| Policy | What it pays for | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|
| OC | damage you cause to other people, cars and property | yes, for every registered car |
| AC | damage to your own car, often theft; scope depends on the contract | no |
| NNW | a payout to you and passengers after an injury | no |
| Assistance | towing, roadside help, sometimes a replacement car | no |
The law sets minimum OC cover at 29,876,400 zł for injury and 6,021,600 zł for property damage per accident. When you cause a crash, OC never pays for your own car; for that you need AC.
The fine comes from the Insurance Guarantee Fund (UFG). It is tied to the Polish minimum wage, which is 4,806 zł gross in 2026. A passenger car without OC costs two minimum wages, a truck, tractor unit or bus three, anything else a third. Amounts are rounded to the nearest 10 zł.
| Vehicle | 1–3 days | 4–14 days | over 14 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger car | 1,920 zł | 4,810 zł | 9,610 zł |
| Truck, tractor unit, bus | 2,880 zł | 7,210 zł | 14,420 zł |
| Other (motorcycle, trailer) | 320 zł | 800 zł | 1,600 zł |
Days without cover add up over the calendar year. Nobody has to stop you on the road: UFG compares the policy database with the vehicle register. A registered car parked in a garage still needs OC.
Cause a crash without OC and UFG pays the victim, then recovers the full amount from you, which can be far more than the fine.
EU, EEA, Switzerland and the UK. Poland recognises motor insurance from countries in the Multilateral Agreement of Green Card bureaux, so your home policy works here. Since 2 August 2021 EU countries no longer check Green Cards on UK-registered cars. Ask your insurer how long it covers a car kept abroad: some policies limit that.
Ukraine and other countries outside that group. You need a Green Card from your home insurer or Polish border insurance (ubezpieczenie graniczne) for at least 30 days. A Ukrainian Green Card starts at 00:00 the day after it is entered in the Ukrainian bureau's database, so buy it a day early.
Belarus and Russia. Their Green Cards have not been honoured in Poland since 1 June 2023. Polish border insurance is the only option.
Leave Poland without valid cover in a car registered outside that group and border guards collect a 9,610 zł fee before you can cross.
When you buy a car in Poland, the seller's OC policy transfers to you. You then choose:
The trap: a transferred policy does not renew automatically. When it ends, the car is uninsured from the next day, and two weeks later that is 9,610 zł.
On the day you buy:
The seller cannot cancel the OC; it moves to the buyer with the car. The seller has two tasks:
Until the insurer is notified, seller and buyer are jointly liable for the premium. If the buyer cancels the policy, the refund for the unused period goes to the seller.
Each insurer sets its own tariff. Typical factors: age and years of driving, insurance and claims history, address, engine and car age. A Kraków address usually costs more than a village nearby. With no Polish insurance history, first quotes tend to be higher. Get three or four quotes. Ask whether the insurer accepts a no-claims certificate from your previous country.
A standard policy runs for 12 months. It renews automatically for another year if the premium was paid in full and you did not cancel in writing at least one day before it ends. Leaving Poland for good? Sell or deregister the car, or send the written cancellation before the renewal date. Otherwise the policy renews for a year you will not use.
If the at-fault driver had no OC, you claim from UFG.
A light hit in a car park often leaves a dent with the paint intact. That can be fixed without respraying, from 200 zł: see paintless dent removal. Paying yourself is sometimes cheaper than an AC claim, which can cut your no-claims discount. If you have AC, we settle dent repairs directly with the insurer.
Scratches without a dent, from branches or a brush car wash, often come out with machine polishing. See our services.
We can't help with cracked or chipped paint, a broken bumper mount or headlight, or a bent structure. That is a job for a body shop.
Yes, OC third-party liability for every registered car, even one that never leaves the garage. AC, NNW and Assistance are optional.
It depends on how long the car went without cover. For a passenger car in 2026, 1,920 zł for up to 3 days, 4,810 zł for 4–14 days, 9,610 zł beyond that.
Yes, if the car is registered in the EU, EEA, Switzerland or the UK. Cars from Ukraine and other countries outside that group need a Green Card or Polish border insurance.
Yes, until its end date. It does not renew itself, so arrange your own policy before it ends.
OC pays other people for damage you caused. AC pays for damage to your own car and is optional.
Studio: ul. Powstańców 20, Kraków (Prądnik Czerwony), Mon–Sat 9:00–19:00, phone +48 510 510 082. After a minor crash, send a photo of the dent in side light and we will tell you whether it can go without paint and what it costs. We speak English. The studio is inside the Clean Transport Zone: rules for foreign plates.
