Key facts: Poland driving license for expats
- Test authority
- WORD — Wojewódzki Ośrodek Ruchu Drogowego
- Official test language
- PolishEnglishGerman
- Grace period
- Indefinitely for EU/EEA/Swiss licences while in force; up to 185 days per calendar year for non-EU licences
- Processing time
- Up to 30 days statutory issuance after a complete application is submitted; 2–3 weeks is typical at most starostwa, longer in Warsaw and Kraków
- Theory test required
- Yes (if no exchange agreement)
- Practical test required
- Yes (if no exchange agreement)
- Medical exam
- Required
- Total cost
- PLN 100.50 (~€23) for an in-format EU/EEA/Swiss exchange; PLN 200–450 (~€47–105) for a Convention-route exchange with translation and medical; PLN 250 (theory fee PLN 50 + licence PLN 200) plus driving-school costs (PLN 2,500–4,500 / ~€580–1,050) for a full Polish licence application from scratch
Eligibility by nationality
EU/EEA citizens
Driving licences issued by any EU Member State, EEA country (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) or Switzerland remain valid in Poland until their expiry date — exchange is voluntary while the licence is in force. When the licence expires, is lost, stolen or damaged, you must apply for a new Polish driving licence; for that application a Polish medical certificate is required, and for higher categories (C1, C, D1, D and trailer variants) a psychological certificate as well.
US/UK citizens
United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are all parties to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, so their licences are exchanged directly under the Convention route — no theory or practical test, only document submission, fee, sworn-translator translation and a Polish medical certificate where required. Post-Brexit UK licences are still recognised under the Geneva route.
Other non-EU citizens
If your home country is a party to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic or the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, you can exchange your licence for a Polish one without any driving test once you have been resident in Poland for at least 185 days in a calendar year. Licences from countries that are not party to either Convention require you to pass the Polish theory test (no practical test) before the exchange is issued.
Students
You may drive in Poland on a valid foreign licence (with an International Driving Permit if your licence is not in Latin script) for up to 185 days per calendar year. Beyond that, an exchange application is required — the same Convention-vs-non-Convention split as for other foreign residents applies.
Required documents
- Application for the issue of a driving licence (wniosek o wydanie prawa jazdy)
- Passport-style colour photograph 35 × 45 mm taken within the last 6 months
- Original foreign driving licence (plus a photocopy that the office keeps)
- Sworn-translator or Polish-consul translation of the foreign licence — NOT required for licences issued in the EU Directive 2006/126/EC model (most modern EU plastic-card licences)
- Residence card / visa / other proof of legal stay for foreigners; PESEL number / Polish ID for citizens and registered residents
- Medical certificate (orzeczenie lekarskie) — required only when the foreign licence has already expired or when applying for categories C1/C/D1/D and trailer variants
- Proof of payment (potwierdzenie opłaty) of the PLN 100.50 issuance fee
- Declaration under Art. 233 of the Penal Code regarding the truthfulness of statements and Art. 11(1)(5) of the Driving Act regarding residence
Costs breakdown
- Conversion/exam fee
- PLN 100.50(~€23) driving-licence issuance fee — same for EU/EEA/Swiss/Convention/non-Convention applicants
- Medical exam
- PLN 100–200 (~€23–47) at an authorised occupational-medicine doctor (uprawniony lekarz medycyny pracy) — only required when the foreign licence has expired or for HGV/PSV categories
- Translation
- PLN 50–150 (~€12–35) sworn-translator (tłumacz przysięgły) translation — NOT required for licences issued under the EU Directive 2006/126/EC model
- Total estimated
- PLN 100.50 (~€23) for an in-format EU/EEA/Swiss exchange; PLN 200–450 (~€47–105) for a Convention-route exchange with translation and medical; PLN 250 (theory fee PLN 50 + licence PLN 200) plus driving-school costs (PLN 2,500–4,500 / ~€580–1,050) for a full Polish licence application from scratch
License exchange agreements
Iceland
Liechtenstein
Norway
Switzerland1968 Vienna Convention parties (incl. Japan, South Korea, UAE, Turkey, Russia, Brazil, most of the Americas and Europe)1949 Geneva Convention parties (incl. United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa, Egypt)No agreement (full test required): There is no scenario in which BOTH the Polish theory test AND a practical test are required for exchange. A full theory + practical only applies if you start from zero (no foreign licence, or licence already cancelled / revoked).
Tips for expats in Poland
- The 185-day rule is the single most important threshold: you must show 185 days of residence in Poland within the calendar year before you can apply for the exchange.
- The WORD theory test is fully available in English and German on the same touch-screen system — the long-standing "Polish-only" myth is no longer correct.
- If you hold a US, UK, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand licence you are exchanged under the 1949 Geneva Convention route — no theory or practical test is required despite there being no separate bilateral agreement.
- For modern EU plastic-card licences (Directive 2006/126/EC model) you do NOT need a sworn translation — the office reads the harmonised category codes directly. Bring only the original + photocopy.
- A Polish medical certificate (orzeczenie lekarskie) is only required when the foreign licence has expired or for HGV/PSV categories; in-force EU/EEA/Swiss/Convention licences exchange without one.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take the Polish theory test in English?
Yes. Every Wojewódzki Ośrodek Ruchu Drogowego (WORD) — the regional road-traffic centre that conducts the official exam — runs the theory test on a single touch-screen system in Polish, English and German. You choose the language at the start of the exam. The pass mark, question pool and 25-minute time limit are identical across languages: 68 of 74 points (92%). Practise with AutoviaTest in English to learn the rules and then sit the official exam in English at WORD.
What is the 185-day rule?
Under the Polish Driving Act, you can apply to exchange a foreign driving licence only after you have been resident in Poland for at least 185 days within a single calendar year. The days do not need to be consecutive; they are counted as the cumulative total of your stays during that year. Residence is normally proven through your zameldowanie registration, residence card and PESEL number. Until you cross the 185-day threshold, you may continue to drive on your foreign licence (with an International Driving Permit if it is not in Latin script).
Can I exchange my US, UK, Canadian or Australian licence in Poland?
Yes — and without any driving test. The United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are all parties to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic. Polish exchange offices recognise Geneva Convention licences under the same no-test route as EU and Vienna Convention licences. You submit the original licence, a sworn translation, application form, photo, proof of residence (≥185 days) and payment of PLN 100.50. A Polish medical certificate is required only if the foreign licence has already expired. The persistent online claim that the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia have "no agreement" with Poland is wrong — the Geneva Convention is the agreement.
Do EU citizens need to exchange their licence?
No. EU, EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) and Swiss driving licences are recognised in Poland until they expire. Exchange is voluntary while the licence is in force. Once the licence expires — or is lost, stolen or damaged — you apply for a new Polish licence, at which point a Polish medical certificate is required and (for HGV/PSV categories) a psychological certificate. New EU plastic-card licences carry a 15-year administrative validity for category B; older paper licences with no expiry date remain valid in Poland indefinitely.
How much does the official Polish driving test cost?
WORD exam fees in 2026 are PLN 50 for the category B theory test and PLN 200 for the category B practical test. Add the PLN 100.50 driving-licence issuance fee, the PLN 100–200 occupational-medicine certificate and (for those starting from scratch) driving-school tuition of PLN 2,500–4,500 for a typical 30-hour theory + 30-hour practical course. Exchange-only applicants (EU / Convention) pay only the PLN 100.50 issuance fee plus translation and (if required) medical certificate.
What if my country is not party to the Vienna or Geneva Convention?
You exchange your licence under the "non-Convention" route at the same starostwo or City Hall office. The only additional requirement is that you must pass the WORD theory test (in Polish, English or German) — no practical test is required and no driving school attendance is mandatory. All other documents (sworn translation, photo, residence proof, medical certificate, issuance fee) are the same as for the Convention route.