Official Brexit guidelines issued by the UK Government advise UK Nationals to exchange their UK (EU) Driving Licence before Brexit Date (31/10/19 – subject to change – again!!)

Trevor Hawes, one of our very helpful Kraków Expats, recently visited the Drivers & Vehicle Registration office in Kraków to exchange his UK (EU) Drivers Licence for a  Polish Licence (Prawo Jadzy). Trevor very kindly took detailed notes of the process which form the basis of this step by step guide.

Whilst this guide is intended mainly to help UK Nationals preparing for Brexit, the same procedures apply to any driver wishing to exchange their EU licence for a Polish one.

How to Exchange UK (EU) to Polish Driving Licence – Step by Step Guide
You can read the document below, or download and print your own pdf version.

  UK(EU) – PL Driving Licence Exchange Guide (pdf)  United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

6/4/19 – Guide Updated to add recommended photo studio – for ID photos,  sample of application form in English and info re power of attorney.

Where to Find more Information – Official Source.
Most Urząd’s have information available on exchanging foreign driving licences, some are better than others , however the best source is the governments Citizen page (obywatel.gov.pl) which provides – country specific – advice NOT only for EU licence exchange. We have linked to the page and a printable pdf English translation below:

   EXCHANGE FOREIGN (EU) DRIVING LICENCE FOR POLISH – OBYWATEL.GOV.PL  Poland
   PRINTABLE PDF DOWNLOAD of ABOVE INFORMATION PAGE – in English  United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Official HMG UK Advice – from ‘Living in Poland’ Brexit Advice
“Holders of UK driving licences who are resident in an EU country should exchange their UK licences for a driving licence from the EU country you are living in before 29 March 2019. For more information see driving abroad.”

 

New Polish Driving Licence
On 4th March 2019, Poland introduced a new driving licence design and amended some regulations.  The Polish driving licence no longer shows the address of the holder.  This change was introduced to reduce unnecessary admin for the authorities and avoid the expense and inconvenience for drivers who previously had to renew their licence within 30 days of moving home.

At the moment, it is not compulsory for holders of the old style licence with an address to exchange their old type licence, though there are plans to make the exchange compulsory by 2028-2033

The other main change is that drivers licences now have a maximum validity of 15 years.

New Polish Driving Licence design introduced 4/3/19

Worth Knowing:
If you are downloading the form to print, it must be printed double sided and actual size.  Incorrectly printed forms will be rejected as they will not be compatible with the automated form reading system.

In some cases, usually depending on categories, there may be a request for a medical certificate.  There are also some reports on social media of drivers losing categories, which appear to have disappeared from their licence when they receive the new Polish licence.

Useful Driving Licence Related Links
Driving Licence applications can be made electronically online.  The online form is in Polish, however when we tested it, we had a few problems.   The online application can be found at : ESP PWPW Poland

Most Urząd’s have information available on exchanging foreign driving licences, some are better then others , however the best source is the governments Citizen page (obywatel.gov.pl) which provides – country specific – advice NOT only for EU licence exchange. We have linked to the page and a printable pdf English translation below:

   EXCHANGE FOREIGN (EU) DRIVING LICENCE FOR POLISH – OBYWATEL.GOV.PL  Poland

   PRINTABLE PDF DOWNLOAD of ABOVE INFORMATION PAGE – in English  United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

   ‘PARTNERS ON THE ROAD’ ARTICLE – EXCHANGE POLISH DRIVING LICENCE
  United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  CREATE AN ID PHOTO ONLINE  United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  OBYWATEL.GOV.PL Exchange foreign driving license for Polish Poland

  DRIVING LICENCE PHOTO REQUIREMENTS   Poland

Acknowledgement:
Many thanks to Trevor Hawes for the detailed account of his recent experience at the Driving Licence Office in Kraków. We really appreciate when people take the time to help others in the community and contribute to Kraków Expats Directory.

If you’d like to get in touch about contributing to Kraków Expats Directory, please contact us via Facebook or email.    enquiries@krakowexpats.pl

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