If you live in Poland for 185+ days a year, your foreign driving licence must be exchanged for a Polish one. For most post-Soviet countries (Vienna Convention) — no exam required. For the USA, Canada and a number of others — a theory exam is needed. We identify your case, collect the documents, arrange the sworn translation and take you through the procedure at the Wydział Komunikacji.
The key question is which convention the issuing country signed. Vienna Convention (Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and EEA countries) — exchange without an exam for categories A and B. Geneva Convention or no convention (USA, Canada, United Kingdom, UAE and others) — a theory exam is required. We determine your exact route.
Application form, current photo, sworn translation of the foreign licence (if it is not bilingual and not in the Latin alphabet), proof of residence in Poland (meldunek or another document), copy of passport / karta pobytu.
We arrange the translation of your licence by a sworn translator. Older licence formats sometimes require an apostille — we check this in advance.
We file the application at the communications department for your place of registration (in Warsaw — by district). Ukrainian citizens additionally need to give consent to a data check and pay a consular fee to the Ukrainian consulate, which confirms the authenticity of the licence.
For licences from Geneva Convention countries or countries with no convention, we help you obtain a PKK (Profil Kandydata na Kierowcę) and book the theory exam. A practical exam is NOT required.
Once your data is confirmed and the fee is paid (100 zł), you receive your Polish licence. Important: the foreign licence is withdrawn and sent back to the authority that issued it — without surrendering the original, the Polish licence will not be issued.
Vienna Convention — exchange without an exam for categories A and B. For Ukrainians this is the simplest procedure; for Belarusians it is almost identical (but the data check takes longer).
If your centre of vital interests is in Poland (you live here, work here, your children go to school here), the exchange is mandatory regardless of the stamps in your passport.
Geneva Convention or no convention — the exchange is possible, but a theory exam is mandatory. No practical exam is needed.
If you are employed as a driver, a Polish licence is always required — even for Ukrainians with PESEL UKR whose national licence is still valid for personal driving.
We determine the country, the convention, and whether an exam or medical certificate is required.
Document collection, sworn translation, proof of residence.
Filing at the Wydział Komunikacji; if needed — PKK and the theory exam at WORD.
We monitor the data confirmation and you collect your Polish licence.
The state fee for issuing the licence is fixed. On top of that come the sworn translation and, if required, a medical certificate. The timeline depends heavily on how quickly the issuing country confirms your data.
No surprise charges — your quote is fixed until the decision is issued.
It depends on the country that issued it. For Vienna Convention countries (Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan) and EEA countries, no exam is required for categories A and B — the licence is simply exchanged. For Geneva Convention countries or countries with no convention (USA, Canada, United Kingdom, UAE, Australia and others), a theory exam is required. A practical exam is never required in any case.
If you reside in Poland for at least 185 days a year (your centre of vital interests is here), you are obliged to exchange your foreign licence for a Polish one. This rule applies regardless of citizenship and regardless of the stamps in your passport — what matters is actual residence.
For Ukrainian citizens under temporary protection (PESEL UKR), the national licence remains valid for personal driving for the duration of the temporary protection. However, the exact end date of that period depends on the current provisions of the special act — we verify the up-to-date deadline during the consultation. Important: if you work as a driver, a Polish licence is always required, regardless of PESEL UKR.
Usually 1–3 months. The main factor is how quickly your data is confirmed by the country that issued the licence (for Ukraine typically 30–60 days; for Belarus longer — 60–90 days). Once confirmation arrives, the Polish authority issues the licence within a few working days. Poland does not issue a licence without confirmation, even if all documents are in order (this does not apply to persons under temporary protection).
On exchange, the foreign licence is withdrawn and sent back to the authority that issued it. Without surrendering the original, the Polish licence will not be issued. This is also why an international driving permit cannot be exchanged — only a national licence can.
After 185 days of residence, a foreign licence is considered invalid for driving in Poland. Driving without a valid licence is treated as driving without a driving entitlement: a fine of between 1,500 and 30,000 zł, and in the event of an accident your insurer may refuse to pay out. So it is important not to delay the exchange.
Describe your situation — the first consultation is free. Reply within 24 hours, usually faster.