Understanding Driver Licensing requirements is just one of the many hurdles facing expats in Kraków, so we posted a poll on the Kraków Expats Facebook Group, asking what the main issues were.

Thanks to Maciej at DAKAR Driving School for answering the questions and helping out with this FAQ.

How to convert a foreign (non EU) Licence?
It doesn’t matter if it’s an EU or non EU license, usually it’s allowed to convert it by passing the State theory exam.

How to sit the written and driving exams as a non Polish speaker?

The test (written exam) is translated to English. For the practical part the presence of a sworn translator is needed and we can recommend this kind of service.

What are the costs/fees for lessons/courses?
The price for B category course is 1800PLN. Additional costs are approx 500PLN (medical certificate, both parts of the exam, sworn translator).

What forms are required?

Non EU citizens require a “Karta Pobytu”, for EU citizens it’s also good to have “Karta Pobytu” but if not then Polish residency should be registered in the same “Urząd Miasta” where the Karta Pobytu was issued.

Do I need to convert my EU licence to a PL licence?
If you are staying here temporarily, and your license is valid here: NO.  If you live here permanently it is much better to convert it (in case of registering a car here for example).

How long can I drive for on a non PL licence?

In the case of EU citizens there is no limit here. Non EU citizens are obliged after 185 days to convert it into  Polish licence.

How long does it take?

The standard course for B cat. takes about a month and a half.

How about applying for a new licence from scratch?

The  majority of our students have absolutely ‘zero’ experience, and it’s our job to prepare that person for driving in Kraków traffic.

What if i need to upgrade my existing EU license to a different category?

First you need to convert your B cat. license into a Polish one and then you can apply for the next category.

If I change my current EU driving licence to a Polish one, do I need to relinquish my current licence?
Yes.

DAKAR driving school offers driving tuition and assistance to foreigners, in English or Polish, conveniently located in a city centre location at Rondo Mogilskie/Lubicz, next door to Kraków Opera.