| Your licence | Driving in Poland | Exchange |
|---|---|---|
| EU, EEA, Switzerland | until the licence expires | optional; when it expires, you renew in Poland if you live here |
| UK, issued before 1 Jan 2021 | until the licence expires | optional |
| UK, issued from 1 Jan 2021 | 6 months from the start of residence | required after that |
| Vienna Convention country (e.g. Turkey, Georgia, Kazakhstan) | 6 months from the start of residence | required, usually no test |
| Not in the Vienna Convention (e.g. USA, India) | 6 months with an International Driving Permit under the 1949 Geneva Convention | required, with a theory test |
| Ukraine, with temporary protection (PESEL UKR) | while temporary protection lasts: the EU extended it to 4 Mar 2028, Poland's UdSC still lists UKR status until 4 Mar 2027, so check gov.pl/udsc | not required |
The 6-month clock runs from the start of your permanent or temporary stay. The law does not say which document marks that date. Ask the office how it will count your case before you rely on it.
A valid EU, EEA or Swiss licence works in Poland for its full term. If you live here and it expires, you renew it in Poland: the office confirms your data with the issuing country through the European driving licence network and may ask for a medical certificate. No translation is needed for licences on the EU model.
Poland treats UK licences issued before 1 January 2021 as EU documents: drive on them until they expire. Licences issued from 2021 fall under the Vienna Convention rules. They are valid for 6 months from the start of your residence, and then you must exchange them. The UK joined the Vienna Convention in 2018, so no test is needed. Kraków asks for a sworn Polish translation of licences from outside the EU.
Countries outside the 1968 Vienna Convention, including the USA and India, are covered only through the International Driving Permit (IDP) under the 1949 Geneva Convention. With an IDP and your home licence you can drive for 6 months from the start of residence.
To exchange a licence that does not follow the Vienna Convention model, Polish law requires a sworn translation and a pass in the theory part of the state driving test. The test is run by the regional exam centre (WORD). The practical test is not required.
From 3 September 2026, you sign a statement when you collect a Polish licence confirming that your place of residence is in Poland. The law defines that as at least 185 days a year based on personal and work ties. A false statement is a criminal offence. On a one-semester exchange you usually will not meet that test. Keep driving on your home licence for the first 6 months and plan around that limit.
Applications go to the driving licence desk (Referat Praw Jazdy) of the Vehicle and Driver Registry Department. Following the city's service card KM-19:
Bring the originals. You surrender your foreign licence when you collect the Polish one; without it you won't get the Polish licence.
The desk is at al. Powstania Warszawskiego 10, Administrative Centre, 1st floor, desks 65–69. Mon–Wed and Fri 7:40–18:00, Thu 8:00–18:00. Book at umawianiewizyt.um.krakow.pl. Since July 2024 this is the only address in Kraków that takes foreign licence exchanges. You can also send the documents by post. The full list and bank accounts are on service card KM-19.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Issuing the Polish licence | 100 zł |
| Sworn translation | set by the translator |
| Delivery by post (Kraków) | 11.80 zł, priority 13.80 zł |
| Power of attorney, if someone applies for you | 17 zł stamp duty |
Some websites still quote 100.50 zł. The 0.50 zł registry fee was abolished on 1 July 2023.
Kraków issues licences within 30 days. For licences from outside the EU the office asks the issuing country or its embassy to confirm the data, which can add weeks. You can bring an embassy confirmation yourself to speed this up.
Yes. EU licences work until they expire. Most other licences work for 6 months from the start of your stay, then you need a Polish one.
Only if it was issued from 1 January 2021 and you have lived here for more than 6 months. Older UK licences count as EU ones.
Yes, but you need a sworn translation and a pass in the theory part of the Polish driving test.
The Polish licence itself is 100 zł; the sworn translation is extra and priced by the translator.
Up to 30 days, longer if the office waits for data confirmation from abroad.
Studio: ul. Powstańców 20, Kraków (Prądnik Czerwony), Mon–Sat 9:00–19:00, phone +48 510 510 082. Once the licence is in your hands, come over: we speak English, look at the car and tell you what it needs. See our services for washing, polishing and protection.
