browsing has no force of a court document.
- Online extract: 30 zł ordinary, 75 zł complete; paper – 45 zł and 90 zł (rates from 31.03.2026).
- The register number has three parts: a 4-character division code, the number from the repertory and a check digit.
- A register has 4 sections; section I is divided into I-O (description of the property) and I-Sp (list of rights attached to ownership).
- A note (wzmianka) about an application and a warning exclude the public reliance on land registers (Art. 8 of the Land Registers and Mortgages Act) – each one must be clarified before you buy.
The land register number – format and where to find it
Under § 9 of the Minister of Justice's regulation on opening and keeping land registers in the IT system, the register number consists of three elements separated by a slash:
- the division code – four characters denoting the land register division of the district court in which the register was opened (for example WR1K),
- the number from the repertory – in practice eight digits, often with leading zeros,
- the check digit – one digit protecting against a mistake in the number; the browser requires you to enter it.
You will find the number above all in the transaction documents: in the notarial deed and its extract (sale agreement, developer agreement, agreement transferring ownership), in the court's notice of a completed entry and in the mortgage loan agreement. When buying from a developer, you have the number of the land register in the information prospectus – it is a mandatory field of the part "Information on the land" (an annex to the Developer Act). If you do not have the number, you can apply to the Central Information Service of Land Registers (Centralna Informacja Ksiąg Wieczystych) to search for registers in the central database – the fee is 30 zł.
Land register division codes in Warsaw and Wrocław
In Warsaw, registers are kept by the Mokotów District Court, but in six divisions with separate codes, while in Wrocław there is one division of the Wrocław-Krzyki District Court. The codes and the number of developments in our offer (according to TM Invest offer data, as of 27.09.2026):
| Division code | Area of jurisdiction | Developments in our offer |
|---|---|---|
| WA1M | Bemowo, Bielany, Ochota, Żoliborz, Izabelin municipality | 6 (Bemowo 2, Bielany 4) |
| WA2M | Mokotów, Wilanów | 18 (Mokotów 15, Wilanów 3) |
| WA3M | Białołęka, Praga-Północ, Targówek | 21 (Białołęka 18, Praga-Północ 1, Targówek 2) |
| WA4M | Śródmieście, Wola, Łomianki municipality | 4 (Śródmieście 1, Wola 3) |
| WA5M | Ursus, Ursynów, Włochy | 11 (Ursus 3, Włochy 8) |
| WA6M | Praga-Południe, Rembertów, Wawer, Wesoła | 13 (Praga-Południe 8, Wawer 5) |
| WR1K | Wrocław (the whole city area in this court) | 45 (all districts of Wrocław) |
How to check a land and mortgage register online step by step
- Go to ekw.ms.gov.pl and choose "Browsing a land register" (Przeglądanie księgi wieczystej).
- Enter the division code, the number and the check digit, and confirm the anti-bot check.
- Read the title page (the type of register, the date it was opened, any closure), and then, in turn, sections I-O, I-Sp, II, III and IV.
- If you need a document for a bank, a notary or an office – apply for an extract in the same service. After paying, you download the file and print it yourself; such a printout has the force of a court document if it can be verified against the central database (Art. 364(4) of the Act).
An extract from the land register – price in 2026
Since 31 March 2026 a new regulation on the fees for the services of the Central Information Service of Land Registers has applied (Dz.U. 2026 item 410). An ordinary extract shows the current entries, a complete extract – also the deleted entries, that is the history of the property.
| Document or service | Online (self-printed) | Paper |
|---|---|---|
| Browsing the register (no force of a document) | 0 zł | – |
| Ordinary extract | 30 zł | 45 zł |
| Complete extract | 75 zł | 90 zł |
| Excerpt from one section | 10 zł | 25 zł |
| Excerpt from four sections | 40 zł | 45 zł |
| Searching for registers in the central database | 30 zł | |
Example. You are comparing three developments in Wrocław and choose a 2-room flat for 662 405 zł – the median price of a 2-room flat in our offer in Wrocław (according to TM Invest offer data, as of 27.09.2026). Browsing three land registers costs 0 zł. Before the developer agreement you order a complete extract of the register of the chosen development – 75 zł, that is about 0,011% of the price. We calculate the costs of the entries in the article Court fees when buying a flat.
Sections I–IV of a land register – what they contain and the red flags
| Section | What it contains | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| I-O "Description of the property" | Location, cadastral plot numbers; for a unit – address, number of rooms, area; the area and consistency with the land records | Different plots than in the prospectus or agreement; inconsistency with the land records; a unit area different from the agreement |
| I-Sp "List of rights attached to ownership" | Rights attached to ownership, for example a share in the common property for a unit, perpetual usufruct, an easement over a neighbouring plot (for example access) | No disclosed access to a public road where the plot needs it |
| II "Ownership" | The owner or perpetual usufructuary, shares, the basis of acquisition | The owner is someone other than the seller or developer; many co-owners without everyone's consent to the sale |
| III "Rights, claims and restrictions" | Easements, life annuity (dożywocie), pre-emption rights, claims (for example of buyers under developer agreements), warnings, an entry on the commencement of enforcement | A warning about inconsistency with the actual legal status; enforcement commenced by a bailiff; a life annuity; claims of third parties on the secondary market |
| IV "Mortgage" | Mortgages: amount, currency, creditor, the secured claim | A mortgage in favour of a private person or a non-bank company; several mortgages of different creditors; no repayment plan and deletion on the secondary market |
Not every entry in section III is a problem – a transmission easement in favour of a network operator is typical. Remember, though, that some rights operate even without an entry – the reliance protection does not shield against a life annuity, a transmission easement or an easement of necessity of way (Art. 7 of the Act).
A note (wzmianka) in a land register – what does it mean?
A note is information that an application for an entry has reached the court and the court has not yet dealt with it. It is placed in the section the application concerns – for an electronic application, for example from a notary, automatically at the moment the application is filed (Art. 6267 § 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure). After the entry, or after a final refusal, the court deletes the note of its own motion. You cannot plead ignorance of applications that have been noted (Art. 2 of the Act), and the note itself excludes the public reliance on the register (Art. 8).
A note in section II may mean someone has already bought the property; in section III – an application for, say, the entry of a claim or of enforcement; in section IV – a new mortgage. Before the agreement ask for each note to be explained, ideally with a copy of the application. In the register of a developer's land, notes in section III usually concern the claims of successive buyers – that is normal during sales.
Public reliance on land registers – what it protects you from
According to Art. 5 of the Land Registers and Mortgages Act, where the content of the register differs from the actual legal status, the content of the register prevails – in favour of the person who bought the property (or acquired another property right) by a legal transaction from a person entitled according to the register.
The protection has limits. The reliance does not apply to an acquisition free of charge (a gift) or against a buyer in bad faith – that is, one who knew of the inconsistency or could easily have learned of it (Art. 6). It is also excluded by notes and warnings (Art. 8) and by the rights listed in Art. 7 that encumber the property regardless of any entry. So the reliance protects the person who read the register and did not ignore the warning signs.
Want someone to read the register with you? We will check the land's land and mortgage register and the draft developer agreement, point out the entries that need clarifying and the provisions to negotiate.
A land register when buying from a developer – how to read sections III and IV
For a flat under construction there is no register for the unit yet – you check the register of the development's land. The developer must let you see its current state at its office (Art. 26(1) of the Developer Act), but you will go through it faster yourself in the EKW. A broader checklist (KRS, finances, building permit) is in the guide How to check a developer in Poland before you buy, and a comparison of the register with the prospectus – in the article The developer's information prospectus – how to read it.
Example: a typical land register during construction
- Section II: the development company (often a special-purpose company) as owner or perpetual usufructuary. Compare the name and KRS with the agreement and the prospectus.
- Section III: a transmission easement in favour of a network operator, and next to it dozens of entries "claim for the construction of the building, establishment of separate ownership of the unit and transfer of its ownership" in favour of successive buyers. These are the claims under Art. 38 of the Developer Act – after you sign the agreement, yours will appear there too. Thanks to disclosure, the claim is effective against rights acquired later (Art. 17 of the Land Registers Act).
- Section IV: a contractual mortgage in favour of the bank financing the construction, for example up to several dozen million zloty. Its existence alone is not a red flag – construction is financed with loans.
The key is the document linking section IV to your agreement: the bank's consent to establish separate ownership of the unit free of encumbrances and to transfer it to you after the full price is paid (or the bank's commitment to give it). The developer must have it before starting sales, and it is an annex to the developer agreement (Art. 25(1)–(2) of the Developer Act). If it is missing, you may withdraw from the agreement (Art. 25(4)). Without such consent the mortgage from the land register could "pass" to the register of your unit. How this annex looks in the deed is described in the article Notarial deed when buying a flat.
Red flags in the register of a developer's land: an entry on the commencement of enforcement or a note of such an application, a warning about inconsistency of the legal status, a mortgage in favour of an entity other than the bank named in the prospectus, an owner other than the developer without a clear basis, and a discrepancy between the mortgages in section IV and the "Existing mortgage encumbrances" field of the prospectus.
The unit's register opened with the transfer agreement
After the handover of the flat, the notary draws up the agreement establishing separate ownership of the unit and transferring it to you. On that basis the court separates the unit from the land register and opens a new register for it (Art. 24(1) of the Land Registers Act – a separate register for each property, including a unit). In the new register you will find: in section I-O – the description of the unit, in section I-Sp – the share in the common property (the land and the building's common parts) with the number of the register in which it is disclosed, in section II – yourself as the owner, and in section IV – your bank's mortgage, if you are buying with a loan. You will learn the number of the new register from the court's notice or from the land register (information on the separation of the unit).
After the register is opened, check three things in the EKW: whether the area in section I-O agrees with the handover report, whether the size of the share in the common property is as in the deed, and whether section IV contains no mortgage of the developer's bank. An entry takes effect retroactively from the day the application was filed (Art. 29 of the Act).
Frequently asked questions
Is checking a land register free of charge?
Yes. Anyone who knows the register number can browse it free of charge in the Electronic Land and Mortgage Registers service (Art. 364(6) of the Land Registers Act). Only an extract, an excerpt or a certificate with the force of a court document is paid.
How do I find a land register number from an address?
The public EKW browser does not search for registers by address – it requires a number. You will find the number in the notarial deed, the loan agreement, the developer's prospectus or the court's notice of an entry. You can also apply to the Central Information Service of Land Registers to search for registers in the central database (30 zł).
How much does an extract from a land register cost in 2026?
Since 31 March 2026 an ordinary extract ordered online costs 30 zł and a complete one 75 zł. In paper form you pay 45 zł and 90 zł. A printout of an extract downloaded from the system has the force of a court document if it can be verified against the central database.
Is a bank mortgage in the register of the developer's land a problem?
No, if the developer has the bank's consent to establish and transfer ownership of your unit free of encumbrances after the full price is paid, or a commitment to give it. This document must be an annex to the developer agreement; its absence gives you the right to withdraw from the agreement.
What does a note in section II of a land register mean?
That the court has not yet dealt with an application to change the entry of the owner, for example after a sale or a gift. A note excludes the public reliance on the register, so before buying you must establish what the application concerns.
Summary
Checking a land register takes a few minutes and costs nothing: you need only the number in the format division code/number/check digit and the ekw.ms.gov.pl service. Read all the sections, look for notes, warnings and entries on enforcement, and when buying from a developer, set section IV of the land register against the bank's consent to separate the unit free of encumbrances. We discuss the whole agreement in the guide Polish developer agreement (umowa deweloperska) 2026.
Have you chosen a flat and are waiting for the draft agreement? We will check the land's land register, the prospectus and the draft agreement and point out the provisions to negotiate. If you are only searching, we will help you choose a flat from a developer – usually with no commission for the buyer, as the fee is typically paid by the developer.
Legal status as of September 2026. This article is for information only, the calculations are indicative and do not constitute legal advice.
Sources
- Act on Land and Mortgage Registers and Mortgages (in Polish) – consolidated text, Dz.U. 2026 item 1066 (Art. 2, 5–8, 17, 24, 25, 29, 364, 365).
- Regulation of the Minister of Justice of 24 March 2026 on the amount of fees for the services of the Central Information Service of Land Registers (in Polish) – Dz.U. 2026 item 410.
- Regulation of the Minister of Justice on opening and keeping land registers in the IT system (in Polish) – consolidated text, Dz.U. 2024 item 1583 as amended (§ 9, § 14–47).
- Ministry of Justice regulation of 29 May 2026 amending the regulation on opening and keeping land registers (in Polish) – Dz.U. 2026 item 740 (division codes).
- Act on the protection of the rights of a purchaser of a residential unit or a single-family house and on the Developer Guarantee Fund (in Polish) – consolidated text, Dz.U. 2026 item 880 (Art. 25, 26, 35, 38, annex – the prospectus template).
- Act – Code of Civil Procedure (in Polish) – consolidated text, Dz.U. 2026 item 468 (Art. 6267, Art. 924).
- Electronic Land and Mortgage Registers – Ministry of Justice (in Polish).
- Flat prices and number of developments: TM Invest developments catalogue, as of 27.09.2026.
