Commercial Bank licence (bank krajowy w formie spółki akcyjnej) (Poland)
The Commercial Bank licence (bank krajowy w formie spółki akcyjnej) is issued by Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) under Banking Law of 29 August 1997. It can be passported to the other EU/EEA states by notification. The official register lists 20 current holders. Ownership changes need the regulator's approval before completion.
At a glance
| Official name | Commercial Bank licence (bank krajowy w formie spółki akcyjnej)1 |
|---|---|
| Issued by | Polish Financial Supervision Authority |
| Jurisdiction | Poland |
| Licence family | Bank / credit institution |
| Legal basis | Banking Law of 29 August 19972 |
| Passporting | EU/EEA passport available |
| Public register | official register1 |
| Current holders | 201 |
What it lets you do
- Taking deposits from the public. Accepting deposits or other repayable funds from the public, the activity reserved to credit institutions.
- Lending. Granting loans, including consumer credit, mortgage credit, factoring and financing of commercial transactions.
- Execution of payment transactions. Executing direct debits, card payments and credit transfers, including standing orders, from a payment account.
Where it is valid
Buying a company that already holds it
Prior notification with an objection period. Acquiring or increasing a qualifying holding needs prior notification to the KNF, which can object within 60 working days (extendable by up to 20 working days while it waits for information). For national payment institutions the thresholds are 20%, 30% and 50% (Payment Services Act, Art. 72a); for banks they are 10%, 20%, one third and 50% (Banking Law, Art. 25). Shares acquired in breach carry no voting rights.3
Sources
- knf.gov.pl: Banki w formie spolek akcyjnych · retrieved 2026-09-24
- dziennikustaw.gov.pl: 2488 · retrieved 2026-09-24
- knf.gov.pl: zezwolenie rozpatrywanie wniosku · retrieved 2026-09-24
Want the Bank licence in Poland?
Tell us your business model and target markets. We check the fit before you spend on an application, then handle the licence end to end.
A free preliminary assessment: we check your business model against the licence before you spend on an application. We handle this licence and any other fintech licence, including jurisdictions the Atlas does not cover yet.