1. When is sworn translation of a driving licence required?
Sworn translation of prawa jazdy is required when a foreign licence is presented in Poland to an official institution or company and the document was not issued in Polish. Below are typical situations where tłumaczenie przysięgłe is mandatory.
Translation is required for:
- Licence exchange (wymiana prawa jazdy): when applying at urząd komunikacyjny, the foreign licence and supporting documents require sworn translation — see the separate exchange article for deadlines.
- Car rental: major rental companies and international chains often require sworn translation if the licence is not in Polish or English — check the rental agreement.
- Insurance claims: after an accident the insurer may request translation of prawa jazdy to verify licence validity and categories.
- Employer: for driver, courier, taxi or haulage positions the employer requests licence translation and sometimes a medical certificate.
- Court and solicitor: in road accident or licence revocation proceedings an official translation of the document is required.
- Carsharing and company fleet: services verify categories and expiry — translation helps match data with the Polish system.
- Experience confirmation: when preparing insurance or professional licence documents, translation of the driving licence may be requested as proof of driving experience.
- Short-term use: a tourist with a foreign licence usually does not need translation for a short trip — but with long-term stay and contact with urząd, translation becomes mandatory.
Important!
2. Which documents are translated together with a driving licence
Before ordering translation, use the table below — it shows which certificate you need, whether apostille is required, and what to verify before sending scans. Save it — when preparing an office submission, checking line by line is safer than relying on memory.
Other documents are often submitted with prawo jazdy — they also require sworn translation if not in Polish. Check the table before ordering.
| Prawo jazdy (front and reverse) | full translation of all categories (AM, A1, A2, A, B, B+E, C, C+E, D, D+E), issue dates, validity, restrictions and codes |
|---|---|
| Orzeczenie lekarskie (medical certificate) | if required for categories C, D, E — sworn translation of the certificate from an uprawniony lekarz when the document is not in Polish |
| Zaświadczenie o zameldowaniu | address confirmation when applying at urząd — translation if issued in another language |
| Dowód osobisty or paszport | urząd may request translation of the identity document if not in Polish |
| Wypis z karty kierowcy | extract from the driver card for professional drivers — full translation when submitting to the transport inspectorate |
| Potwierdzenie ukończenia kursu | course completion certificate (e.g. for taxi drivers) — translation if in a foreign language |
| Tłumaczenie prawa jazdy z ukraińskiego | the most common request — both sides with categories B, BE, C1E and restriction codes |
3. Requirements for sworn translation of prawa jazdy
Urząd komunikacyjny, insurers and employers accept only sworn translation into Polish with the seal of a translator from the Polish Ministry of Justice register.
- Full translation of both sides: all categories, dates, document number, restrictions, stamps and signatures — no summaries or omissions
- Data accuracy: names, date of birth, prawa jazdy number and categories must match the original and dowód osobisty exactly
- Language pair: the translator must be accredited for the source language → Polish pair — e.g. Ukrainian → Polish or Russian → Polish
Note
4. What happens if the translation is incorrect?
- Urząd komunikacyjny rejection: an incomplete or ordinary translation will be returned unprocessed — licence exchange or registration delayed by weeks.
- Car rental refusal: the rental company will not release the vehicle if prawa jazdy translation does not meet requirements or categories are incomplete.
- Insurance problems: after an accident the insurer may dispute a payout if licence translation is missing or done without a sworn translator's seal.
- Extra costs: re-translation, courier delivery, missed deadlines for work or vehicle rental.
- Employment delay: the employer will not hire a driver without correct licence translation and, if required, a medical certificate.
5. How to order sworn translation of prawa jazdy: step by step
Determine the purpose — urząd komunikacyjny, rental, employer or insurer. Confirm whether you need translation of prawa jazdy only or also a medical certificate and identity document.
Photograph or scan both sides of the licence: categories, restriction codes, dates and stamps must be readable. PDF or JPG, resolution at least 300 dpi.
Send scans to the translation agency — after reviewing the document they will confirm exact cost and turnaround (usually 24–48 hours for a standard prawa jazdy).
Confirm the order and language pair. A translator from the Ministry of Justice register will perform tłumaczenie przysięgłe with a seal on every page.
Receive the finished translation — by courier across Poland or in person. At LEGIX we match a translator for your language pair.
Before submission verify names, document number, categories and dates in the translation against the original prawa jazdy and dowód osobisty.
6. Cost and turnaround for driving licence translation
Cost depends on source language and number of categories on the licence. A typical prawo jazdy from both sides is usually 1–2 pages of translation, but the result depends on the specific form. Exact pricing is quoted after reviewing scans — indicative rates are on the price list.
If orzeczenie lekarskie or dowód osobisty is translated together with the licence — each document is priced separately.
Standard sworn translation turnaround is 24–48 hours from order confirmation and receipt of readable scans. For urgent urząd submission express translation may be available — ask when sending documents.
Pre-submission checklist