Driving Licence in Poland 2026: Exchange a Foreign Licence or Get Your First
Already have a licence from another country, or learning to drive for the first time? Start with your situation, then follow the steps for documents, English-language exams and costs.
Driving Licence in Poland 2026: Exchange a Foreign Licence or Get Your First
Already have a licence from another country, or learning to drive for the first time? Start with your situation, then follow the steps for documents, English-language exams and costs.
EnglishCategory B theory test available
3 routesFirst licence, EU or other foreign licence
Category BThis guide focuses on ordinary car driving
Quick answer
Getting your first licence: confirm residence eligibility, obtain a medical certificate and PKK candidate number, complete the required training, then pass the theory and practical tests.
Already licensed: check recognition and exchange rules before buying a course. Your issuing country, document and residence situation determine the next step.
Do you need Polish? You can take the Category B theory test in English. For the practical test, a sworn interpreter can help with instructions if arranged with the examination centre.
Key facts: driving licence in Poland 2026
EU/EEA/Swiss licence: valid in Poland for as long as it is valid — no exchange needed just because you moved.
Other foreign licences (Geneva or Vienna Convention): recognised for 6 months from the start of your stay; after that, exchange it (Art. 5(4) Act on Drivers).
Exchange without a test: since 17 December 2025 only if your licence follows the Vienna Convention model; otherwise you pass the theory test and provide a sworn translation (Art. 14 as amended).
Residence: at least 185 days a year in Poland (personal and professional ties); since 3 September 2026 you confirm it in a declaration under criminal liability.
Costs: licence 100 PLN; WORD Warsaw theory test 56.98 PLN, practical 229.99 PLN per attempt (2026 fees).
Timing: the office issues the licence within up to 9 working days after it receives confirmation from the foreign authority and your payment (gov.pl).
New drivers: Category B from age 17 since 3 March 2026; probation (2 years, 0.0‰ alcohol) for first-time Category B drivers licensed from 4 September 2026.
EEP PRACTICAL ADDITION · 2 OCTOBER 2026
EEP update · 4 November 2026
Ukrainian licence holders: EU temporary protection has been extended to 4 March 2028 (UdSC). The special EU recognition of Ukrainian licences described below is tied to temporary protection.
If you move from temporary protection to a CUKR card, your legal basis changes. Before relying on your Ukrainian licence long term, check with your starostwo whether the ordinary exchange rules now apply to you (gov.pl — exchange a foreign licence). Our CUKR residence card guide explains the CUKR card itself.
Before you pay a driving school: confirm your route
Already hold a foreign licence? Ask your local transport department to assess the exchange route before paying for a full beginner course. A school quote does not establish which process applies to your document.
Hello, I live in [city/district]. My licence was issued by [country] on [date], covers [categories] and expires on [date]. I hold [residence document type] and have lived in Poland since [date]. Please confirm the required translation and residence evidence, whether theory or a medical certificate is required, and when I must surrender my original licence. What can I legally use while the exchange is pending?
Replace the brackets. Use the office’s verified contact channel; do not send identity scans to an unverified address. Compare costs in separate groups: documents, required exams, optional preparation and issuance. Ask whether a quote includes an interpreter, exam fees, extra lessons and cancellation charges.
This EEP template prepares your questions; it does not assess your entitlement. Official exchange guidance distinguishes document routes and notes that additional evidence may be requested.
This addition was checked on 2 October 2026; other sections retain their stated review dates.
Which driving licence route applies to you?
I have never held a driving licence
Follow the first-time Category B process. Start by checking that you can apply in Poland, then arrange your medical examination and candidate profile.
You generally do not need to exchange it simply because you move to Poland. Check its expiry date and any restrictions. Renewal or replacement may need to be handled in your country of normal residence.
Ask the local transport department to assess your document. Some exchanges need no test; others require theory. The absence of a bilateral agreement does not automatically mean you must learn from scratch.
I have a Ukrainian licence and temporary protection
Special EU recognition rules apply to Ukrainian driving licences during temporary protection. Check your current status before following the ordinary exchange route.
The residence rules generally concern living in Poland for at least 185 days per calendar year, linked to your personal and professional ties. Special situations, including studying in Poland for at least six months, can also qualify. A residence card alone does not settle every case. Since 3 September 2026 you must meet this condition no later than the day of the exam or of collecting the licence, and confirm it in a written declaration under criminal liability (Art. 11(1a)–(1b) as amended).
Six months: recognition of certain foreign licences
For foreign licences covered by the relevant Geneva or Vienna Convention rules, Polish law generally recognises them for six months from the start of permanent or temporary stay. This is not a clock that restarts every 1 January. EU, EEA and Swiss licences have separate recognition rules.
Before paying for training or relying on a foreign document, give your local office your arrival date, residence history and licence details. Ask when you can apply and until when you can legally drive.
Three Polish terms will help: PKK is your digital candidate profile, OSK is a driving school and WORD is a state examination centre.
Confirm your eligibility
Contact the transport department, called Wydział Komunikacji, serving your place of residence. Explain that you are a foreign national applying for your first Category B licence. Ask which residence evidence it needs.
Get a medical certificate
Book an authorised doctor who examines driving candidates. Bring your ID, glasses or contact lenses and relevant medical information. Ask about English communication when booking. The doctor decides whether restrictions or further assessment are needed.
Obtain your PKK number
Prepare the application, medical certificate, recent 35 × 45 mm photograph, identity document and residence evidence requested by the office. Obtain the PKK before formal training and exam registration. Keep the number somewhere easy to find.
Choose how to prepare for theory
You can take a school course, or study independently and pass the state theory test before joining practical training. Ask the OSK to explain the required training and first-aid arrangements for your chosen route.
Complete practical training
Learn with a licensed OSK and complete its required assessments. Ask for a written lesson schedule and progress feedback. Book extra practice if you still need help with observation, junctions or vehicle control.
Pass the state tests
Book through the WORD’s stated channel. Choose English for theory and arrange any practical-test interpreter in advance. Bring an identity document accepted by that centre and check the arrival instructions.
Arrange issuance and collection
After the practical pass is recorded, complete payment and collection arrangements with your office. Check that your licence or applicable temporary entitlement is actually valid before driving independently.
Ask for clear answers before signing a contract. An English website does not necessarily mean every instructor teaches in English.
Who will teach me? Ask whether the assigned instructor can explain situations and give feedback comfortably in English.
When can I drive? Check actual evening or weekend availability, not just the advertised course length.
What is included? Get the number and length of lessons, materials, internal tests and extra-hour prices in writing.
Manual or automatic? Choose a course and test that match the entitlement you want. Passing in an automatic normally results in the automatic-only restriction, code 78.
What happens if I need changes? Check instructor changes, cancellation charges, refunds and transfer arrangements.
A useful message to send
“I am applying for my first Category B licence. Do you offer practical lessons in English? Please send your total price, what it includes, the price of extra lessons and the earliest available driving slots.”
Can you take the driving theory test in English?
Yes. Select English when booking your Category B theory test. You answer on a computer; an interpreter does not translate questions during the test.
32questions
25minutes
68/74points needed
The test includes 20 general questions and 12 category-specific questions. Questions carry different point values. You cannot return to earlier questions, so practise the format as well as the rules.
How to prepare
Choose materials that support English and identify when their question bank was updated.
Study priority, road signs, pedestrian safety and first aid. Understand why an answer is correct.
Practise timed tests, including video questions. Review every mistake before trying again.
Ask your instructor to explain situations that differ from driving in your home country.
Your theory pass does not expire after six months
Positive theory results obtained under the rules in force since 24 August 2014 remain valid indefinitely. There is no general six-month deadline to pass the practical test after theory.
For Category B, expect vehicle safety checks and preparation, manoeuvring-area tasks such as forward and reverse lane driving and a hill start, followed by road driving. Parking and turning tasks are assessed as part of the applicable road-test programme.
Practise safe observation, priority decisions and control of the vehicle. Learning a route is not a substitute for being able to respond safely when traffic changes.
You can arrange a sworn interpreter
The practical test is not an English-language test service, but a sworn interpreter may attend. Contact WORD before booking to confirm the request, documents and arrangements. Budget separately for the interpreter.
A WORD car is the usual option. An eligible driving-school vehicle may also be used if arranged under the centre’s procedure. Ask about this early if you want to use the car you trained in.
Have the document assessed before booking a test. Send the office clear details of the issuing country, issue date, categories and expiry date. Mention if your current licence was itself exchanged from another country’s document.
EU, EEA and Swiss licences
Valid licences from these countries are recognised in Poland during their validity. An ordinary voluntary exchange does not involve learning to drive again. A medical certificate is not a universal requirement for every exchange of a valid Category B licence; renewal of expired entitlements or health restrictions can change the requirements.
If your EU licence originated through exchange of a non-EU document, ask specifically about recognition. Other EU countries may treat that situation differently. See Your Europe’s explanation.
Other foreign licences
Since 17 December 2025, a national licence that does not follow the Vienna Convention model (the Geneva Convention model alone is no longer enough) can be exchanged only after you pass the state theory test and provide a sworn translation (Art. 14(1) Act on Drivers, as amended). The gov.pl service page may still show the older “Geneva or Vienna” wording. An expired non-EU licence can now also be exchanged once the issuing authority confirms its data and you provide the documents needed to renew it (Art. 14(1a)). A missing bilateral agreement does not, by itself, mean a full driving course and practical test are necessary.
Ask these four questions
Is my exact licence eligible for exchange?
Do I need a theory test and PKK?
Do I need a sworn translation or confirmation from the issuing authority?
Until what date can I use my current licence in Poland?
UK licences: check the issue date
UK government guidance distinguishes valid licences issued before 1 January 2021 from later documents. It says the earlier documents can be used during their validity, while later UK licences generally need exchanging to continue driving after six months. The exchange does not require a driving test. Check your document against the current UK guidance.
Ukrainian licences and temporary protection
EU rules allow people covered by temporary protection to continue using Ukrainian driving licences under the applicable recognition measures, without an ordinary exchange or new driving test simply because they have moved. Lost, expired or digital documents need separate consideration. Check your protection status and the document you hold. Read the European Commission’s explanation.
Prepare your exchange file
Use your office’s checklist for the application, photo, identity and residence evidence, foreign licence and any required translation or additional certificates. Do not assume that English text or Latin letters automatically remove the translation requirement.
You must surrender the foreign licence to receive the Polish document. Ask when the office needs the original. Foreign-authority verification can delay the process; an application receipt does not itself extend your driving entitlement.
The residence evidence for your licence often depends on your karta pobytu. Still preparing that application? The MOS application pack (temporary residence and work) gives you the document list, MOS step by step and what to do after filing. Not sure about your dates? Use the free deadline check.
Your biggest expense as a new driver is usually training. For an exchange, the main extras may be translation, verification and a theory test. Ask for a written quote rather than relying on a city-wide “all-inclusive” estimate.
Fees and items to include in your budget
Item
Amount or action
When relevant
Polish licence issuance
100 PLN
Official government service fee.
Category B theory test
56.98 PLN
WORD Warsaw example, effective 1 January 2026; per attempt.
Category B practical test
229.99 PLN
WORD Warsaw example, effective 1 January 2026; per attempt.
Medical examination and photo
Confirm the applicable charges
Medical for first-time applicants; exchange requirements vary.
Driving school and extra lessons
Request an itemised quote
Compare English instruction, lesson availability and included services.
Translation or practical-test interpreter
Request a separate quote
Different services: you may need one, both or neither.
For the Warsaw example, one theory attempt, one practical attempt and issuance total 386.97 PLN. That is only the exam-and-document subtotal: add your course, medical, photo and any other required services.
Exam fees are set through regional arrangements. Check your chosen WORD’s current table; the old 50 PLN / 200 PLN figures are not a reliable nationwide price list.
Build your timeline from three separate stages: eligibility and documents, lessons and exam appointments, then issuance. For an exchange, gov.pl says the licence is issued within up to 9 working days after the office receives the foreign authority’s confirmation and your payment — the confirmation itself can take much longer (gov.pl). A school’s advertised course length does not include every administrative or exam wait.
Before committing, ask: “When can my first lesson take place, how often can I drive, and what are the current exam waits?” Leave room in your budget and schedule for additional practice and a retake.
What should new drivers know about the 2026 changes?
Since 3 March 2026, you can get a Category B licence at 17 with a parent’s or guardian’s written consent. Until 18 it is valid only in Poland, and for the first 6 months (no longer than until 18) you must drive with a passenger aged at least 25 who has held a Category B licence for at least 5 years and has had no driving ban in the last 5 years (Ministry of Infrastructure).
Probation applies to new drivers, not just people under 25
If you obtain your first Category B licence on or after 4 September 2026, you are on probation for 2 years (3 years if licensed at 17, but no longer than until age 20). During probation the alcohol limit is 0.0‰, and certain offences extend probation or lead to a supplementary probation period (Polish Police). Drivers licensed before that date are not covered retroactively.
Exchanging a recent foreign licence? Probation also applies when you exchange a foreign licence that was issued less than 2 years before the Polish one — counted from the foreign issue date (Art. 91(3) as amended). Ask the office how this applies to your document.
Driving licence in Poland: frequently asked questions
Can I drive in Poland with a foreign driving licence?
Yes, with limits. A valid EU, EEA or Swiss licence is recognised for as long as it is valid. A licence or international permit covered by the Geneva or Vienna Convention lets you drive for 6 months from the start of your permanent or temporary stay (Art. 5(4) Act on Drivers). After that you need a Polish licence. An International Driving Permit only accompanies your national licence.
How do I exchange a foreign driving licence for a Polish one?
Apply at the transport department (wydział komunikacji) for your place of residence with the application, a 35 × 45 mm photo, your ID, the foreign licence and proof that you live in Poland at least 185 days a year. You surrender the foreign licence. Since 17 December 2025, a non-EU licence that does not follow the Vienna Convention model also requires the state theory test and a sworn translation (Art. 14 Act on Drivers, as amended). The office first confirms your licence with the issuing country; that can take weeks.
How much does a driving licence cost in Poland in 2026?
Issuing the licence costs 100 PLN (gov.pl). Exam fees depend on the regional WORD: in Warsaw, since 1 January 2026, the Category B theory test costs 56.98 PLN and the practical test 229.99 PLN per attempt (WORD Warsaw). A first licence also needs a medical certificate, photos and a driving course; an exchange may need a sworn translation.
Can a foreigner get a Polish driving licence?
Yes. Polish citizenship and a permanent residence permit are not required. You must meet the age, health, training and exam conditions and live in Poland — at least 185 days in each calendar year because of personal and professional ties (or, for example, study here for at least 6 months). Since 3 September 2026 you confirm this in a declaration under criminal liability no later than the day of the exam or collection.
Can I take the driving test in English?
The Category B theory test is available in English: 32 questions, 25 minutes, at least 68 of 74 points to pass. A pass obtained since 24 August 2014 does not expire (info-car.pl). The practical test is conducted in Polish, but you can arrange a sworn interpreter with the WORD in advance.
Does an International Driving Permit replace my licence?
No. An IDP accompanies your national licence; it is not an independent driving entitlement and it cannot be exchanged for a Polish licence.
Can I keep my original licence after exchanging it?
No. You must surrender the foreign licence to receive the Polish one; the office returns it to the issuing country. Plan any trips where you need a physical document around the handover date.
What rules apply to new drivers on probation from 4 September 2026?
If you get your first Category B licence on or after 4 September 2026, probation lasts 2 years (3 years if licensed at 17, no longer than until age 20). The alcohol limit is 0.0‰. Exceeding 12 penalty points means compulsory practical training, and two offences from the statutory list extend probation by another 2 years. The old green-leaf sticker, the refresher course and lower speed limits for beginners were abolished. The rules are not retroactive (Policja.pl).
What is the total exam cost for a Category B licence in Warsaw?
At WORD Warsaw, since 1 January 2026, the theory test is 56.98 PLN and the practical test 229.99 PLN, so one attempt at both is 286.97 PLN. Add 100 PLN for issuing the licence, plus your course, medical and photos. Other regions set their own fees (WORD Warsaw).
I am switching from temporary protection to a CUKR card. What happens to my Ukrainian licence?
The special EU recognition of Ukrainian licences applies to people under temporary protection, which runs until 4 March 2028 (UdSC). If you get a CUKR card, ask your starostwo whether the ordinary foreign-licence exchange rules now apply (gov.pl). See also our CUKR residence card guide.
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