Guarantee for foreigners in Poland – how to get one and your options

A foreigner concludes an occasional lease (najem okazjonalny) agreement on the same terms as a Polish citizen. The law does not make it conditional on citizenship or on the type of residence permit. You need the same "guarantee" (poręczenie) – that is, a statement from the owner of other premises (oświadczenie właściciela) consenting to the tenant moving in. It can be signed by a friend, a relative, an employer who owns a flat, or a company that offers such statements.

What documents you need

Under Art. 19a(2) of the ustawa o ochronie praw lokatorów, mieszkaniowym zasobie gminy i o zmianie Kodeksu cywilnego – the Act on the Protection of Tenants' Rights, the Municipal Housing Stock and Amendments to the Civil Code (consolidated text Dz.U. z 2023 r. poz. 725, as amended), the following in particular are attached to an occasional lease agreement:

1. the tenant's statement in the form of a notarial deed submitting to enforcement and undertaking to vacate the premises;
2. the indication of other premises where the tenant will be able to live if evicted;
3. a statement from the owner of those premises (or a person with legal title to them) consenting to the tenant and the people living with them moving in. If the landlord requests it, the signature on this statement must be certified by a notary.

Item 3 is exactly what listings and agencies call a "guarantee" or an "address for the occasional lease". The person who signs it is not liable for the tenant's rent or debts. They merely consent to the tenant moving in. We explain this in more detail in the article What is a guarantee for an occasional lease.

Where to get the statement if you have no family in Poland

If none of these routes is an option, consider a form of tenancy that does not require a move-out address: a standard lease agreement or an institutional lease (najem instytucjonalny) from a company. We describe them in the article Can you rent a flat without a guarantee.

Language and the notary visit

The tenant makes the statement submitting to enforcement before a notary. If they do not speak Polish and no translation into a language they know has been attached to the act, the notary will translate the deed personally or with the help of an interpreter (Art. 87 § 1 point 1 of the Prawo o notariacie – the Notaries Act, consolidated text Dz.U. z 2026 r. poz. 614). The interpreter's fee is not covered by the notary's fee, so it is worth asking about it when booking the appointment. Bring a valid identity document to the notary's office, e.g. a passport or residence card.

The notary's fee for the tenant's deed may not exceed 1/10 of the minimum wage (Art. 19a(7) of the Act), i.e. 480,60 zł net in 2026. From 1 January 2027 the cap will be 495 zł net. For certifying the signature on the statement from the owner of other premises, the notary will charge at most 60 zł net. VAT is added to both rates. Foreigners pay the same rates as Polish citizens.

The law does not specify the language of the statement consenting to the tenant moving in. However, the document will be read by a Polish landlord and, in the event of a dispute, by the court and the bailiff (komornik). So the safest option is to prepare it in Polish or in a bilingual version.

When the owner of the premises is abroad

If the person who is to sign the statement lives outside Poland, they can have their signature certified by a Polish consul. A consul certifies the authenticity of a signature at the request of a Polish citizen, and also of a foreigner if the act is to have effect in Poland. Such an act has the same force as an act performed by a notary in Poland (Art. 28(1)(2) and (2) and Art. 29 of the Prawo konsularne – the Consular Law, consolidated text Dz.U. z 2026 r. poz. 711).

Step by step: an occasional lease for a foreigner

1. Check the flat and the owner. Ask for the land and mortgage register (księga wieczysta) number and check it free of charge at ekw.ms.gov.pl. The person signing the agreement should be listed as the owner.
2. Agree the terms. An occasional lease is concluded for a fixed term of up to 10 years. The deposit may not exceed 6 times the monthly rent (Art. 19a(1) and (4)).
3. Ask about the requirements. Find out whether the landlord requires the signature on the statement about other premises to be certified by a notary.
4. Get the statement from the owner of other premises, with the full address of the premises and your details from your passport.
5. Make your statement at a notary submitting to enforcement, with an interpreter if necessary.
6. Sign the agreement in writing. A notary is not needed for this, but written form is required on pain of invalidity (Art. 19a(6)).
7. Ask for confirmation of the notification. The landlord has 14 days from the start of the tenancy to notify the tax office (urząd skarbowy) of the agreement. You have the right to request confirmation (Art. 19b(1)–(2)).

A written agreement will also come in handy when you register your address. We explain this in How to register in a rented flat.

What to watch out for

• Do not pay for a "guarantee" whose content you have not seen. The statement must indicate specific premises and their owner.
• A document that is only a scan, or one with blank fields filled in after the signature was certified, may be challenged by the landlord.
• If, during the tenancy, you lose the possibility of living in the indicated premises, you have 21 days to provide a new statement. Otherwise the landlord may terminate the agreement with 7 days' notice (Art. 19a(3), Art. 19d(5)).
• The deposit must be returned within one month of the premises being vacated, after deducting any amounts owed to the owner (Art. 19a(5)). Keep the handover report (protokół zdawczo-odbiorczy).

If you have no one in Poland who could sign the statement, our service offers four versions of the statement, from 298 zł. Not sure which one to choose? Book a free consultation.

Frequently asked questions