Polish roads have changed beyond recognition over twenty years: motorways now cross the country, and the A2 and the S-roads make Warsaw, Poznan and Wroclaw easy to reach. For the expat, the roads are the easy part. The paperwork for a car you bring along is more demanding than in most EU countries.
Is your EU driving licence valid in Poland?
Yes. A licence from an EU or EEA country is recognised and does not have to be exchanged. According to Your Europe, you must exchange it if it is lost, stolen or damaged, if you commit an offence in Poland, or if your licence is valid for life and the authorities require it after two years of residence. At renewal, Polish rules apply (validity period, medical check).
A licence from another country can be exchanged after 185 days of residence at the starostwo (district office) or the town hall of a city with district status, for 100 zloty. An international driving permit cannot be exchanged.
How do you register a car in Poland?
If you move with your car and you live in Poland, you must register it here within 30 days of its arrival. The steps, as set out on gov.pl:
- Take out compulsory third-party insurance (OC) before registration. A car without valid OC may not be driven.
- Declare and pay excise duty (akcyza) with form AKC-US through the tax administration's PUESC portal: the declaration within 14 days of arrival and no later than the day of registration, payment within 30 days. Ask for the proof of payment (PZAS), usually issued within two working days.
- Check the technical inspection. You need a valid inspection recorded on the foreign registration certificate, or a positive one done in Poland by an approved diagnostician.
- File the registration application at the vehicles department (wydział komunikacji) of the district office, the town hall of a district city, or the Warsaw district office. You leave with a temporary registration of 30 days, extendable by 14, then the final certificate.
You will need the sale contract or invoice, the foreign registration certificate and old plates, proof of excise or of an exemption, and sworn Polish translations of foreign documents (except for a European certificate with harmonised codes).
Excise, exemptions and deadlines are what catch people with an imported car. Moovy can look at your car and your move and list the steps in the right order. You still make every declaration yourself.
How much does it cost?
According to gov.pl, 66.50 zloty for the certificate and stickers, 13.50 zloty for the temporary authorisation, and 80 zloty for standard plates (1,000 zloty for personalised ones). Excise duty under the excise law (consolidated text of March 2026): 3.1% of the base for an engine of 2,000 cc or less, 18.6% above; a non-rechargeable hybrid pays 1.55% up to 2,000 cc; a plug-in hybrid is exempt up to 2,000 cc until 31 December 2029; electric and hydrogen cars are exempt.
Can you avoid excise when you move?
Possibly. Article 110 of the excise law exempts a car brought when you settle in Poland from an EU or EEA country, on five conditions: it is for your personal use; you used it for at least six months in your previous country and can prove it; you bring it within 12 months of settling; you do not sell, rent or lend it for 12 months; and it was normally taxed there with no refund on exit. It is not automatic: apply to the tax office for a certificate and give it to the vehicles department.
What are the fines for being late?
A fixed fine of 500 zloty if you do not apply within 30 days, and 1,000 zloty if you still have not applied 180 days after arrival (Road Traffic Act, articles 73aa and 140mb). Once you are resident (more than 185 days a year), you cannot keep foreign plates.
Do Polish motorways charge tolls?
Mostly not for cars. According to GDDKiA (13 August 2026), cars and motorbikes drive free on the state-managed motorways. Tolls apply on three concession sections: the A1 between Gdansk (Rusocin) and Torun, the A2 between Swiecko and Konin, and the A4 between Katowice and Krakow. The A4 concession ends in March 2027, after which the toll for cars is to be removed. There is no vignette.
What about British licences and cars?
A British licence issued up to 31 December 2020 is valid until its end date. A later one allows six months of driving; ask for an exchange before the six months end, with no exam. A car coming from the UK or Switzerland can also qualify for the relocation exemption, but you must have lived at least 12 months outside the EU/EEA and the application goes through the customs and tax office. See moving to Poland from the UK.
What is the best order for driving in Poland with a foreign car?
For a car you bring when you settle, the sequence matters, because some steps are prerequisites of others.
- Take the compulsory insurance first, as registration cannot happen without it.
- Declare the excise duty (AKC-US) within 14 days of arrival and before registration, then pay within 30 days and ask for the PZAS certificate.
- Check the technical inspection and, if it is missing or expired, have a positive inspection done in Poland by an approved diagnostician.
- File the registration at the vehicles department with all documents and fees, and receive the 30-day temporary registration.
The whole thing has to fit in 30 days from the car's arrival, which is why many people start the insurance and excise steps before they even cross the border.
Which documents do you need to register a car?
- the registration application (wniosek o rejestrację pojazdu);
- proof of ownership: contract or invoice;
- the foreign registration certificate and the old plates (or a written statement if you must return them to your home country);
- proof of the excise duty paid in Poland, or the exemption certificate;
- proof of a valid technical inspection;
- sworn Polish translations of foreign documents, except for a European registration certificate with harmonised codes;
- receipts for the fees.
Can you drive in Poland on foreign plates?
For a visit, yes. Once you are resident, meaning more than 185 days a year, you must register the car in Poland. Otherwise keep with you proof that you are resident in another country. The fixed fines for being late are 500 zloty after 30 days and 1,000 zloty if you still have not applied 180 days after arrival.
What is the excise duty on a used car?
The tax applies to a passenger car first registered in Poland, even from another EU country. The rates in the consolidated text of March 2026 are 3.1% for engines up to 2,000 cc and 18.6% above. A non-rechargeable hybrid pays 1.55% up to 2,000 cc and 9.3% from 2,000 to 3,500 cc. A plug-in hybrid up to 2,000 cc is exempt until the end of 2029, and electric and hydrogen cars are exempt. The base is the value of the car, and an exemption needs an attestation from the tax office. Ask for it before the registration appointment so you do not make an extra trip.
Can you exchange a non-EU driving licence?
Yes, after 185 days of residence, at the district office or the town hall of a district city, for 100 zloty. It takes about nine working days after the country that issued the licence confirms it, and that can take weeks. A licence that does not conform to the Geneva or Vienna conventions requires the theory exam. For people from the UK, see moving to Poland from the UK.
Are Polish drivers' rules different?
The Highway Code is aligned with European norms. We do not have official speed limits and alcohol rules in our sources for this article, so check the police and ministry sites before you drive, as rules for headlights, snow tyres and limits can differ from your home country. What we can say from the official sources is the registration, insurance and toll side.
How do tolls and motorways work?
For cars and motorbikes, state motorways are free (GDDKiA, 13 August 2026). Only three concession sections are paid: the A1 between Gdansk (Rusocin) and Torun (152 km), the A2 between Swiecko and Konin (238 km paid out of 255) and the A4 between Katowice and Krakow. The A4 concession ends in March 2027, when the toll for cars is to be removed. Be careful that rules for lorries differ from those for cars.
What are the common mistakes when driving in Poland with a foreign car?
- Letting the 30 days pass.
- Registering before the excise attestation. The vehicles department asks for it for any passenger car coming from the EU and registered for the first time in Poland.
- Paying excise you do not owe, or assuming the relocation exemption is automatic.
- Forgetting the insurance.
- Driving on foreign plates all year once resident.
For the other early steps in your move, see moving to Poland and Poland e-government for expats, because the PUESC portal and the vehicle registration both work better with a digital identity.
Rules and rates change; check gov.pl before you file. For the wider list of first steps, see moving to Poland.