Bailiff seizing salary or bank account in Poland: what is protected
Short answer: A bailiff can take up to 1/2 of net pay for ordinary debts and 3/5 for maintenance. Non-maintenance claims leave the net minimum wage untouched. Savings accounts keep 75% of the minimum wage free monthly.
If a bailiff (komornik) seizes your salary or bank account in Poland, the law protects part of your money. The limits depend on the type of debt and on whether the money is a salary or sits in a bank account. This guide uses the National Labour Inspectorate (PIP) page on deductions from pay under bailiff enforcement and the Financial Ombudsman (Rzecznik Finansowy) FAQ on enforcement proceedings, updated 14 May 2024. The PIP page is undated. This is general information, not legal advice. If you are being enforced against, a free legal aid point can help, and our guide to free legal aid in Poland explains how to book it.
Salary: how much can be taken
PIP quotes article 87 of the Labour Code. The deductions are calculated from pay after social insurance contributions, income tax advance and employee capital plan (PPK) contributions, if you have not opted out. For an employee on an employment contract, the maximum deductions are:
- maintenance (alimony) claims enforced under an enforcement title: up to 3/5 of the pay,
- other claims enforced by a bailiff, and advances: up to 1/2 of the pay.
If amounts from different titles are deducted together, the same ceilings apply. Maintenance and other claims together are taken only up to 3/5 of the pay. In the other cases the ceiling is 1/2.
The protected amount (kwota wolna od potrąceń)
For claims other than maintenance, the amount free of deductions is the minimum wage for a full-time employee, after the same contributions and tax advance are deducted (article 87(1) point 1). PIP adds three points:
- For maintenance claims, no protected amount applies. Up to 3/5 of pay can be deducted.
- The protected amount can be reduced proportionally only for part-time employees.
- For a full-time employee who did not work the full month, for example because the job ended mid-month, no rule allows reducing the protected amount. If the pay due is below it, the employer cannot make the deduction.
Contracts other than employment
A Ministry of Justice reply to a parliamentary question explains that salary under an employment contract is protected under the Labour Code limits, while payments under civil law contracts, such as zlecenie, are covered by article 833 §2 of the Code of Civil Procedure. This applies the same protection to recurring payments meant to support the debtor. The reply also says that other income received at the same time may be enforced in full. The reply dates from 2014, so check whether the rules have since changed. Ask a lawyer how it applies to your contract.
Bank accounts
The Financial Ombudsman FAQ explains that the bank seizes the funds up to the amount in the bailiff's notice, including money paid in after the seizure. For savings accounts, savings-settlement accounts and term deposits kept for individuals, a monthly amount is free of seizure, up to 75% of the minimum wage for a full-time employee. If an account is held jointly, the free amount is the same regardless of the number of co-holders.
As an illustration only: the 2026 minimum wage is 4,806 zł gross (see our minimum wage guide). 75% of that is 3,604.50 zł. This is our own calculation, so ask your bank how it applies the rule to your account.
The FAQ also says the bank acts under the Code of Civil Procedure for court enforcement and under the Enforcement Proceedings in Administration Act for administrative enforcement, for example by the tax office.
How a bailiff gets to your salary
The data protection office (UODO) explains how the process works. The bailiff asks the employer to provide the debtor's pay for the previous three months, to say what amounts and dates the seized pay will be paid to the creditor and to report any obstacles. The employer must not pay the debtor anything beyond the free part and instead transfers the seized pay to the creditor or the bailiff.
What you can do
The Ministry of Justice reply notes that a debtor has legal remedies, such as a complaint to the court against the seizure together with a request to suspend the enforcement. Keep copies of all letters, and act quickly because courts have deadlines. For personal advice, use free legal aid.
What the sources do not say
The sources do not address foreigners or income from abroad. They do not give the exact zloty amount of the protected salary, which depends on current minimum wage and your deductions. They do not describe the deadline for a complaint to the court. Ask a lawyer or the free legal aid point about this.
* Photos: illustrative images from Wikimedia Commons (CC0): scales of justice sculptures, not Poland.
Frequently asked questions
How much of my salary can a bailiff take in Poland?
According to PIP, up to 1/2 of your net pay for ordinary debts and up to 3/5 for maintenance, with a protected amount equal to the minimum wage for full-time employees for non-maintenance claims.
Is there a protected amount for maintenance debts?
No. PIP says that no protected amount applies to maintenance deductions, and up to 3/5 of the pay can be deducted.
Can the bailiff take everything from my bank account?
For individuals' savings and settlement accounts, a monthly amount up to 75% of the minimum wage is free of seizure, according to the Financial Ombudsman.
Are zlecenie payments protected?
Civil law contract payments fall under article 833 §2 of the Code of Civil Procedure, according to a Ministry of Justice reply. Check with a lawyer how it applies to you.
