RKM mortgages in Poland for foreign residents

What RKM does - and what it does not promise

For a home buyer, the obstacle is often not just the monthly payment but the cash needed before completion. Savings have to cover the down payment, transaction costs, finishing works and a reserve. Rodzinny Kredyt Mieszkaniowy, usually called RKM and described in English as the Family Housing Loan, can help with a shortfall in the down payment.

The mechanism is a guarantee from Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, or BGK, covering part of the mortgage. It is not cash paid to the buyer and it does not reduce the property price. The guaranteed amount remains part of your borrowing. You must repay the entire loan under the lender’s agreement.

A separate feature, spłata rodzinna, can reduce the outstanding principal when a second or subsequent child joins the household after the loan is granted, subject to the programme’s conditions. A possible future payment should not be deducted from the amount you need to borrow or the cash budget you need today.

RKM does not set a subsidised interest rate. Compare actual lender offers with an ordinary mortgage rather than choosing solely on the appeal of “no down payment”.

Can a foreign national use RKM?

Yes. RKM can be granted to someone whose household is based in Poland. Polish citizenship is not mandatory for this route. Not having a Polish passport is therefore not, by itself, a reason to rule out the programme.

“Household” has a specific meaning under the legislation. It is not established solely by registering an address, having a PESEL number or opening a Polish bank account. Where the household is actually based, who belongs to it and whether it meets the statutory definition matter.

Different conditions apply when the household is based outside Poland. The borrower must be a Polish citizen, or share a household with a Polish citizen and take the mortgage jointly with that person. An intention to relocate later should not automatically be treated as meeting the residence condition now.

Access to the programme means that an application may be possible when the rules are met. It does not require every lender to offer you a loan. Residence documents, income, commitments and the property remain part of the lender’s assessment.

Residence permits, PESEL and lender requirements

Keep the programme’s rules separate from the documents accepted by an individual lender. The absence of a Polish-citizenship requirement does not mean that every residence document will be sufficient for a mortgage.

Temporary residence, permanent residence, EU long-term resident status, an EU Blue Card and other residence bases need to be checked with the chosen lender. This page does not promise a universal minimum remaining permit term or claim that a PESEL number alone is sufficient. Those statements would require current, lender-specific evidence.

A PESEL number or UKR status does not by itself establish affordability or replace a document review. For an initial discussion, describe your residence basis and document validity. Do not upload a passport, residence card or identification number into this public calculator.

Income and borrowing capacity are a separate assessment

The programme does not set one salary threshold that automatically determines access to RKM. The lender must nevertheless be satisfied that you can repay the mortgage. It assesses the stability and evidence of income, existing commitments, household expenses and the loan term.

Income from an employment contract, an umowa zlecenia, self-employment through a JDG, or B2B work needs different evidence. Not having an employment contract is not a universal exclusion under the programme. Equally, the required trading history and the way income is calculated cannot be assumed to be identical across lenders.

RKM is denominated in PLN. If you earn EUR, GBP or USD, or receive income from a foreign company, first check whether a participating lender accepts it. Converting your salary into PLN does not establish borrowing capacity. Equally, foreign-currency income alone is not a statutory prohibition: RKM has a specific exception, while practical availability depends on the lender’s assessment.

The guarantee can address a down-payment shortfall. It does not automatically increase the amount a lender is willing to approve.

Next, assess borrowing capacity. Your down payment, income and existing commitments answer different questions.

How much of your own money is needed?

In a standard scenario, the guarantee tops up your contribution to 20% of the financed expenditure. The guarantee is capped at PLN 100,000. For a purchase costing PLN 500,000, 20% is PLN 100,000, so a purchase-price contribution of zero can be mathematically possible. That does not mean the transaction has no cash costs.

For an apartment costing PLN 700,000, the 20% level is PLN 140,000. Even with the maximum guarantee, at least PLN 40,000 of your own money is needed in this simple scenario. If you have PLN 25,000, the shortfall is PLN 15,000.

There is also a combined restriction: in the standard guaranteed structure, the guarantee and your contribution together cannot exceed PLN 200,000 or 20% of the relevant expenditure. The formula “20% minus PLN 100,000” cannot therefore be applied to a property of any price without further checks.

The one-off guarantee fee is 1% of the guaranteed amount, up to PLN 1,000. This is the guarantee fee only, not the full cost of the mortgage.

Can you use RKM when you already have savings?

Yes. RKM is not only for buyers with no savings. Under the general rules, the contribution is capped at PLN 200,000 and at a share of the financed expenditure: up to 20% for variable-rate borrowing, or up to 30% for a fixed or periodically fixed rate held for at least five years.

Having 20% of your own funds can mean that no guarantee is needed to supplement your contribution. Whether you can still use RKM is a separate question: the programme loan and the BGK guarantee are connected, but they are not the same thing.

Certain special contributions, including qualifying land or funds combined with Premia Mieszkaniowa, have separate rules and limits. Do not replace such a contribution with an arbitrary cash estimate in the simple calculator. Its structure needs a separate assessment.

Why the apartment’s price per square metre matters

Income and your contribution are not the only constraints on an apartment purchase. Its price per square metre must fit the limit for the location and acquisition type. BGK publishes limits for defined periods. Values from an earlier quarter must not silently be presented as current.

The 1.4 coefficient applies to the statutory category of a first purchase directly from the business that built the apartment. “First purchaser” refers to that apartment’s history, not a claim that the individual has never owned a home. The 1.3 coefficient applies to other specified cases, including a standard resale.

Location also matters. The city, municipalities directly bordering it and other municipalities in the region may have different limits. “Near Warsaw” is not precise enough. If the address category is unclear, ask for it to be checked.

The calculator compares the entered price and area against the same dataset displayed in the table. Finishing works, parking spaces, linked agreements and mandatory extra charges require the lender to check the legal and financial structure of the transaction.

15,012.61 PLN/m² · 2026-Q3 · Verified limits: 2026-Q3 BGK price limits: validity period and source

Apartment, house or self-build

RKM can finance the statutory categories of apartment or house purchases, house construction, land acquired together with a qualifying build, and certain cooperative housing rights and projects. It is not borrowing for unrestricted spending or a separate loan for any land purchase unrelated to an eligible housing purpose.

The apartment price-per-square-metre cap is not applied in the same way to a house purchase or self-build. Its absence does not remove the rules on contributions, guarantees, loan purpose and affordability. In particular, a build requires a review of the full documented budget and land status, not just the plot price.

The financed property is intended to meet the household’s housing needs. A calculator result should not be treated as permission to use the programme for a buy-to-let investment.

What if you already own housing in Poland?

The general rule concerns the household’s ownership of qualifying housing or cooperative rights in Poland. The check is not limited to the assets of whoever first fills in the form. The statutory household and all relevant members must be considered.

An exception is available to families with at least two children, subject to owning no more than one such property. Its floor area is limited to 50 m² with two children, 75 m² with three, and 90 m² with four. There is no floor-area cap with five or more children. In this special route, the contribution towards the new purchase must not exceed 10% of the relevant expenditure.

Separate provisions cover certain inherited shares of no more than 50% and homes formally withdrawn from use. Calling an asset “inherited” is not enough: the share, residence history and other conditions matter. Non-standard ownership therefore needs individual review rather than a simple automatic yes or no.

A home abroad does not automatically rule out RKM

This distinction matters for foreign buyers. Article 2 of the RKM legislation defines an apartment and a single-family house by reference to property located in Poland. A home in another country should therefore not automatically be treated as a home in Poland and used to reject the applicant under the no-home-ownership condition.

This is an interpretation based on the statute’s territorial definitions, not a promise of lender approval. A foreign mortgage, property-related expenses, rental income and other commitments may still be relevant to affordability. Provide the information requested by the lender rather than withholding an overseas asset.

The initial check asks about housing abroad separately. That answer helps prepare the discussion and supporting documents; by itself, it does not produce a negative RKM result.

Individual applicants, spouses and unmarried partners

The programme’s name does not restrict the mortgage to families with children. One adult can form a household under the RKM rules. Having a child is not a condition for obtaining the mortgage itself.

A joint household is defined through spouses or parents of at least one common child under their parental authority or legal guardianship. Simply living together without marriage or a common child does not meet that joint-household condition for RKM.

The number of children matters for particular exemptions and family repayment. Not every relative or adult child is automatically counted in the same way; the statutory definitions apply. If the family structure is complex, describe it in the enquiry rather than selecting an answer simply to make the checker pass.

Previous mortgages, gifts and earlier RKM loans

Before applying, check whether another mortgage agreement for the purchase of qualifying housing was entered into during the preceding 36 months. The agreement date matters, not just whether a balance remains today. The statute includes a particular exception involving specified withdrawal from a developer agreement.

A gift of qualifying housing to a person in Polish inheritance-tax group I or II within the previous five years also needs review. Some shares are covered by exceptions. A sale, inheritance and gift are different events: the entire ownership history should not be reduced to “has ever owned a home”.

Separately, check whether anyone in the household has already received another RKM loan. This question must not disappear into a general credit-history check. If a contract or asset is overseas, disclose that separately: the programme’s territorial definitions and the lender’s assessment of commitments serve different purposes.

Spłata rodzinna: when the principal can be reduced

After an RKM loan is granted, a family repayment of PLN 20,000 may be available when a second child joins the household, or PLN 60,000 for a third or each subsequent child. The law covers qualifying births and adoptions. The payment cannot exceed the remaining principal.

The money goes to the lender to reduce the capital balance; it is not paid to the family in cash. Having two children already when the mortgage is granted does not automatically trigger a PLN 20,000 payment immediately after signing. The later increase in the household and the other conditions matter.

The request is made through the lender, generally within a year of the household increasing. There is a separate timing rule when that event occurs before the loan’s first disbursement, so the event and funding dates must be checked together.

Further checks include other qualifying housing, previous overpayments and additional statutory conditions. A household that used the existing-home exception also faces a rule concerning expiry of the guarantee. The payment must not be treated as unconditional simply because a particular number of children is present.

Overpayments and refinancing

You can make early repayments, but an overpayment can affect later entitlement to spłata rodzinna. Before paying spare cash into the mortgage, check the programme implications as well as the interest saving.

The law provides exceptions, including certain repayments made after three years from granting the loan and repayments of the guaranteed portion. Confirm the dates, amounts and type of payment before making it, rather than after a potential entitlement has been lost.

If an ordinary new mortgage fully repays the RKM loan, do not assume that entitlement to future family repayments automatically transfers to the replacement agreement. Exit terms, possible lender charges and any support already received need a separate review.

Selling or renting out the home after family repayment

A family repayment comes with continuing conditions. Selling the relevant home, renting it or part of it out, lending it for someone else’s use, or taking other specified actions within five years of the payment can trigger repayment of part of the support.

For certain breaches, the amount is proportionate to the remaining part of the five-year period. The reason, timing, form of transfer and any exception matter. The law also includes duties to inform the lender about relevant events.

Keep three questions separate: whether the mortgage agreement permits the change of use, whether a future family payment remains available, and whether support already received must be returned. A positive price-limit result at the time of purchase does not answer them.

Self-employment and business use of the home

Earning self-employment income and using the financed home for business are different questions. Income from a JDG or B2B work does not automatically permit the borrower to use the property for any business purpose.

While the BGK guarantee remains in force, the statute restricts the borrower’s use of the financed apartment or house for business activity. A registered business address, the actual activity and the way the premises are used need careful assessment.

This should not be turned into either “a home office is always allowed” or “anyone working from home loses access”. Check the specific arrangement before registering a business at the property or changing its use.

Do you need an MSWiA property-purchase permit?

RKM approval and a foreign buyer’s legal permission to acquire property are separate matters. A BGK guarantee does not replace an MSWiA permit where one is required, or remove special rules affecting land.

The legislation on property acquisition by foreigners sets out a permit requirement and exemptions. An independent residential unit is covered by an exemption subject to statutory qualifications. A conclusion about an apartment should not automatically be carried over to a house with land, a separate land share or a property in a specially regulated location.

Check the legal subject of the transaction, its location, the rights being acquired and the basis of any exemption, not just whether the listing calls it an “apartment” or “house”. Coordinate this review with mortgage and purchase-contract deadlines.

What to prepare for the initial review

You can start without sending a full document file. For an initial review, prepare an outline of the household, residence basis, income source and currency, current borrowing, your contribution and the proposed property. This is a discussion-preparation list, not a universal lender checklist.

At the bank stage, identity and residence documents, evidence of income and its history, details of your own funds, property documents and programme declarations may be required. The lender determines the exact list, translation requirements and acceptable evidence for your case.

The public tool does not need passport numbers, PESEL numbers, children’s names or residence-card scans. General answers are enough, followed by the contact details you choose to submit through the secure form after reviewing the enquiry.

Where to apply and how to structure the purchase

An RKM application goes to a participating lender, not directly to BGK. The lender checks the documents, affordability and property, arranges a guarantee where needed and makes the credit decision. Check the participating banks in the official source rather than relying on an old saved list.

A practical sequence starts with a specific purchase scenario. Next, review the programme constraints and the selected lender’s ability to finance it, prepare the documents, and coordinate financial commitments and deadlines with the seller.

DOMUS GLOBAL helps connect the mortgage, property and transaction questions. Sending a calculation to an adviser is not a mortgage application. A positive initial discussion is not a lender’s decision either. Do not pay a contractual deposit solely on the strength of an automated website result.

Official BGK source in Polish

RKM or an ordinary mortgage: what to compare

RKM is worth checking when a down-payment shortfall is the main obstacle. If your savings already allow an ordinary mortgage, compare both routes: available lenders, interest, fees, linked products, total cost and flexibility for future changes.

A potential family repayment is a separate benefit for a qualifying life event, not a reason to ignore borrowing costs and restrictions. For a foreign resident, acceptable residence and income documents are also crucial. An attractive calculation is of little use if the chosen lender will not finance the actual circumstances.

The calculator answers a limited question about the purchase parameters. Next, check borrowing capacity and the complete cash budget, then have the specific scenario reviewed. That turns a comparison into transaction preparation rather than choosing a programme on the strength of one marketing claim.