Bringing a car from abroad to Poland
5 tasks in suggested order
1. Determine whether the vehicle is from the EU or outside the EU, whether it is new or used, or if it has a special status, as this affects the required documents and taxes.
Before tax payment, inspection, and registration.
Registration authority, KAS (National Revenue Administration), and customs office, depending on origin.
Contract/invoice, foreign registration certificate, proof of origin, and technical specifications.
Do not apply the same set of formalities to vehicles from the EU and those from outside the EU.
Official source: gov.pl
2. Settle excise duty for the passenger car and—for imports from outside the EU—complete the required customs formalities and VAT procedures.
Before registration, in accordance with applicable tax and customs deadlines.
PUESC/tax office and customs office, according to the procedure. (official Polish name: urząd skarbowy)
Proof of purchase, vehicle details and value, customs documents, and proof of payment or exemption.
Rates and exemptions vary; check them as of the date the obligation arises.
Official source: PUESC / KAS
3. Obtain a technical inspection (or an accepted substitute document) and provide the technical data required for the Polish register.
Before registration, if the foreign document is insufficient.
Authorized vehicle inspection station and, if applicable, the type-approval authority.
The vehicle, foreign documents, and technical data/translations.
The scope of the inspection depends on the vehicle's origin, type-approval status, and the completeness of the documentation.
Official source: gov.pl
4. Before registration, make sure the vehicle has valid compulsory third-party liability insurance (OC).
Before registration and before using the vehicle on the road.
Chosen insurance company.
Vehicle details, owner details, and proof of purchase.
A foreign insurance policy is not always sufficient after registration in Poland.
Official source: gov.pl
5. Apply to register the imported vehicle with the competent transport department.
You have 30 days from bringing the vehicle into Poland from an EU country or, for a vehicle from outside the EU, from the date it is released for free circulation by KAS.
At the transport department competent for your permanent or temporary place of residence: the district office (starostwo powiatowe), a city office in a city with county rights, or the relevant district office in Warsaw.
Application, proof of ownership, foreign documents and license plates, taxes/customs duties, inspection, liability insurance, and translations (if required).
Not every office handles cases outside its jurisdiction; a missing document can halt the registration process.
Official source: gov.pl
