A PESEL-number restriction is an entry in the state register of restrictions which banks, lending firms and notaries must check before certain acts. If the number is restricted, loan or home-sale contracts cannot be concluded, and if the institution signs one nonetheless, it cannot claim the debt from the person whose data was used. The service is free, available to any adult with a PESEL number — including foreigners — and can be lifted at any time, also for a set period.
Where the duty to check comes from
The register of restrictions was introduced by the Act of 7 July 2023 amending certain acts to limit certain effects of identity theft, which added the relevant provisions to the Act on the population register, the Banking Law, the Notary Law and the Consumer Credit Act. The duty of verification by banks, lenders and notaries has applied since 1 June 2024.
An important caveat: banking and credit rules protect the person as a consumer. The bank must check the register before opening an account or granting a consumer loan, but the Act does not impose this duty for financing granted to a firm. The owner of a JDG (sole proprietorship) should therefore also watch access to their business banking and electronic signature — a PESEL restriction will not replace that.
What a restricted PESEL will not let through
| Who verifies | At what act |
|---|---|
| Bank, credit institution | conclusion of an account, credit, loan or leasing contract; increase of debt in an existing contract |
| Bank (over-the-counter withdrawal) | cash withdrawal in a branch, if the day's total withdrawals exceed three times the minimum wage — in 2026 that is PLN 14,418 |
| Non-bank lender | consumer credit contract and amendments to it increasing the debt |
| Notary | acquisition, disposal or encumbrance of real estate, perpetual usufruct, cooperative right to premises, and powers of attorney for such acts |
For cash withdrawal, an additional mechanism applies: if the number is restricted at the moment the instruction is placed, the bank holds the withdrawal for 12 hours, even if during that time the restriction is lifted. For other notarial acts, the notary may but is not obliged to check the register. Access to the register is also held by, among others, telecommunications operators and cooperative savings and credit unions (SKOKs).
The restriction does not affect doctor visits, transfers, card payments, ATM withdrawals, travel or matters in offices, including ZUS and the tax office.
How to restrict the PESEL number
The Act provides for several channels:
- Electronically — in the digitisation minister's service or in the mObywatel app, after logging in with a trusted profile, e-dowód, qualified signature or electronic banking. The register records the moment of restriction to the second.
- In person at any commune — on a paper application with a handwritten signature. A Polish citizen confirms their identity with an ID card, a foreigner — with a passport or another document confirming identity and citizenship.
- At a bank, SKOK or postal operator's office — if the entity in question offers such a service. The number can be restricted through these channels, but the Act does not provide for lifting the restriction this way.
Where illness or disability prevents filing the application, this can be done at the commune by an attorney with a special power of attorney. For a person without legal capacity or with limited legal capacity, the application can be filed by the legal guardian or a curator.
Restriction by operation of law
The system automatically restricts the number after reporting the loss of the ID card or the suspicion that someone has unlawfully used data from the ID. If someone has reported the theft of the document and later plans a loan, they must remember to lift this restriction.
Lifting the restriction — permanently or temporarily
Lifting is possible online or at the commune. In the electronic channel the temporary mode can be chosen, by indicating the date and time at which the number will be automatically restricted again. This is the most convenient option before a specific act.
Example: buying a flat on credit
- A few days before filing the loan application, lift the restriction with a re-restriction after the bank visit date.
- Before signing the loan contract and the notarial deed (often on the same day), lift the restriction again, covering both dates, because the bank and the notary each check the register at the moment of the act.
- If you plan to withdraw a large amount of cash in a branch, do so after lifting the restriction — an instruction placed while the restriction is active will be held for 12 hours.
- After the transaction, check in mObywatel that the number is restricted again.
Protection where someone does fraudulently take out a loan
If at the moment the contract was concluded the number was restricted, the bank or lender cannot claim payment from the consumer or their heirs and cannot sell such a receivable. The risk passes to the institution that should have checked the register.
Anyone can also see in the electronic service the history of their number: when it was restricted and unblocked, and who checked its status and when. This is a useful oversight tool, especially after losing documents. The data in the register is not deleted.
Tips for foreigners
- The service is used by any adult whose data is in the PESEL register — regardless of citizenship and type of stay.
- An identification means is needed for the electronic channel; most often this is the trusted profile or logging in through a bank.
- For a visit to the commune a passport or another document confirming identity and citizenship is enough; Ukrainian citizens with UKR status can show the document on the basis of which their identity was established when PESEL was issued.
- Before opening an account in a new bank or buying real estate the restriction must be lifted — otherwise the bank or notary will refuse.
How Good Balance can help
We support foreigners with the formalities of life in Poland: obtaining a PESEL, setting up a trusted profile, opening an account and preparing to buy real estate. Details in the service help with legalisation and everyday matters in Poland.