Law / Penalty for driving on expired license in Poland? [30]

@pawian
Well I wouldn't want that to happen.

Has anyone else here experienced similar problems trying to get a prawo jazdy?

Law / Penalty for driving on expired license in Poland? [30]

@pawian
Is a 500zł fine and a chance of my car being towed the worse possible penalty? Seems small in comparison to the 3,000+ zł it would cost to hire a lawyer to take the issue to the administrative courts.

Law / Penalty for driving on expired license in Poland? [30]


I will if I have to but that would likely take 4-6 months to resolve and I need a diving license now.

I sent a letter to the head of the driving license department. I guess I could try sending another letter to the head of the Powiat Pruszkowski but they would likely just forward it to the driving license department.

@dovla
I already tried that but when they replied after two months of waiting they refused to issue the letter.

Law / Penalty for driving on expired license in Poland? [30]

@cms neuf
Yes I sent a letter to the head of the department but only received a general reply which shows that he didn't even read my letter. I have hired a lawyer to help but it is a slow complicated process.

@dovla
I showed them my zameldowanie paper when I first tried to get the license and they didn't seem to consider it proof of anything. The zameldowanie is only valid 3 months each and there were some gaps in between, but the office didn't take issue with this and simply demanded to see my kata pobytu or wisa.


They made a mistake in calculating whether or not I was legally in Poland on the day I submitted the application, and now that they realized their mistake they sent my application all the way back to step 1 and are asking for the same dozen or so documents that I already gave them a year ago. They seem to look for every tiny excuse to deny the application.

Law / Penalty for driving on expired license in Poland? [30]

@Ziemowit
They said that they require a karta pobytu or visa to issue the license. I then told them that I am still waiting for my karta pobytu and that as an American it is impossible to get a visa because Americans are allowed to be here without visas. I then explained to them that their dziennik ustaw allows for a "karta pobytu, wisa, lub innego dokumentu" and presented my passport containing a stamp from the foreigners office as an "other document". They then said that they cannot accept my passport as an other document because "it isn't polish".

I have lived in Poland legally for 4 years and can prove this fact in several different ways. The office is making up their own rules which are not at all consistent with what the law actually says.

Law / Penalty for driving on expired license in Poland? [30]

@Ziemowit
I can prove that I stay in Poland 185+ days each year via the stamps in my passport, travel receipts, and rental agreement. As an American I am allowed to reside in Poland as long as I want, as long as I leave every 90 days to cross a border and come back. This is even written on the Straż Graniczna website.

Even without a karta pobytu I am technically a resident of Poland simply because I legally live here 185+ days per year and as such I pay income tax to Poland on my worldwide income.

Law / Penalty for driving on expired license in Poland? [30]

@mafketis

Not yet. But nowhere in the law is it written that a karta pobytu is required to get a driving license. It simply states that it is required to " stay on the territory of the Republic of Poland for at least 185 days in each calendar year", which I do.

Law / Penalty for driving on expired license in Poland? [30]

Actually in my experience the police can be quite understanding. I once went on a 2,600 kilometer trip through three countries without any license plates on my car (they were lost by the shipping company). The police stopped me five times but let me go without any consequences once I proved that it is my car.

Law / Penalty for driving on expired license in Poland? [30]

@cms neuf
I'm not trying to take any shortcuts; I have done everything I am supposed to do and they still won't give me the license.

1. I obtained my zameldowanie and PESEL
2. I passed my medical exam
3. I applied for a PKK number and received it
4. I passed the theory test
5. I completed my driving course
6. I passed the practical exam
7. I paid the driving license application fee

Law / Penalty for driving on expired license in Poland? [30]

@Dougpol1
I already passed both the theory and practical tests here. After spending over 2,000 zł for the driving course.

Law / Penalty for driving on expired license in Poland? [30]

@Dougpol1
I cannot renew my old license because I am no longer a resident of the jurisdiction where it was issued. And I can't get a license in my new home because the Polish authorities are intent on imposing their own arbitrary rules even though I absolutely 100% meet the requirements for driving license issuance as specified by the law.

Law / Penalty for driving on expired license in Poland? [30]

I'm not asking about a banned driver, just someone driving with an expired license. What would happen if the police noticed, and weren't feeling particularly tolerant?


Since when is this? In mid 2018 I was stopped by the police near Warsaw and they made it quite clear that they wouldn't mind letting me go for some cash.

USA, Canada / Bilateral Visa Waiver Agreement between USA and Poland [47]

I also noticed the checkpoint at Kostrzyn nad Odrą. I simply turned around and used a different bridge to cross. The Copenhagen-Malmo border also had an extra control when I was there last year. I've never noticed any at airports however, have you?

News / CHERNOBYL...threat to Poland? [29]

I was at Chernobyl three years ago. And there are people who live just a couple kilometers away.

USA, Canada / Bilateral Visa Waiver Agreement between USA and Poland [47]

Where were the random controls?

My passport has over 60 stamps in it now and it often takes the border guards several minutes just to locate the most recent stamp, let alone calculate the number of days between entries and exits. Most of them don't bother and pickup their stamp as soon as they see I have an American passport. But every now and then I'll encounter a border guard who wishes to be thorough.

USA, Canada / Bilateral Visa Waiver Agreement between USA and Poland [47]

Yes you are right, I was referring to non-Schengen borders. But of course the Schengen borders do not have passport control (with a few exceptions now) so the risk of being caught overstaying is close to zero.

Law / Residence Permit vs Visa Free Schengen Dynamic for Americans [5]

Of which country are you a citizen? The stamp only allows you to be in Poland, not to re-enter.

USA, Canada / Bilateral Visa Waiver Agreement between USA and Poland [47]

Here is a link to an article on the Straż Graniczna website which clearly states that America citizens can enter Poland for any 90 day period and reset the 90 day timer by simply crossing the border and coming back: strazgraniczna.pl/pl/cudzoziemcy/najczesciej-zadawane-py/5012,15-Jestem-obywatelem-Stanow-Zjednoczonych-Ameryki-USA-jak-mam-obliczyc-dlugosc-d.html

I have a printed copy of this webpage with me whenever I cross any Polish border and I suggest that other Americans in Poland do the same. The border guards aren't going to ignore the rules written on their own website.

Law / How to exchange almost expired USA driving license for Polish license? [16]

Can you point me towards the exact law which states this? My research shows otherwise.

Law / How to exchange almost expired USA driving license for Polish license? [16]

Update: Starostwo Powiatowe in Pruszków refuses to issue me driving license

After passing my theory and practical driving exams, I went to the district office in Pruszków today to pickup my driving license. I paid 100.50 PLN as instructed by the woman at the desk, but she then refused to give me my license claiming that I must hold a karta pobytu or visa. When I explained to her that American citizens do not need a visa to enter Poland and that I have lived legally in Poland for 3 years she explained that the stamps in my passport, both from the foreigners' office and from the border guards, are not acceptable and only a karta pobytu or visa is acceptable.

This goes against the advise given to me in an earlier post by @Atch , as well as justaskpoland.com/polish-driving-licence/ , which state "As far as I know you don't need a residence permit." and "A Polish driving licence can be issued for a person who declares Poland as their place of residence, being forewarned of accountability before the law for false statements. That applies to a person who spends a minimum of 185 days of every year in Poland. " respectively.

Can someone please clarify the situation, and ideally mention the exact Polish laws where it is written whether or not a karta pobytu is required to obtain a license?

I reside in Poland legally on the basis that I am waiting for the foreigners' office to issue a decision on my temporary residence permit application, and on the basis that it has been less than 90 days since I last entered the country. I have a PESEL, a zameldowanie, and I pay taxes to Poland on my worldwide income.

Article 11 of this Polish law: Dz.U. 2011 Nr 30 poz. 151 prawo.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/download.xsp/WDU20110300151/T/D20110151L.pdf
states " 5) stays on the territory of the Republic of Poland for at least 185 days
in any calendar year because of their personal ties or
professional or provide a certificate that he / she is studying at least from 6
months." without any mention of a residence permit being required. Is this correct? Should I print out this law and take it back to the district office? To whom can I appeal if they still refuse to give me my driving license?

Law / How to exchange almost expired USA driving license for Polish license? [16]

Thank you, I read this article and it is helpful. I see in this section it doesn't mention anything about being required to take lessons. So can I just skip to the exams? Google didn't seem to have this answer either.

"Apply for a Polish licence
In order to do that, four conditions need to be fulfilled.

You need to be a resident of Poland.
You need to meet the age requirements for the category you want to obtain.
You need to pass medical tests.
You need to pass a theoretical and practical driving exam."

Law / How to exchange almost expired USA driving license for Polish license? [16]

Ok so it sounds like it will likely be easier to just get a new license rather than exchange my USA license. I won't have to pay for a sworn translation of my license and don't have to worry about the USA and Poland not communicating.

Can I just walk into the Urzad and tell them I want to take a driving test and get a license? Or I should make an appointment somehow?

Law / How to exchange almost expired USA driving license for Polish license? [16]

Thank you for this information. Will simply having been here for 3 years be enough, even though I don't have a residence permit of any kind? Does the 6 month deadline apply to me? If so what happens since I missed it?

Law / How to exchange almost expired USA driving license for Polish license? [16]

@MoOli

Can't I submit the medical exam when I exchange my license, and then the new Polish license I get will be valid for longer than 3 weeks?

The international driving permit is simply a translation of the license; AAA won't give me another one if my license is only valid for 3 weeks. And I can't renew my USA license or I will face state income tax consequences.

USA, Canada / Bilateral Visa Waiver Agreement between USA and Poland [47]

Has anyone here actually tried to get a signed letter from the foreigners' office or border guard that confirms the US-Poland bilateral agreement is in force and allows Americans to enter Poland for any 90 day period regardless of the number of days on their Schengen counter?

Law / Decision on Karta Pobytu (Residence Card) in Poland. How long should I wait? [33]

That is unfortunate. Is this true of all Mazowieckie offices, or are there some that actually make the decisions themselves?