PLENUAKNF-registered mortgage experts · KNF RHA0013513+48 571 394 901
Free consultation

Crypto and stock market money and a mortgage in Poland: down payment and income

Will a Polish bank accept money from cryptocurrencies, shares or ETFs as a down payment or as income? Source of funds checks (AML), 19% tax in PIT-38 and the documents to prepare.

KredytPolska editorial team
Updated:

In short

Money from cryptocurrencies, shares and funds can be your down payment if you show the bank the whole path: where the money for the purchase came from, where you bought, when you sold and how the funds came back to your account in złoty. Polish banks must examine the source of funds under the anti-money laundering act, and without documents they may refuse. Gains from crypto or shares are usually not counted as income for borrowing capacity, because they depend on the market. Remember the 19% tax on the gain: from a sale for 120,000 zł bought for 70,000 zł, 110,500 zł is left for the down payment.

What the bank needs to see

A bank will not accept cryptocurrencies themselves as a down payment. You pay the seller in złoty, so you have to sell first and transfer the money to your own account. The Polish anti-money laundering act (art. 34(1)(4)(b)) requires the bank to examine the source of the client's assets when the circumstances justify it, and a large transfer from a crypto exchange is such a case. Prepare: transfers from your account to the exchange, the full transaction history in your name, the withdrawal to your Polish account, and the PIT-38 tax return with confirmation (UPO) once the filing deadline has passed. If the bank cannot establish the source of funds, the act tells it not to carry out the transaction (art. 41(1)), so missing documents can end in a refusal even with high borrowing capacity.

Down payment or income

Money from selling crypto, shares, ETFs or funds, and dividends or interest, can all be a down payment when documented. As income for borrowing capacity banks usually do not count them, because a bank calculates capacity from stable, documented income. If you trade as a registered business, the bank assesses it like any other business, from tax returns and books. Investments still help: a bigger down payment means a lower LTV and often a lower margin.

Tax: plan it before you pay the down payment

Selling crypto for złoty is taxed at 19% of the gain (sale price minus documented purchase cost) in the PIT-38 return, due by 30 April of the following year. Exchanging one cryptocurrency for another is not taxed. Shares and funds on a brokerage account are also taxed at 19% in PIT-38, and the broker sends a PIT-8C form. Set the tax aside before paying the seller.

What to watch out for

In the EU, crypto-asset services require an authorisation under the MiCA regulation, and the transitional period ended no later than 1 July 2026; ESMA keeps the register of authorised firms. Cash sales to private persons, crypto ATMs and transfers through other people's accounts leave few documents. Sell the amount you need a few months before applying and keep it in złoty, without splitting it into many small transfers. Most banks need documents in Polish.

The full description in Polish, with an example and a document checklist: Kryptowaluty i giełda a kredyt hipoteczny.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use cryptocurrency as a down payment in Poland?

Yes, if you sell it first, withdraw the money to your account in złoty and document the whole path: where the purchase money came from, the exchange transaction history and the return transfer. A bank will not accept the cryptocurrency itself.

Can a bank refuse a mortgage because the money comes from crypto?

It can if the source of funds cannot be established. The anti-money laundering act requires banks to examine the source of money, and when they cannot, they should not carry out the transaction. A full transaction history and a filed PIT-38 usually solve the problem.

Do stock market gains increase borrowing capacity?

Usually not. Banks calculate capacity from stable income, and gains from shares or crypto depend on the market. Investments help through a bigger down payment and lower LTV.

Sources

  1. Act of 1 March 2018 on counteracting money laundering and terrorist financing, art. 34, 41 (Polish)
  2. Ministry of Finance, podatki.gov.pl: sale of cryptocurrencies (Polish)
  3. Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 on markets in crypto-assets (MiCA), EUR-Lex
  4. ESMA: Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA)
This guide describes general rules and typical bank practice as of October 2026. Details

It is not legal or tax advice and not a bank offer. Each bank sets its own criteria, and the lending decision is always made by the bank.

Read next