As of September 2026. Licence rules come from the Polish Act on Vehicle Drivers (art. 4), gov.pl and the UN treaty lists; rental terms differ by company.
Polish law (art. 4 of the Act on Vehicle Drivers, ustawa o kierujących pojazdami) accepts a foreign licence in these cases:
| Where your licence is from | What you need |
|---|---|
| EU, EEA, Switzerland | your national licence |
| a country party to the 1968 Vienna Convention: UK, Ukraine, Türkiye, Georgia and many others | your national licence, if it follows the convention model; if unsure, add an IDP |
| a country party only to the 1949 Geneva Convention: USA, Canada, Australia, India | an International Driving Permit (1949 model) together with your national licence |
| a country outside both conventions | not valid, unless Poland has a separate agreement with that country |
You can check your country on the UN treaty lists for the Vienna Convention and the Geneva Convention. A rental company may still ask for an IDP even when the law does not require one. If you have one, bring it.
Living in Poland? According to gov.pl, once you have lived here for 185 days you should exchange a non-EU licence for a Polish one. Ukrainians under temporary protection are covered by EU Regulation 2022/1280: their Ukrainian licence is recognised without a translation or IDP while the protection lasts.
Kraków Airport is in Balice, just outside the city limits. Picking up there makes sense if you land and drive straight on, towards Zakopane or Katowice. You join the A4 without crossing the city centre. Balice is outside Kraków's Clean Transport Zone.
Picking up in the city makes sense if you spend the first days in Kraków on foot. The centre is small, trams run everywhere, and a car standing in the paid parking zone costs money from 9:00 to 22:00. Rent it on the day you leave town.
For either option, check the opening hours of the office. Returning outside them often means a key box and an out-of-hours fee, and nobody inspects the car with you.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| OC | compulsory third-party liability, always included |
| CDW / AC | covers damage to the rental car, minus the excess |
| Excess (franszyza, udział własny) | the most you pay per damage; the deposit is often set near this amount |
| Zero-excess or super cover | an extra daily fee that lowers the excess, often to zero |
| Exclusions | check what CDW leaves out: tyres, glass, the underbody, the interior and lost keys are common exclusions |
The cheap daily rate often comes with a high excess. Compare the total: daily rate, excess cover, extra driver, and the fuel policy.
Many companies allow trips to other EU countries with written permission, sometimes for a fee. Tell them at booking. Driving abroad without permission can void the insurance.
Ukraine is a separate case. Most rental companies in Poland forbid taking their cars there, and some also exclude other non-EU countries. If you need to go to Ukraine, ask the company in writing and get a written answer before you pay.
Rental cars from Kraków companies have Polish plates and are usually new enough for the zone, so the system clears them automatically. If you rent an older car from a private owner, check its plate at sct.krakow.pl. Rules and fees: Clean Transport Zone.
At a detailing studio we inspect paint under strong light every day. Many disputes start with a mark that nobody wrote down at pick-up.
At pick-up:
At return:
Cleanliness. Many rental terms include a cleaning fee for a car returned very dirty (sand in the carpets, pet hair, food stains), and a car wash before return costs less than that fee. Smoking in rental cars is usually forbidden, and the smell alone can trigger a fee.
Yes if your licence is from a non-EU country that is not party to the 1968 Vienna Convention, such as the USA, Canada or Australia. It also helps when your national licence does not follow the convention model. Some rental companies ask for one anyway.
It depends on the company. Many require a credit card for the deposit, and some accept debit cards with a higher deposit. Check the terms before booking.
Most rental companies in Poland do not allow it. Ask the company in writing before you book.
The excess: the most you pay if the car is damaged while covered by CDW. Extra cover can lower it, often to zero.
At the airport if you are driving straight out of Kraków. In the city if you spend the first days sightseeing: the centre is walkable and street parking is paid from 9:00 to 22:00.
We don't rent cars. If you rent out your own car or run a small fleet, we clean and protect cars for business: rotation dates planned around your bookings, and VAT invoices. See detailing for business. Kraken Detailing, ul. Powstańców 20, Kraków (Prądnik Czerwony), Mon–Sat 9:00–19:00, +48 510 510 082. We speak English.
