You are buying an off-plan flat in Warsaw (a flat in a building still under construction), you rent in the meantime, and you want to know whether the developer will hit the completion date. Nobody can guarantee that, but you can follow it yourself, online and on site, without reading every Polish document word by word. Four sources are enough: the dates written into the agreement and the prospectus, the payment schedule with its stage notices, the public traces of the build (the site information board and the building-permit register) and the registers where you can check the developer’s company. Below: where each one is, how to compare them, what to do when the date slips, and what changes when you are a foreign buyer.
Legal basis (legal position as of October 2026): the Developer Act (ustawa deweloperska), that is the Act of 20 May 2021 on the protection of the rights of buyers of a flat or a single-family house and on the Developer Guarantee Fund (consolidated text: Journal of Laws 2026, item 880), and the Construction Law (Prawo budowlane, consolidated text: Journal of Laws 2026, item 524). The provisions of Journal of Laws 2025, item 1669 that took effect on 2 October 2026 concern the register kept by the Insurance Guarantee Fund (UFG) (Articles 50 and 51), and the amendment taking effect on 11 November 2026 (Journal of Laws 2026, item 1077) changes only Article 19b, on price data. Neither changes the rules described below.
Which completion date does the developer promise, and which one is in the agreement?
An advert or a development’s web page usually shows one date, such as “Q4 2027”. A developer agreement (umowa deweloperska) contains at least three separate dates, and the Act requires each of them (Article 35(1), legal position as of October 2026):
Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.
| What the agreement states | Provision | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Start and end of construction works | Article 35(1)(12) | When the building should be physically finished |
| Date and method of notifying you of the handover, and the handover date | Article 35(1)(17) | When you see the flat and list defects |
| Date of transfer of ownership | Article 35(1)(7) | When you become the owner before a notary |
| Building permit number, issuing authority, whether the decision is final or has been appealed | Article 35(1)(11) | Your starting point for checking the build in the register |
| Contractual penalties and interest | Article 35(1)(14) | Only if the parties provided for them |
The date of transfer of ownership matters most. The Act links the right to withdraw from the agreement for delay to that date (Article 43(1)(6)). The end of works is only the first step towards getting the keys, as explained below.
The Act does not impose a contractual penalty or set its amount. If the draft agreement has no penalty for delay, there simply is none (Article 35(1)(14): “if the parties provided for them”). Check this point before you sign anything.
Where do you find these dates before you sign?
In the information prospectus (prospekt informacyjny). The developer must hand it to you free of charge, on a durable medium, before the reservation agreement or the developer agreement (Article 21(1)–(2)). The model prospectus annexed to the Act has separate fields for the planned start and end of works, the schedule of the project and the date of transfer of ownership. If anything changes, the developer tells you in an annex or a new prospectus (Article 22(1)). For a heading-by-heading guide in English, see what to check in the information prospectus, heading by heading.
At the developer’s premises. If you ask before signing, the developer must let you inspect at its premises (Article 26(1)(3)–(6), legal position as of October 2026):
- the building permit (or the construction notification);
- the financial statements for the last two years and, if the project is run by a special purpose company, those of its parent company too;
- the building design;
- the occupancy permit (pozwolenie na użytkowanie), if it has already been issued.
Ask for these documents at the developer’s sales office (biuro sprzedaży); if you would like us to go with you, write to us before your first visit. Note the date of the building permit: you will need it for the register check.
The payment schedule: how to track progress after you sign
The schedule of the development project (harmonogram przedsięwzięcia deweloperskiego) is the best tool you have. Under the law as of October 2026, it must have at least four stages, each covering 10% to 25% of the total costs of the project (not of your flat’s price), with a completion date for every stage (Article 24(1)–(2)).
You pay into an escrow account (mieszkaniowy rachunek powierniczy) after each stage is completed, and the developer notifies you of it on paper or another durable medium (Article 8(1)–(3)). With an open account, the bank pays money out to the developer no earlier than 30 days after the agreement is signed, and only once completion of a stage has been confirmed, in proportion to that stage’s share. The developer receives the rest of the last stage after giving the bank a copy of the notarial deed transferring ownership (Article 16(1)–(2)).
So every stage notice is a date you can set against the schedule. A simple table is enough:
Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.
| Stage | Date in the schedule | Date of the developer’s notice | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||
| 2 | |||
| 3 | |||
| 4 |
If the notices arrive later and later compared with the schedule, the delay is building up and the final date is at risk before it formally passes. That is a reason to talk to the developer, not proof of bad faith. Accept any change of dates only in writing.
In a development built in phases, the schedule covers the investment task (zadanie inwestycyjne), that is the part of the estate where you are buying. Check which phase your flat is in.
What does the information board on the site tell you?
A building site must display a yellow information board with letters at least 6 cm high, visible from the public road or the access to it. It stays up until the occupancy permit is obtained (Article 45b of the Construction Law, legal position as of October 2026). The board shows:
- the date and number of the building permit and the authority that issued it;
- the name and phone number of the competent building control authority;
- the investor and the site manager, with phone numbers.
Check that the permit number on the board matches the agreement (Article 35(1)(11)) and the prospectus. Take a dated photo of the board. On your next visit you will see whether anything on site has changed.
Bear in mind that “starting construction” in the legal sense means starting preparatory works: setting out the building by a surveyor, levelling the ground, preparing the site and making utility connections (Article 41(1)–(2) of the Construction Law). A fenced plot with a site cabin can therefore legally be a build in progress, even with no foundations in sight. The investor notifies building control of the planned start of works (Article 41(4)).
The GUNB register: does the permit exist, and what stage is it at?
The register of applications, decisions and notifications (RWDZ) of the Chief Building Control Office (Główny Urząd Nadzoru Budowlanego, GUNB) is at wyszukiwarka.gunb.gov.pl. As of October 2026:
- it is free and needs no login;
- it covers applications for and decisions on building permits, and notifications, filed since 1 January 2016;
- you can search by province and authority, town, street, plot number, precinct (obręb), type of project, building category and dates;
- it shows the status of a case (for example under consideration, decision granted or refused, no objection), but not the text of the decision;
- it contains only first-instance decisions and not every type of notification.
You will find the plot number and precinct in the prospectus. The same register also helps you check whether another build is about to start next to your estate.
Why does the permit date matter? A building permit expires if construction has not started within three years of the day the decision became final, or if construction has been interrupted for more than three years (Article 37(1) of the Construction Law). If the permit is old and nothing is happening on site, ask the developer directly when preparatory works began.
How long does a block of flats usually take to build?
According to Statistics Poland (GUS), multi-family residential buildings completed in 2025 took on average 24.8 months to build, counted from the start of construction to completion. For single-family houses it was 51 months, and for all residential buildings 42.2 months (“Efekty działalności budowlanej w 2025 r.”, published 30 June 2026, data for the whole of Poland).
That is a national average, not a standard for your development. Nor does it measure the time from signing to the keys. Use it as a reference point when you compare the start and end of works in the agreement with what you see on site.
From the end of works to the keys: occupancy permit and handover
The end of works does not yet mean keys. Under the law as of October 2026, three more steps follow.
1. The occupancy permit. A multi-family residential building falls into building category XIII and needs an occupancy permit decision before it can be used (Article 55(1)(1)(a) of the Construction Law). The shorter route of a notice of completion, with 14 days for an objection (Article 54(1)), does not apply to it. Building control issues the decision after a mandatory inspection (Article 59(1) and Article 59a). With the application, the investor files, among other things, the site log, the technical design and the site manager’s statement that the works comply with the design (Article 57(1)).
Only the investor is a party to these proceedings (Article 59(7)), so the authority will not send the decision to you. Ask the developer when the decision became final: the handover of your flat can only take place after that (Article 41(1) of the Developer Act). If the decision was issued before you signed the developer agreement, the developer had to let you inspect it on request (Article 26(1)(6)).
2. Handover of the flat (odbiór). It takes place after the occupancy permit becomes final, in your presence, and ends with a protocol. The developer responds to the defects you report within 14 days of signing the protocol and removes the ones it accepts within 30 days of that day (Article 41(1)–(6) of the Developer Act).
3. The deed transferring ownership. This is where the date from Article 35(1)(7), the one that matters most, applies.
When you plan a move or the end of your lease, count from the transfer-of-ownership date, not from the end of works, and leave a margin.
The developer is late: what does the Act say?
If the developer does not transfer ownership to you by the date in the agreement, under the law as of October 2026 you proceed as follows:
- You set an additional deadline of 120 days for the transfer of ownership. Only once it has passed without effect may you withdraw from the agreement (Article 43(1)(6) and (3)).
- You make a declaration of withdrawal in writing, with notarially certified signatures, together with consent to delete your claims from the land and mortgage register (Article 45(1)).
- The agreement is deemed not to have been concluded, and you bear no costs connected with the withdrawal (Article 44(2)). The developer returns the money the bank paid out to it within 30 days (Article 44(3)).
You keep your claim to the contractual penalty for the period of delay even after withdrawing (Article 43(3)), but only if the agreement includes such a penalty.
By withdrawing, you give up the flat you have been waiting for. It is a decision to take with a lawyer who has read your agreement.
What changes when you buy as a foreigner?
The rules above apply whatever your citizenship. What differs is the practical side: language, distance and the rent you pay while you wait.
The documents will be in Polish. The Developer Act says nothing about the language of the prospectus or the agreement, so it gives you no right to a translation, and the same goes for stage notices. A consumer contract can be drawn up in a foreign language if you ask for it, know that language, are not a Polish citizen and were informed in advance of your right to a Polish-language document (Article 8(1b) of the Polish Language Act, consolidated text: Journal of Laws 2026, item 81, as of October 2026). In practice, have the dates from Article 35(1) and the schedule translated once, put them in the stage table above, and check every new notice against that table.
Off-plan means two notarial deeds, often years apart. The developer agreement is signed as a notarial deed now, and the transfer of ownership follows after completion (Article 40(1) of the Developer Act; Article 158 of the Civil Code, Journal of Laws 2026, item 795). Notarial deeds are in Polish. If you do not know Polish and no translation is attached, the notary translates the deed personally or with a sworn translator (tłumacz przysięgły) and must make sure you understand it (Articles 2 § 3, 87 § 1(1) and 94 § 1 of the Law on Notaries, Journal of Laws 2026, item 614). A delay moves the second appointment, so book the interpreter only once the date is confirmed in writing.
If you may be abroad when the flat is finished. A power of attorney for the final deed must itself be a notarial deed (Article 99 § 1 of the Civil Code). A withdrawal declaration also needs notarially certified signatures (Article 45(1) of the Developer Act). If you expect to sign either abroad, agree the form with a notary in Poland well in advance.
Checking the build when you are away. The GUNB register and the company registers below all work online without logging in. If you are out of Poland for a while, ask someone you trust in Warsaw to photograph the site board for you, with the date.
Rent and your lease. Every month of delay is another month of rent. Check your notice period and whether you can extend your lease by a few months; give notice only once you have the handover and deed dates in writing. How to put a figure on each extra month is shown in our guide on what every extra month of waiting costs you in rent. If you are planning the move around a school year, also check which catchment school the new address belongs to.
A permit, if you need one. You need no permit from the Ministry of the Interior and Administration (MSWiA) for the flat itself: a self-contained flat outside the border zone can be bought without one, whatever your citizenship, and Warsaw is not in the border zone (Article 8(1)(1) and 8(3) of the Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Foreigners, Journal of Laws 2017, item 2278). According to MSWiA, a share in a separate property sold with the flat, such as an access road, does need a permit unless you are exempt (EEA and Swiss citizens are, under Article 8(2)). A permit is valid for two years and a promise of a permit (promesa) for one year (Articles 3(2) and 3d(2)). If completion slips, ask the notary which deed the permit is needed for and check that it will still be valid on that date.
Paying stages from abroad. You pay several instalments over the whole construction period. The notary and the real estate agent must identify you and, where circumstances justify it, check the source of your funds (Article 34(1) of the Polish AML Act, Journal of Laws 2025, item 644). Banks report transfers above €15,000, including those from abroad, to the General Inspector of Financial Information, with some exceptions (Article 72). Keep the paper trail for each transfer.
The developer’s company: what you can check in public registers
The registers will not tell you whether the developer will finish on time. They will show you who you are signing with and what its financial statements look like. As of October 2026, all of these search tools work without logging in:
- National Court Register (KRS) (prs.ms.gov.pl/krs): details of the company that is the party to your agreement. It is often a special purpose company, not the brand in the advert.
- Financial Statements Repository (RDF) (rdf-przegladarka.ms.gov.pl): the company’s filed financial statements.
- Court and Commercial Gazette (Monitor Sądowy i Gospodarczy) (prs.ms.gov.pl/msig): announcements concerning the company.
- National Debtors Register (KRZ) (krz.ms.gov.pl): check whether the company appears in it.
If the project is run by a special purpose company, ask before signing for the parent company’s financial statements as well, which the developer must then make available for inspection (Article 26(1)(4)).
Checklist: the completion date, step by step
Before the reservation and the agreement:
- The draft agreement gives three dates: works, handover and transfer of ownership. The prospectus gives the works dates, the schedule and the transfer-of-ownership date.
- The agreement includes a contractual penalty for late transfer of ownership.
- The building permit number and date are the same in the agreement and on the site board, and the GUNB register, searched by address or plot number, shows the case with a positive decision.
- The agreement states whether the building permit is final and whether it has been appealed.
- The schedule has at least four stages, each with a completion date.
- The company named in the agreement is in the KRS, and its financial statements are in the RDF.
- You have a translation of the dates and the schedule you can rely on.
During construction:
- You enter every stage notice in the table and compare it with the schedule.
- Every few months you, or someone you trust, photograph the site with the board.
- You accept changes of dates only in writing.
Before the keys:
- You ask the developer whether the occupancy permit has been issued and when it became final.
- You arrange the handover only after that decision is final.
- If you will be abroad, the notarial power of attorney is ready in time.
You can compare the completion dates declared by developers in our catalogue of Warsaw new builds with their declared completion dates. Treat them as a starting point: what counts is the date in your developer agreement.
FAQ
Which date in a Polish developer agreement is the real completion date?
Under Polish law as of October 2026, a developer agreement contains several separate dates: the start and end of construction works (Article 35(1)(12)), the notice of handover and the handover itself (Article 35(1)(17)) and the transfer of ownership (Article 35(1)(7)), all required by the Developer Act (Journal of Laws 2026, item 880). The transfer-of-ownership date is the one that counts, because the right to withdraw for delay is tied to it.
Can I check a Warsaw developer’s building permit online?
Yes. The permit number, the authority that issued it and whether the decision is final must be stated in the developer agreement (Article 35(1)(11)). You can then look up the status of the application and decision online, free of charge and without logging in, in the register of the Chief Building Control Office at wyszukiwarka.gunb.gov.pl. It covers cases filed since 1 January 2016 and shows the status, not the text of the decision (as of October 2026).
How can I tell that the build is running late before the deadline passes?
Watch the payment schedule. It has at least four stages, each with its own completion date (Article 24 of the Developer Act), and the developer tells you when each stage is completed, on paper or another durable medium (Article 8). Write down the date of every notice and compare it with the schedule. A gap that grows from stage to stage is your early warning. Legal position as of October 2026.
What can I do if a Polish developer does not finish on time?
Under the law as of October 2026, if ownership is not transferred to you by the date in the agreement, you set the developer an additional deadline of 120 days. If that is missed too, you may withdraw (Article 43(1)(6) and (3)), keeping your claim to the contractual penalty for the delay, provided the agreement includes one (Article 35(1)(14)). The developer returns the money the bank paid out to it from the escrow account within 30 days (Article 44(3)).
Do I have to be in Poland when the flat is finished?
Not necessarily for the final deed. You can act through a representative, but under Article 99 § 1 of the Polish Civil Code a power of attorney to buy a flat must itself be a notarial deed. If you will sign it abroad, agree its form with the Polish notary well in advance. A withdrawal notice also needs a notarially certified signature (Article 45(1) of the Developer Act), as of October 2026.
How long does it take to build a block of flats in Poland?
According to Statistics Poland (GUS), multi-family residential buildings completed in 2025 took on average 24.8 months from the start of construction to completion (“Efekty działalności budowlanej w 2025 r.”, published 30 June 2026). That is a national average, not a standard for any particular development.
Choosing an off-plan flat and want to check the dates before you sign? Write to us before your first visit to the developer’s sales office (biuro sprzedaży), so that we can register you as our client there. We will go through the prospectus, the schedule and the draft agreement with you, in English or another of the 7 languages we work in, point out what to ask the developer or a lawyer, and go to the sales office together. As a buyer of a new-build flat, you pay us no fee.
Jawno · Vladyslav Moroz, real estate agent (pośrednik w obrocie nieruchomościami), sole trader with OC liability insurance · +48 692 649 839 · infojawno@gmail.com
This text is for information only and is not legal advice. Legal position as of October 2026.