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Bank statements and a mortgage in Poland: what the bank checks

What a Polish bank looks for on your account statements before a mortgage: betting, online games, transfers to family, instalments and BLIK. What is normal, what raises questions and how to prepare.

KredytPolska editorial team
Updated:

In short

A Polish bank usually reviews your account statements for the last 3–6 months to confirm your income and to find commitments that are not in BIK, the Polish credit bureau. Everyday spending, games, subscriptions and BLIK transfers to friends are normal life for the bank. Questions are raised by regular, large betting, payments to illegal gambling sites, payday loans, buy now pay later instalments and recurring transfers titled “loan” or “instalment”. A few calm months on your account before you apply are usually enough.

Why the bank asks for statements

Under the Polish Mortgage Credit Act, the lender must assess your creditworthiness before signing the agreement. It may use information from you, from databases and from its own records, and you must provide the documents it asks for (art. 21). Account statements are one of those documents, most often for the last 3–6 months, sometimes longer for the self-employed. Your own bank sees your account history internally. Another bank sees only what you give it: a PDF statement or data shared with your consent through an account information service, which some banks offer in online applications.

What the analyst looks for

On the statementHow the bank reads it
Salary or business incomeconfirms the declared income
Instalments, leasing, alimonya commitment deducted from income
Buy now pay latera commitment, often outside BIK
Money from payday lendersa sign the budget is tight
Betting and online casinosquestions about scale and frequency
Games, apps, subscriptionsordinary spending
Regular transfer to one personquestion about the title: loan, alimony?
Cash deposits, large family transfersquestion about the source of funds

Every bank has its own rules. A single entry rarely decides; the picture over several months matters.

Betting and online casinos

Betting with a licensed Polish bookmaker is legal and does not rule out a mortgage. An occasional bet of a few dozen złoty is like a cinema ticket for the bank. The analyst looks at scale and rhythm: what share of income goes on deposits, whether they grow month by month, whether they follow payday and push the account into overdraft. Winnings are usually not counted as income.

Sites without a Polish licence are different. The Ministry of Finance keeps a public register of domains offering gambling unlawfully, and payment providers may not process payments on those sites (Gambling Act, art. 15f and 15g). Taking part in foreign gambling while in Poland is a fiscal offence punishable by a fine of up to 120 daily rates (Fiscal Penal Code, art. 107 § 2). Payments to such sites are a more serious signal for a bank than a bet with a licensed bookmaker. If you play for fun, the simplest step is a break for the months the bank will review. If gambling is getting out of control, talk to a doctor or an addiction clinic. That matters more than any loan.

Games, subscriptions and family transfers

Game purchases, in-app payments and streaming subscriptions are ordinary spending, and the bank does not judge hobbies. BLIK transfers to friends are normal. A recurring transfer to the same person titled “instalment” or “loan repayment” will be read as debt. If it is help for your parents or rent for a room, describe the transfer truthfully. Larger transfers from family will be checked for the source of funds under the anti-money laundering act; for help with a down payment, prepare a gift agreement.

How to prepare your account

  • review the last 6 months of statements as an analyst would,
  • pay off small commitments: deferred instalments, payday loans, overdraft,
  • take a break from betting and money games for the period the bank will review,
  • title transfers clearly: “rent”, “gift for down payment”, “refund for shopping”,
  • keep your salary on one account and do not move it during the application,
  • do not hide commitments: a false statement made to obtain a loan may be an offence under art. 297 of the Polish Criminal Code.

General conditions for foreigners are in our guide mortgage for foreigners. A longer version of this article is available in Polish.

Frequently asked questions

Can a Polish bank see betting on my statement?

Yes, if you pay from the account whose statement you provide. Occasional bets with a licensed bookmaker are usually not a problem. The bank pays attention to frequent, growing deposits that take a large part of income, and to payments to sites without a Polish licence.

How many months of statements does a Polish bank want?

Most often the last 3–6 months. For self-employed applicants or unusual income the bank may ask for a longer history.

Can the bank see my account in another bank?

Not without your consent. It sees only what you provide: a PDF statement or data shared with your consent through an account information service.

Sources

  1. Mortgage Credit Act of 23 March 2017, art. 21 (ISAP, Polish)
  2. Gambling Act of 19 November 2009, art. 15f and 15g (ISAP, Polish)
  3. Ministry of Finance: register of domains offering gambling unlawfully (Polish)
  4. Fiscal Penal Code, art. 107 (ISAP, Polish)
  5. Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF): Recommendation S on mortgage lending
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.

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