You are planning to buy a flat in Warsaw and have come across “residence for buying property” online. The short answer: that route does not exist in Poland. As of October 2026 the Act on Foreigners provides no residence permit based on buying property, and the Polish Citizenship Act knows no citizenship for investment. A Turkish citizen can, however, buy a self-contained flat in Warsaw without an MSWiA permit. You may buy, but owning a flat gives you no right of residence. Below we set out which grounds for residence really exist and what a flat is still useful for, with article numbers.
Legal basis: the Act on Foreigners (consolidated text, Journal of Laws 2025, item 1079, as amended by Journal of Laws 2025, item 1794 and 2026, item 203); the Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Foreigners (consolidated text, Journal of Laws 2017, item 2278); the Polish Citizenship Act (consolidated text, Journal of Laws 2025, item 1611). All amounts and rules are given as of October 2026.
Does the Act on Foreigners know residence for buying a flat?
No. In the current text of the Act and in the 2025–2026 amendments there is not a single word with the root “real estate” or “property”. Residence is tied to specific grounds, and none of them concerns ownership:
- A temporary residence permit is granted when the circumstances justify a stay longer than 3 months (Article 98(1)). It is issued for the time needed to achieve the purpose, for 3 years at most (Article 98(2)). On the MOS portal of the Office for Foreigners the purposes of temporary residence include work, running a business, study and family reunification. Buying a flat or investing in property is not among them.
- A permanent residence permit rests on the grounds in Article 195(1), including Polish origin, marriage to a Polish citizen (3 years of marriage and 2 years of temporary residence), international protection statuses and the Pole’s Card. Property ownership is not on that list.
- EU long-term resident status requires at least 5 years of lawful, uninterrupted residence, a stable source of income, health insurance and knowledge of Polish (Article 211(1)); the level is “at least B1” (Article 211(3)(1)).
The European Commission’s 2019 communication (COM(2019) 12) confirms this picture. As countries granting residence to investors through real estate, the Commission listed Ireland, Greece, Spain, Cyprus, Latvia, Malta and Portugal. Poland was not on the list. Poland does appear among the 20 states granting residence to investors in a broader sense, for example by setting up a company. The sentence “an investor has no route at all in Poland” would therefore be untrue. The true one is “there is no route through property” (Commission data, 2019).
“5 years of residence or an MSWiA permit, then residence”: where the confusion comes from
Some websites say that “residence through purchase” requires 5 years of residence or an MSWiA permit. That is a jumble of two unrelated matters:
- An MSWiA permit is consent to acquire real estate, issued under the Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Foreigners (Article 1(1)). It gives no right of residence. What is more, for a self-contained flat in Warsaw no permit is needed at all (see below).
- Five years appears in both Acts, but in the opposite order: residence first, property afterwards. EU long-term resident status requires 5 years of lawful residence (Article 211 of the Act on Foreigners). A foreigner who has lived in Poland for at least 5 years since obtaining a permanent residence permit or EU long-term resident status buys property without an MSWiA permit (Article 8(1)(2) of the Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate). In neither case does the flat create a right of residence.
Can a Turkish citizen buy a flat in Warsaw, and is a permit needed?
Yes, they can. The rule is a permit from the minister for internal affairs, issued in agreement with the minister of defence (Article 1(1)), and a foreigner is any natural person without Polish citizenship (Article 1(2)(1)). There are, however, several exceptions:
Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.
| What you buy | MSWiA permit | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Self-contained residential unit (a flat in an apartment building) | not needed, whatever the citizenship | Article 8(1)(1) |
| Garage or a share in a garage, where the purchase serves housing needs | not needed | Article 8(1)(1a) |
| Property in the border zone or agricultural land over 1 ha | exceptions do not apply, permit needed | Article 8(3) |
| House, plot | generally needed; not needed for a person who has lived in Poland for at least 5 years since obtaining permanent residence or EU long-term resident status | Article 1(1); Article 8(1)(2) |
| Property acquired by a foreigner married to a Polish citizen who has lived in Poland for at least 2 years since obtaining permanent residence or EU long-term resident status, into joint property | not needed | Article 8(1)(3) |
A self-contained residential unit under the Act on Ownership of Premises (consolidated text, Journal of Laws 2026, item 232, Article 2(2)) is a room or set of rooms separated by permanent walls and intended for the permanent stay of people. In the Mazovia voivodeship only the municipalities of Sarnaki and Stara Kornica belong to the border zone. Warsaw is not on that list.
Where a permit is needed, these stamp duties apply (Stamp Duty Act, consolidated text, Journal of Laws 2025, item 1154, annex): permit PLN 1,570, promise of a permit (promesa) PLN 98, power of attorney PLN 17. A permit is valid for 2 years from issue (Article 3(2)), a promise for one year (Article 3d(2)). According to the answers to frequently asked questions on the MSWiA website, proceedings take 2, 3, 4 months in practice, and longer in some cases.1
The MSWiA annual report for 2025 (Sejm print No. 2420) shows that the ministry received 2,582 applications, 11.77% more than in 2024, and issued 2,005 permits, 117 promises and 162 refusals.
Which routes to residence in Poland really exist?
If you want to live in Poland, your application will rest on something other than a flat. The table collects the grounds most often discussed for Turkish citizens; the full catalogue is in the Act.
Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.
| Route | Article | Main condition | Fee (October 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary residence, general ground | Article 98 | circumstances justifying a stay over 3 months; 3 years at most | PLN 340 |
| Residence and work | Article 114(1) | health insurance; pay not lower than that of people in a similar post and not lower than the minimum | PLN 440 |
| Business activity | Article 142(1) | secured place of residence; income or employment condition | PLN 340 |
| Right to work under Decision No. 1/80 | Article 186(1)(5) | right to work under Decision No. 1/80 of the EU–Turkey Association Council | PLN 340 |
| Other circumstances | Article 187(8) | showing circumstances outside the catalogue; discretionary decision | PLN 340 |
| Permanent residence | Article 195 | grounds listed in the Act | PLN 640 |
| EU long-term resident | Article 211 | 5 years of residence, income, insurance, B1 | PLN 640 |
The fees come from the annex to the Stamp Duty Act, part III. Issuing or replacing a residence card costs a further PLN 100.
Residence and work (Article 114). It requires health insurance (point 1) and pay not lower than that of employees in a similar post (point 4) and not lower than the minimum (point 5). The gross minimum wage is PLN 4,806 from 1 January 2026 and PLN 4,950 from 1 January 2027 (Journal of Laws 2025, item 1242 and 2026, item 1213).
Business activity (Article 142). One condition is a secured place of residence (point 2). This is where a flat you have bought can be useful as the address in the application, but the ground for residence remains the business. In addition, the business’s income in the previous tax year must be at least 12 times the average monthly gross wage in the voivodeship, or the business must have employed at least 2 people full-time for a year (point 3(a)); you can also show that the conditions will be met in the future (point 3(b)). In the Mazovia voivodeship the average wage for 2024 was PLN 9,488.94 (M.P. 2025, item 1201), so 12 times that is PLN 113,867.28 (our calculation). Confirm with the office which year’s data to use. For a Turkish citizen who runs or intends to run a business on their own account, Article 41(1) of the Additional Protocol to the EEC–Turkey Association Agreement also applies in the proceedings (Article 142(5)).
Decision No. 1/80 (Article 186(1)(5)). This provision matters especially for Turkish citizens. For a foreigner with a right to work under Association Council Decision No. 1/80, a temporary residence permit “is granted”, so the authority has no discretion. Article 187(8), by contrast, says “may be granted”: the authority may, but need not, grant a permit to a person who shows circumstances outside the catalogue.
What a flat is still useful for
A flat is not a ground for residence, but it helps meet some conditions:
- In an Article 142 application the flat you have bought can be given as your place of residence.
- When you are recognised as a Polish citizen (Article 30(1)(1)) a legal title to housing is required. A flat you own is one.
- When you let it, short or long term: under Article 6(1) of the Poland–Turkey double taxation treaty, income from property situated in Poland may be taxed in Poland (Journal of Laws 1997 No. 11, item 58).
Does buying a flat give Polish citizenship?
No. The Polish Citizenship Act provides two main routes:
- Grant by the President (Article 18). According to the Polish Embassy in Ankara, the application goes to the President, the Act sets no time limit for deciding it, and there is no appeal against the decision. Property is not listed as a condition.
- Recognition as a Polish citizen (Article 30). For example after at least 3 years of uninterrupted residence on a permanent residence permit, as an EU long-term resident or with a right of permanent residence, with a stable source of income and a legal title to housing (paragraph 1, point 1). For the spouse of a Polish citizen with a marriage of at least 3 years the residence period is 2 years (point 2(a)). There is also a route based on 10 years of residence (point 6). In all three you must know Polish at least at B1 level (Article 30(2)).
At EU level the door is closed too. In its judgment of 29 April 2025 in case C-181/23 Commission v Malta, the Court of Justice held that granting citizenship “in return for pre-determined investments or payments” breaches EU law. The case concerned the Maltese scheme.
Coming to view and buy a flat: the visa
Turkey is on the list of countries whose citizens need a visa (EU Regulation 2018/1806, Annex I). The rules as of October 2026:
- Type C (Schengen) visa: a stay of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The fee is USD 106, USD 53 for children aged 6–12. A decision is usually taken within 15 calendar days, in some cases up to 45 days.
- National type D visa: for a stay over 90 days, valid for up to a year, fee USD 235. Neither in the Embassy’s information nor in the Act on Foreigners is property ownership named as a purpose of stay.
Owning a flat does not change these rules: for a stay longer than 90 days you need a national visa or a residence permit on a ground set out in the Act.
According to Eurostat, on 31 December 2025 there were 15,069 Turkish citizens holding valid residence permits in Poland.
If you read English and live abroad
- The notarial deed is in Polish. A notary may also act in a foreign language, in person or with a sworn translator, if the parties so decide (Law on Notaries, consolidated text, Journal of Laws 2026, item 614, Article 2 § 3). A participant who does not speak Polish, if no translation is attached, has the right to have the deed translated in person or by an interpreter (Article 87 § 1(1)).
- Source of funds. A notary and a real estate agent are obliged institutions under the AML Act (consolidated text, Journal of Laws 2025, item 644, Article 2(1)(13) and (18)). The threshold for an occasional transaction is EUR 15,000 (Article 35(1)(2)(a)), and the source of funds is checked where circumstances justify it (Article 34(1)(4)(b)). Prepare bank statements and income documents before you travel.
- Tax number. Without a PESEL number you can obtain a NIP number with an NIP-7 application in the version in force from 1 January 2026 (Journal of Laws 2025, item 1681).
How many square metres your budget buys in Warsaw is covered in a separate guide: how many square metres of a new Warsaw flat PLN 0.8–1.2 million buys. A broader look at the rules for foreign buyers: can a foreigner buy a flat in Poland. Offers are in the catalogue: new flats in Warsaw in the catalogue.
What we do and what we do not
Jawno acts as an intermediary in buying flats in Warsaw. The agent is Vladyslav Moroz (sole proprietorship, OC liability insurance). We serve clients in 7 languages, including English and Turkish. A buyer on the primary market does not pay us a fee. Our remuneration on the primary market arises from our agreements with developers.
When you buy from a developer, we register you with the sales office (biuro sprzedaży) before your first visit on your own. We go to the office with you. We will go through the information prospectus (prospekt informacyjny) and the draft agreement with you and point out what to ask the developer or a lawyer. How this works in practice is described on the page how we help you buy a new flat in Warsaw.
An application for residence is a separate administrative procedure based on the grounds in the Act described above. For residence matters we advise consulting a lawyer who specialises in immigration law.
FAQ
Does buying a flat in Poland give you a residence permit?
No. The Act on Foreigners (consolidated text, Journal of Laws 2025, item 1079, with 2025–2026 amendments, as of October 2026) has no ground for residence based on property; the word “property” does not appear in its text. Temporary residence is tied to work, business, study, family and other purposes listed in the Act.
Can you get Polish citizenship by buying a flat?
No. Citizenship is granted by the President of Poland (Article 18 of the Polish Citizenship Act) or confirmed by the voivode once the conditions of Article 30 are met, for example 3 years of residence on a permanent residence permit, a stable source of income, a legal title to housing and Polish at B1 level or higher. In its judgment of 29 April 2025 in case C-181/23 the Court of Justice of the EU held that granting citizenship in return for investments or payments breaches EU law (as of October 2026).
Does a Turkish citizen need an MSWiA permit for a flat in Warsaw?
Not for a self-contained residential unit, whatever the citizenship (Article 8(1)(1) of the Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Foreigners, Journal of Laws 2017, item 2278). A permit is generally required for a house or a plot of land, and in the border zone for a flat too (Article 8(3)). Warsaw is not in the border zone. The stamp duty for a permit is PLN 1,570 (as of October 2026).
Does owning a flat make it easier to get a visa to Poland?
No. Turkish citizens need a visa to enter Poland (EU Regulation 2018/1806, Annex I). A type C visa allows a stay of up to 90 days in any 180-day period and costs USD 106. For longer stays you need a national type D visa (up to one year, USD 235). Owning property is not a purpose of a visa or of residence (as of October 2026, according to the Polish Embassy in Ankara).
What routes to residence in Poland does a Turkish citizen have?
Most often: a residence and work permit (Article 114 of the Act on Foreigners), residence to run a business (Article 142), and, for people with a right to work under Association Council Decision No. 1/80, temporary residence under Article 186(1)(5). A flat you have bought can be given as your place of residence in the application, but it is not a ground for residence in itself (as of October 2026).
Have you chosen a new flat in Warsaw and are planning a visit to the sales office? Write to us before visiting the sales office. We will go through the information prospectus and the draft agreement with you, point out what to ask the developer or a lawyer, and go to the office with you. When you buy a new flat, you do not pay us a fee.
Jawno · +48 692 649 839 · infojawno@gmail.com
This text is for information only and is not legal advice. Legal position as of October 2026.
Notes
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MSWiA, “Frequently asked questions” page (last updated 27 June 2022). It describes the ministry’s practice, not a binding time limit. ↩