The short answer
Yes, foreigners can buy property in Poland — but the rules differ depending on citizenship and the type of property. EEA/EFTA citizens face almost no restrictions. Non-EEA citizens face more restrictions on houses, land and commercial property, but can generally still buy an apartment without special permission. The legal basis for these rules is Poland's Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Foreigners, administered by the Ministry of Interior and Administration (MSWiA).
EEA and EFTA citizens: minimal restrictions
Citizens of European Union member states, plus the wider European Economic Area (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) and, under separate treaty arrangements, Switzerland, are generally exempt from Poland's foreign-ownership permit requirement. That means buying an apartment, a house, land, or commercial property works much the same way it would for a Polish citizen, with some limited restrictions that can still apply to agricultural and forest land regardless of nationality.
Non-EEA citizens: apartments are generally permit-free
For non-EEA citizens — including, since Brexit, UK nationals — the key distinction is the type of property. Buying a self-contained residential apartment (in Polish, odrębna własność lokalu) generally does not require a permit, as long as the property is located outside a designated border zone.
Non-EEA citizens: when a permit is required
A permit from the Ministry of Interior and Administration is generally required for a non-EEA citizen to buy:
- A house together with the land it sits on
- Undeveloped, non-agricultural land
- Agricultural land (subject to additional rules administered by Poland's agricultural authority, KOWR)
- Commercial real estate
- Any property — including an apartment — located within a designated border zone, where the standard apartment exemption does not apply
The permit process itself typically takes around three to six months, based on current publicly available legal guidance. Applications are assessed case by case, and agricultural land purchases involve an additional layer of review under KOWR's pre-emption rules.
The five-year residency exemption
Non-EEA citizens who have held a permanent residence permit or EU long-term resident status, and who have legally resided in Poland for at least five years, are generally exempt from the permit requirement — effectively putting them on similar footing to EEA citizens for property purchases at that point.
What this means in practice
For most individual foreign buyers looking at a Poznań apartment as a home or a straightforward rental investment, this means no special ministry permit is typically needed, regardless of citizenship — the notarial purchase process described in our investment property guide applies as normal. Where it gets more involved is buying a house with its own plot of land, buying land to build on, or buying commercial premises as a non-EEA citizen — in each of those cases, budget extra time for the permit process and get a Polish real estate lawyer involved early, since the exact requirements can depend on details specific to the property and the buyer's situation.
Sources & disclaimer
This explainer is based on publicly available legal guidance current as of September 2026: CGO Legal — Buying Property in Poland as a Foreigner, cross-checked against summaries from Realting and Lawbox Firm. Rules, thresholds and processing times can change, and individual cases vary — this page is general information, not legal advice. Before signing anything, confirm your specific situation with a Polish real estate lawyer or notary.
How Wałęsa Group can help
Wałęsa Group works with foreign buyers on residential, premium and commercial property in Poznań, and can connect you with trusted local lawyers and notaries for the legal side of a purchase, in English, Polish, Russian or Portuguese.