Mortgage in Poland for Belarusian Citizens: Requirements and Costs

A Belarusian citizen can get a mortgage in Poland on terms close to those offered to Poles, provided they hold a residence card, earn a stable income in Poland and have a down payment of at least 20% of the flat's price. At a typical interest rate of about 6% (rates as of 1 November 2026), a PLN 686,400 loan over 25 years means a monthly payment of roughly PLN 4,422. Whether a bank says yes usually depends on the type of residence card, your work history in Poland and how clearly you can document the source of your down payment.

Can Belarusians get a mortgage in Poland and what banks check

Polish law does not prohibit banks from lending to Belarusian citizens. Each bank, however, sets its own policy for foreign borrowers, and the Mortgage Credit Act (ustawa o kredycie hipotecznym) requires lenders to assess creditworthiness and risk thoroughly. In practice a bank looks at four areas:

• residence status – which document allows you to live in Poland and how long it remains valid;
• income – whether it is earned in Poland, paid in PLN and backed by a track record;
• down payment – how much you have and where the money came from;
• credit history – your record in BIK (Biuro Informacji Kredytowej, the Polish credit bureau).

On top of that, every bank runs anti-money-laundering checks. Because of EU sanctions on Belarus, banks often apply enhanced due diligence to Belarusian citizens: they ask about the source of your savings, accounts abroad and business links. This is not a refusal, but it lengthens the process and requires a complete set of documents. The general rules for all non-Polish borrowers are covered in our guide to a mortgage in Poland for foreigners.

Residence status: temporary card, permanent residence and Karta Polaka

Your residence document decides how many banks will even consider your application. Residence is governed by the Act on Foreigners (ustawa o cudzoziemcach), and banks tend to group applicants like this:

• karta stałego pobytu (permanent residence card) or EU long-term resident card – the widest choice of banks, with conditions close to those for Polish citizens;
• karta pobytu czasowego (temporary residence card) – accepted by some banks, often only if the card stays valid for some time after you apply and your employment contract does not end before the card does;
• a visa, including a humanitarian visa, or just a stamp in your passport – usually not enough; most banks want a residence card.

The Karta Polaka (Pole's Card) is a separate route. Its holder can apply for permanent residence, which is a far stronger argument for a bank than temporary status. If you hold a Karta Polaka but still live on a temporary card, it is worth applying for permanent residence before you approach banks.

While a residence case is pending and you only have a stamp confirming the application, most banks will wait for the decision. Our article on getting a mortgage with a temporary residence card explains how individual lenders approach this situation.

Income: employment contract, B2B in IT and credit history

Banks calculate creditworthiness from income earned in Poland and paid in PLN. Salary from Belarus or revenue of a company registered outside the EU is hard for most banks to verify and is usually ignored.

Employment contract (umowa o pracę). The easiest case is a permanent contract with a Polish employer after the probation period. With a fixed-term contract, the bank looks at how far ahead it runs and whether it has been renewed before.

Sole proprietorship (JDG) and B2B. Many Belarusians in Poland work in IT on B2B contracts, and some came through the Poland. Business Harbour programme. Banks then expect a documented business history, tax returns and regular payments from clients. How your income is counted depends on the form of taxation, such as ryczałt (lump-sum tax on revenue) or the flat tax. Our guide to a B2B mortgage in Poland covers the calculations in detail.

A Polish bank account. A salary paid into a Polish account over a longer period makes the assessment easier, and some banks offer better terms to existing customers.

BIK history. Recent arrivals often have no Polish credit history at all. A credit card or a small instalment purchase repaid on time builds one, but avoid taking on new debt just before a mortgage application.

How much you need: down payment, rates and monthly payment

Under Recommendation S of the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF), banks require a down payment of at least 20% of the property value, or 10% only when the missing part is additionally secured, for example with insurance. Some banks expect foreigners on a temporary card to put down more than the minimum.

Source: NAWROCKI analysis of RCN data; rates as of 1 November 2026, WIBOR fixing by GPW Benchmark on 2 November 2026.

You will also pay court fees: entering ownership in the land register (księga wieczysta) costs PLN 200, entering the mortgage PLN 200, and the civil-law transaction tax (PCC) on the mortgage is PLN 19. You can model your own scenarios with our mortgage and affordability calculator.

Warsaw flat prices: what a mortgage can buy

The loan amount follows the flat price, and the price depends on the district. Below are median prices from notarial deeds on the primary market in selected Warsaw districts.

Source: RCN (Rejestr Cen Nieruchomości, the register of notarial transaction prices), transactions registered from 5 November 2024 to 19 December 2025, NAWROCKI analysis.

Developers' price lists show asking prices, not transaction prices. In the NAWROCKI catalogue as of 5 November 2026, the median asking price is PLN 13,908 per m² in Białołęka and PLN 18,350 per m² in Bemowo. Comparing an offer with real deals in the district is the simplest way to avoid overpaying.

Money from Belarus: source of funds and sanctions

The down payment is where Belarusian buyers most often run into trouble. The bank, and later the notary, need to know where the money for the purchase came from. If you saved it in Poland, account statements and income documents are usually enough. It gets harder when the funds come from Belarus:

• transfers from some Belarusian banks are restricted or impossible because of sanctions and disconnection from SWIFT;
• cash brought across the border must be declared at customs, and the bank will ask where it came from;
• proceeds from selling a flat in Belarus need the sale contract and proof of payment;
• a gift from family needs a gift agreement and documents showing where the donor's money came from.

Move your savings to a Polish account well in advance and collect the paperwork as you go. Belarusian documents usually need a translation by a sworn translator (tłumacz przysięgły).

Currency matters too. The loan and the instalments are in PLN, so banks prefer to see both the down payment and your income in PLN on a Polish account. A large inflow just before the application almost always triggers extra questions and can add weeks to the review.

Step-by-step: getting a mortgage as a Belarusian citizen

1. Sort out your residence status. Check how long your card is valid and whether you can already apply for permanent residence.
2. Estimate your borrowing capacity. Compare your net income with the instalment you can comfortably pay and set a realistic budget.
3. Build and document the down payment. Move the money to a Polish account and prepare proof of its origin.
4. Compare banks. Ask several lenders whether they accept your card type and employment form; a mortgage broker knows the current rules.
5. Choose the flat. Check the price per m² against district transactions, the developer's information prospectus and the payment schedule.
6. Apply. Attach your residence card, passport, PESEL number, income documents and the reservation agreement or umowa deweloperska (developer agreement).
7. Sign the loan agreement and the notarial deed. Read the information form and the contract first, and consult a lawyer or notary if anything is unclear.

Buying a self-contained flat as a foreigner usually does not require a permit from the Ministry of the Interior (MSWiA), but the rules change, so confirm the current position with a notary. Our article on the permit to buy property as a non-EU citizen explains when one is needed.

The bank refused your mortgage: what next

One refusal does not decide the matter. Banks' policies towards foreigners differ widely, and a lender that does not accept temporary cards says nothing about the rest of the market.

• Ask for an explanation. Polish banking law allows an individual to request an explanation of how the bank assessed their creditworthiness.
• Check your BIK report. Sometimes the cause is a forgotten debt or an incorrect entry.
• Find out what was missing: employment history, card validity, down payment or documents.
• Do not apply everywhere at once. Every inquiry is visible in BIK and can weaken your profile with the next bank.

The most common reasons Belarusian applicants are refused are a residence card that expires too soon, a short B2B history, an unclear source of the down payment and no Polish credit history. Each of these can usually be fixed within a few months. Another frequent mistake is paying a reservation fee before the bank's decision: if the agreement has no refund clause for a refused loan, you can lose that money. And remember that buying property does not give you residence rights, as we explain in our article on whether buying property in Poland gives you residency.

How NAWROCKI Real Estate helps

NAWROCKI Real Estate is a buyer's agent for new-build flats in Warsaw. We compare offers from many developers at once and check the developer's price per m² against real notarial transactions (RCN) in the district. We read the umowa deweloperska and the information prospectus, negotiate price and terms with developers, keep track of the payment schedule and help with the technical acceptance of the flat (odbiór techniczny).

In most developments we work with, the developer pays our fee, so for the buyer the service is usually free; if not, we tell you before we start.

If you hold a residence card and plan to buy a flat in Warsaw with a mortgage, get in touch with us – we will help you choose a flat that fits your budget and get through the developer agreement safely.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a notary, lawyer, tax adviser or mortgage broker before making a decision.

Sources

• Ustawa z 23 marca 2017 r. o kredycie hipotecznym (ISAP)
• Ustawa z 12 grudnia 2013 r. o cudzoziemcach (ISAP)
• Komisja Nadzoru Finansowego (Rekomendacja S)
• GPW Benchmark — administrator wskaźników WIBOR