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

Mortgage for PhD students in Poland: does the bank count the doctoral stipend?

How Polish banks treat the doctoral stipend (stypendium doktoranckie) in a mortgage application, how much it is in 2026 and what helps a PhD student get a loan.

KredytPolska editorial team
Updated:

In short

In 2026 the doctoral stipend in a Polish doctoral school is at least 3,570.50 zł gross before the mid-term evaluation and 5,500.50 zł after it, for up to 4 years. Some banks count it as income on the basis of a certificate from the doctoral school and bank statements, others do not count it at all. What matters is how many months of the stipend are left. The simplest way is a joint application with a partner or parent on a permanent job contract, or an employment contract at the university.

How much the doctoral stipend is in 2026

By law the stipend is at least 37% of a professor's salary until the month of the mid-term evaluation and 57% after it. From 1 January 2026 a professor's minimum salary is 9,650 zł, so the minimum stipend is 3,570.50 zł and 5,500.50 zł gross. A doctoral student with a disability certificate gets 1,071.15 zł more. The stipend is free of income tax, but the university deducts the student's part of pension and disability contributions (11.26%), so the usual amount paid out is about 3,200 zł before and 4,900 zł after the evaluation. Universities may pay more than the minimum.

How banks treat the stipend

For a bank the stipend is income with an end date. Some banks count the net amount from the doctoral school's certificate, usually when there is still a good part of the programme left; others do not accept stipends as income. The bank counts the amount you already receive, so the higher stipend after the mid-term evaluation counts only once it is paid. A job contract at the university or in a research project, or a civil-law contract for teaching, is counted under the general rules. If you are not a Polish citizen, the rules for foreigners also apply: residence status and the length of your stay in Poland.

Documents to prepare

A certificate from the doctoral school with your status, the stipend amount and the planned end of the programme; the result of the mid-term evaluation if it has taken place; bank statements for 3–6 months showing the stipend; and any contracts with the university or a research project. Most banks need documents in Polish.

The full description in Polish, with a borrowing capacity calculator set for a PhD student: Kredyt hipoteczny dla doktoranta.

Frequently asked questions

Does a Polish bank count the doctoral stipend as income?

Some banks do, on the basis of a certificate from the doctoral school and bank statements, usually when a good part of the programme is still ahead. Other banks do not count stipends, so it is worth comparing several offers.

How much is the doctoral stipend in Poland in 2026?

At least 3,570.50 zł gross before the mid-term evaluation and 5,500.50 zł after it: 37% and 57% of a professor’s salary of 9,650 zł.

I have a few months of my PhD left. Can I get a mortgage?

When the stipend is about to end, banks usually do not count it. The application is then based on the income of a second borrower or on a job contract you sign during or after the PhD.

Sources

  1. Ministry of Science: doctoral stipend (Polish)
  2. Regulation on a professor’s minimum salary, Journal of Laws 2026 item 525 (Polish)
  3. Act on higher education and science, art. 209 (Polish)
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