The back story

Buying in Warsaw: the back story

In depth·Warsaw

Where people buy in Warsaw, from Śródmieście and Powiśle to Mokotów, Wilanów, Żoliborz and Praga, and how the Polish land and mortgage register works. We never publish prices.

Warsaw’s homes range from apartments in the pre-war tenements of Śródmieście, Mokotów and Żoliborz to new buildings in Powiśle, Wola and Praga, and villas and estates in Wilanów. Ownership in Poland is recorded in the land and mortgage registers (księgi wieczyste), which can be searched online on the Ministry of Justice’s official service, ekw.ms.gov.pl.

Where people buy

See our property guide for Śródmieście and Powiśle, Mokotów, Wilanów, Żoliborz and Praga.

The register

The księgi wieczyste record who owns each property and any charges on it.

Have your own Polish lawyer and a notary check the land and mortgage register before you sign anything.

Before you sign

Ask your lawyer whether, as a foreign buyer, you need a permit, and have a notary draw up the deed.

Why it's on our list

  • Where people buy
  • The register
  • Before you sign

Location

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