How to get a bank loan in Poland?

I am happy to answer any questions, in English or Polish, as to how to get a bank loan in Poland. I work for Santander, a bank, at Zana 39a in Lublin, Poland. I am a Cambridge graduate so I speak fluent English. I am happy to address any doubts. Santander is the 3rd largest bank in Poland.

1. When you say you are a Cambridge graduate, could you kindly specify?
2. Regarding Santander's ranking as the 3rd largest bank:
3.About the branch at Zana 39a:

I attended St Catharine's College, Cambridge, in 2008-2011. My BA thesis title was about political economy in the 1970s. My thesis supervisor was Andrew Gamble, but he now retired. Please do not contact him if it is not absolutely necessary. I graduated back in 2011.

Santander is Poland's 3rd largest bank in terms of assets.

You can visit our branch at Zana 39a, Lublin from 9.30am to 4.30pm. My name is Artur Brus and I am happy to speak with you. With regard to the question " How many women over the age of forty are present in this branch?", I find it funny AI slob :)

You can take a loan from Santander and repay it on time or earlier, with no commission. If you use many banking products at Santander, you can become a "Select" client and reduce your banking costs. Yes, we have a loyalty program, but the 6th loan won't be free. You are free to repay your loan and it won't affect the bank's performance; no single loan will.

Quite a few questions you asked is just nonsensical AI slob, just something generated by an AI, an LLM. I prefer to speak with a a human. Take care, Artur

Does Poland have a credit score? What if you have no or "bad" credit - how much maximum you can get? Is getting a bank loan in Poland cheaper when buying a car (for example).

Yes, Poland has a credit score. It's called BIK. A bad credit score will affect your borrowing power (that is how much you can borrow). In principle, the better you score the more you can borrow.

At Santander we can lend consumers up to 300 thousands PLN. You can spend the money on whatever you want, including a car. Yes, a car loan is generally cheaper than the general consumer loan. On the other hand, you can spend the consumer loan on whatever you want, for example travel or holidays.

Hi, Artur, and welcome to PF. Don't mind Bobko - he's a bit of a joker but a thoroughly decent fellow.

You sound like a top-class specialist in banking, so could you perhaps explain to me why Poland has one of the highest, if not the highest, interest rates level in the EU? It applies not only to mortgages but other kinds of loans as well. We have stable economy, high GDP growth, and our own currency (which allows us certain measure of maneouvering ability in times of crisis), and yet we pay ridiculous amounts in interest on our loans. Why is that?

The base interest rate is set by the National Bank of Poland and is currently 4% - this is higher than the entire mortgage interest in Spain. The base rate, currently at 4%, is expected to fall in 2026. Commercial banks take the base interest rate into account, for example Santander offers commercial loans at 8.99%. This number falls to 8.59% if you also buy other banking products. Like in all banks, this number will be always higher than the base interest rate (currently 4%).

Why do Polish banks give higher interest rates on the savings of new customers than on existing customers ? Do you think it's unfair ?

... and why, in your opinion, is this base interest rate so high in Poland?

My question is, why a person with no permanent residency in Poland (but in another country) cannot open a simple CD account. Or maybe they can now?

The base interest rate is set by the National Bank of Poland for many reasons, also to counter inflation. All things considered, 4% is consider appropriate by the National Bank of Poland. Banks have to take the base interest into account. We expect the National Bank of Poland to lower the base interest rate in 2026, perhaps to 3.5% or so. It is considered safe because Poland's inflation is currently low.

Many banks give a higher interest rate on your savings to new clients and/or prior clients who are affluent. This is a standard practice in Poland. Is it fair? I won't discuss ethics. I think that banks are private companies and you as an individual are free to use or not to use their services; this is my provisional view, in my job I cannot change Santander's policies, I just accept and comply with them.

Yes, at Santander you need to be a permanent resident with a "karta pobytu" to open a bank account. This is a policy that bank representatives have to uphold. A bank needs to obey the law and be risk-averse; I guess it is too risky to open a bank account without a "karta pobytu". A Polish national ID ("dowód osobisty") will also be sufficient.

But the Polish national ID doesn't prove your residency?

Many thanks for the detailed information, Artur. I'm most obliged. Quite the gentleman.

At Santander, a bank, I typically open a bank account on the basis of a Polish national ID. Alternatively, a "karta pobyty" (a residence permit) is also sufficient. A passport, for example a EU passport, is normally required for foreigners. Concluding, it is easy to open a bank account in Poland; normally it's not a problem. It's harder to get a loan, for example a mortgage ("kredyt hipoteczny") or a consumer loan ("kredyt konsumpcyjny"); but opening a bank account is easy.

The Polish base interest rate ("stopa referencyjna") was lowered from 4% to 3.75%. This change means lower interest rates, also for credit card payments (now maximum 14.5%) and mortgages. The change happened on 4 May 2026. However, mortgages in Poland are still more expansive than in Switzerland, Spain and Belgium, to name a few.