01Who needs to exchange a licence and when
Exchange is mandatory if you live in Poland at least 185 days a year and hold a licence issued outside the EU/EEA. Ukrainian citizens with UKR status may drive on a valid Ukrainian licence until 4 March 2027 — exchange is still voluntary for them.
Good to know:
The special act on assistance to Ukrainian citizens expired on 5 March 2026. Temporary protection continues — it was moved into the general foreigners-protection law and extended to 04.03.2027 (Forum Migracyjne, EY).
The relief applies only while UKR status is active. If the status changed to NUE (e.g. after a long stay abroad or outdated data), the general rules apply — 6 months, then exchange. Check status in the mObywatel app.
After 04.03.2027 the relief ends, unless the EU adopts a new decision. Verifying a Ukrainian licence takes from several weeks to several months, so apply early.
An international driving permit cannot be exchanged — only a national licence can (gov.pl).
Professional drivers (categories C, D) should exchange immediately: employers and carriers often require a Polish document and a qualification card.
02Will you have to take an exam
Licences from a Vienna Convention 1968 party (including Ukraine) that match its specimen are exchanged without exams. The theory test at WORD is required only for licences that do not match the Geneva 1949 or Vienna 1968 specimens (gov.pl); there is no practical test for an exchange.
The only branch with an exam is a licence that does not match convention specimens; all others end in exchange without tests or no need to exchange.
Whether a country is a convention party — check the UN treaty register or ask at the office.
If the country is party only to the Geneva Convention 1949, office and court practice varies — confirm in advance whether an exam is required (Warto Wiedzieć).
You need a PKK number and a sworn translation of the licence; book via info-car.pl.
03Document checklist
The standard pack is the same across Poland; individual offices may ask for extras, so before your visit compare the list on your office’s page.
Several offices state that only a valid foreign licence can be exchanged — it must be valid on both the filing day and the day you collect the Polish one. If it is about to expire, renew it in the issuing country first.
Send photos of both sides — we will quote price and turnaround.
04Step-by-step instructions
The whole process is 2 office visits (filing and collection) plus waiting in between; an exam is added only for licences outside the conventions.
Identify your case using the table in section 1 and the diagram in section 2: whether exchange is needed at all and whether there will be an exam.
Order a sworn translation of the licence into Polish at LEGIX — send photos of both sides. More: driving licence translation. A Polish consul’s translation is also accepted.
Take a 35 × 45 mm photo at a photo studio — say it is «do prawa jazdy».
Fill in the application. One form covers all licence matters; tick the item on exchanging a licence issued abroad (wymiana prawa jazdy wydanego za granicą) and enter the foreign document data: number, categories, date and issuing authority. Use block capitals; you can also fill it in at the office.
Find your office and book a visit. You file by place of residence:
Pay 100 zł — at the counter, by card on site or by transfer to the office account (number — on the office page). Attach the receipt to the pack.
Submit documents in person (or by post — gov.pl also allows that). You will receive a PKK number (Profil Kandydata na Kierowcę): immediately or within 2 days; in complex cases — up to 1–2 months.
Wait for verification. The office asks the issuing country whether the licence is genuine and valid. For Ukraine this goes through the consulate and interior authorities and may take weeks or months (details — section 7).
If an exam is required — with the PKK number book the theory part at WORD (online booking on info-car.pl). After a pass the office orders the document.
Track the status on info-car.pl or kierowca.pwpw.pl — you need PESEL, first name and surname.
Collect the Polish licence. Bring your passport and the original foreign licence — they will take it and return it to the issuing authority. Without surrendering the foreign document they will not issue the Polish one. If you chose postal delivery in the application — first send the foreign licence to the office.
If refused — you have 14 days to appeal to the local appeal board (Samorządowe Kolegium Odwoławcze); the complaint is filed through the same office (gov.pl).
05Forms and official links
Everything needed for filing is on government sites; paid “intermediaries” are not required.
Act of 5 January 2011 o kierujących pojazdami (Arts. 4, 11, 14) and the Minister of Infrastructure regulation on issuing driver documents (list — on the gov.pl page).
06Costs and timelines
The only mandatory payment is 100 zł for issuing the licence; other costs depend on your case.
Timelines
PKK number — immediately or within 2 days after filing a complete pack.
Verification of foreign licence data — gov.pl warns it may take several weeks; for Ukrainian documents practitioners also write about several months.
Production — up to 9 working days after data confirmation and payment; some offices state an overall period of up to 30 days (Kraków).
07Particulars for Ukrainian citizens
Ukraine is a party to the Vienna Convention 1968, so modern-specimen licences are exchanged without exams; the longest stage is confirming validity on the Ukrainian side.
How verification works.
The Polish office contacts the Ukrainian consulate; the consulate queries the issuing authority and forwards the reply to Poland. Per the Kraków consulate description, the pack for such a request includes a consular fee receipt, a copy of the licence and consent to process personal data (krakow.mfa.gov.ua).
The page is old, so confirm the current fee and procedure with your consulate or office — some offices file the request themselves without the applicant.
What to check in advance
Open the HSC driver cabinet or Diia: if the document is missing there, verification from Poland will stall. Older licences are sometimes absent from the database (ua-migrant.pl).
Without an exam they exchange a document matching the convention specimen. Old paper blanks may be treated as non-matching — then a theory exam is required. It is easier to first exchange it for a new plastic card via the HSC driver cabinet (hsc.gov.ua) with delivery abroad.
If the Ukrainian licence is expired or about to expire, renew it in Ukraine remotely before filing in Poland.
for exchange: the office needs the original, which is then returned to Ukraine.
While UKR status is active you may drive on a Ukrainian licence until 04.03.2027 and need not rush. But if you plan to stay long-term, apply early — by spring 2027 verification queues may grow.
The Ukrainian licence is taken and sent to Ukraine. If you return home, the Polish one can be exchanged back for a Ukrainian one at an Interior Ministry service centre.
08Where to apply: major cities and voivodeships
Rules and price are the same nationwide; only the office address, appointment booking and minor pack requirements vary by voivodeship. You file not at the voivodeship office but by place of residence: residents of cities with powiat rights — urząd miasta; others — starostwo powiatowe.
Search for «wymiana zagranicznego prawa jazdy» + your city or powiat name and open the office BIP (Biuletyn Informacji Publicznej) page. There you will find the address, payment account number, appointment booking and local forms.
Addresses for Wrocław, Poznań and Gdańsk come from a reference site, not BIP; hours and addresses change, so check them before your visit.
09Common mistakes and FAQ
Typical mistakes that get applications returned
Questions and answers
Yes, while the foreign licence remains with you and you are entitled to use it (UKR status or 6 months not yet passed). The licence is taken only when the Polish one is issued.