Buying an apartment in Poland remotely — how it works step by step
Remote apartment purchase in Warszawa: power of attorney with apostille, księga wieczysta check, notarial deposit, PCC and the deed without flying in.
Are you buying an apartment in Warszawa from London, Berlin or Kyiv? The entire process can be carried out remotely, without a single flight to Poland — as of August 2026. A citizen from outside the EU usually does not need any MSWiA permit to buy a typical apartment (Act of 24 March 1920, art. 8 sec. 1 point 1). Three elements are key: a notarial power of attorney bearing an apostille (the 1961 Hague Convention) and a sworn translation, verification of the księga wieczysta (land and mortgage register) in the ekw.ms.gov.pl system, and a safe mechanism for settling the money — a depozyt notarialny (notarial deposit) on the secondary market (cost: at most half the notarial fee, e.g. about 1,585 PLN net + VAT at a price of 600,000 PLN) or a housing escrow account on the primary market. The PCC tax is 2% of market value, but when buying a first apartment on the secondary market it comes to 0 PLN — the exemption under art. 9 point 17 of the PCC Act has been in force since 31 August 2023 and still applies unchanged. A realistic schedule: 2–4 weeks from the decision to the akt notarialny (notarial deed) for a cash purchase, plus 4–8 weeks with a mortgage. Below is the whole procedure step by step.
Does a foreigner need a permit to buy an apartment?
The matter is governed by the Act of 24 March 1920 on the acquisition of real estate by foreigners. Citizens of the EEA states and Switzerland buy in Poland without permits. For people from outside the EU the act provides the exception that matters most in practice: the acquisition of a self-contained residential unit (art. 8 sec. 1 point 1) does not require an MSWiA permit — regardless of citizenship. This covers a typical apartment in a block or a residential building, and also a garage or a share in a garage hall if it serves the buyer’s housing needs. A permit is still necessary, among others, for property in the border zone and — for buyers from outside the EEA — for houses with land. So if the goal is an apartment in Warszawa, there are most often no “foreigner” formalities at all.
How do you choose an apartment at a distance, without seeing it live?
A remote purchase starts with selection based on hard data. The standard worth demanding: a live video viewing (you ask questions, request close-ups of the windows, the risers, the common areas), a report with measurements and photos, and full legal verification. With the number of the księga wieczysta you can check the unit free of charge online in the ekw.ms.gov.pl system (how to read the individual sections): section II shows the owner, section III — claims and encumbrances, section IV — mortgages. Add to that certificates confirming no arrears in the czynsz administracyjny (building maintenance charge) and no registered residents, and, on the primary market, the prospekt informacyjny (information prospectus), which the developer is obliged to issue under the developer act. You make the decision on documents, not on the impression from a single visit.
How do you prepare a power of attorney to buy an apartment from abroad?
A contract of sale of real estate in Poland requires the form of an akt notarialny (notarial deed, art. 158 of the Civil Code), and the power of attorney for it — as a rule the same form (art. 99 § 1 of the Civil Code). While staying abroad, you have three routes:
- A notary in your country of residence — the most common option. You draw up the power of attorney in the form provided for by the local law (art. 25 of the Private International Law Act allows this), then have it bear an apostille clause (the 1961 Hague Convention) and order a sworn translation into Polish.
- A Polish consul — a document drawn up before a Polish consul requires neither an apostille nor a translation. A practical note: the consul draws up a notarial deed only under written authorisation from the Minister of Justice, so confirm the availability of this route with the consulate in advance.
- One visit to Poland — a power of attorney signed before a Polish notary works immediately, and you then run the rest of the process fully remotely.
In the wording of the document, describe the unit, the maximum price and the conditions precisely (e.g. settlement through a notarial deposit). It is worth agreeing the draft power of attorney with a notary’s office in Poland before the visit to the foreign notary — that removes the risk of the document being questioned at the deed.
How much does a remote apartment purchase cost: taxes and notarial fees?
| Item | Secondary market | Primary market |
|---|---|---|
| PCC | 2% of market value — on an apartment for 600,000 PLN that is 12,000 PLN | none (VAT included in the price); the 6% PCC applies only from the sixth and each subsequent unit in one development |
| Notarial fee (taksa notarialna) | at a price of 600,000 PLN, a maximum of about 3,170 PLN net + 23% VAT | similar; with a developer contract the costs are usually split in half |
| Court fees | 200 PLN for the ownership entry, 200 PLN for the mortgage entry with a loan | plus 100 PLN for opening the księga wieczysta |
| Copies of the deed | 6 PLN net for each page started | as above |
The rates in the table are current for 2026 (Regulation of the Minister of Justice of 28 June 2004, Journal of Laws 2024 item 1566 — unchanged). An important exemption: since 31 August 2023, a natural person buying their first apartment or house on the secondary market pays no PCC at all (art. 9 point 17 of the PCC Act). The condition — no prior ownership of residential property; in practice the tax authorities also take into account property held abroad, so verify this point before the deed. You confirm the exemption with a declaration submitted before the notary, and the tax itself — when it is due — is collected and settled for you by the notary.
How do you safely transfer money for an apartment purchase from abroad?
On the secondary market, the standard for a remote transaction is the depozyt notarialny (notarial deposit, art. 108 of the Law on Notaries). You pay the price into the office’s deposit account before the deed is signed, and the notary releases the funds to the seller only once the conditions described in the protocol are met — e.g. after the contract is signed and the unit handed over. The cost is at most half of the notarial fee calculated on the deposit amount: at 600,000 PLN, about 1,585 PLN net plus VAT. On the primary market you are protected by the mieszkaniowy rachunek powierniczy (housing escrow account), mandatory under the Act of 20 May 2021 on the protection of the rights of the buyer of a residential unit or a single-family house and on the Developer Guarantee Fund: the bank pays the developer in stages, in line with construction progress, and buyers’ payments are additionally secured by the DFG.
Plan the transfer itself in four steps:
- Plan the currency conversion. The difference between an exchange-office rate and the bank spread on an amount of the order of 600,000 PLN can reach several thousand zloty — compare currency exchange platforms and the negotiated rate at your bank.
- Warn your bank and prepare source-of-funds documents. The notary is an obliged institution within the meaning of the anti-money-laundering rules and may ask you to explain the origin of the capital.
- Allow for the booking time. A SEPA transfer in euro usually arrives within 1 business day, a SWIFT transfer from other currencies — in 2–5 days. The funds must be booked in the deposit before the deed, so leave yourself a buffer.
- Describe the transfer. In the title, state the parties and the contract or repertory number — the office will assign the funds to the transaction straight away.
How long does a remote apartment purchase in Poland take?
A realistic schedule for a remote cash purchase is 2–4 weeks from the decision to the deed, as of 2026: about a week goes to the power of attorney with apostille and sworn translation, a few days — legal verification and the preliminary contract, one day — the notarial deed signed by the attorney. With a mortgage, add 4–8 weeks of bank procedure. After the transaction the notary files an electronic application for the ownership entry in the księga wieczysta — your presence is no longer needed at any stage.
At allproperty we handle remote purchases comprehensively: from the first video presentation, through coordinating the power of attorney and verifying land and mortgage registers, to the notarial deposit and the handover of the keys. On a purchase of an apartment from a developer we charge no commission from the buyer (0%); on the secondary market the commission is 2%. Write to us telling us where you are buying from and what you are looking for — we will arrange the process around your calendar and time zone. The time difference between Warszawa and your location is not an obstacle: we keep our contact line open around the clock, so when a question about the power of attorney or the date of the deed comes up in the middle of your night, you simply call — +48 666 866 468 or +48 692 649 839.
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Does a non-EU foreigner need a permit to buy an apartment in Poland?
Usually not. Thanks to art. 8 sec. 1 point 1 of the Act of 24 March 1920, a typical apartment in a block or a residential building does not require an MSWiA permit regardless of citizenship. A permit is still needed mainly for houses with land (for buyers from outside the EEA) and for property in the border zone.
How long does a remote apartment purchase in Poland take?
For a cash purchase, realistically 2–4 weeks from the decision to the akt notarialny — about a week goes to the power of attorney with apostille and a sworn translation. With a mortgage, add 4–8 weeks of bank procedure. Data current as of August 2026.
How do you prepare a power of attorney to buy an apartment from abroad?
One drawn up before a foreign notary requires an apostille (the 1961 Hague Convention) and a sworn translation into Polish. At a Polish consulate no apostille or translation is needed, but the consul draws up a notarial deed only under written authorisation from the Minister of Justice — it is worth confirming availability in advance.
Do you have to pay PCC when buying your first apartment?
No. Since 31 August 2023 (art. 9 point 17 of the PCC Act), a first apartment from the secondary market is exempt from the 2% PCC tax with no price or floor-area limit. The condition is no prior ownership of residential property — including abroad — confirmed by a declaration made before the notary.
How do you protect your money in a remote apartment purchase?
On the secondary market the standard is a depozyt notarialny (notarial deposit, art. 108 of the Law on Notaries) — the cost is at most half the notarial fee, e.g. about 1,585 PLN net on 600,000 PLN. On the primary market your money is protected by the mandatory mieszkaniowy rachunek powierniczy (housing escrow account), secured by the Developer Guarantee Fund since 2021.