Buying and legally using second hand car in Poland; I'm EU citizen

I'm thinking about buying a second hand car in Poland now that the zloty is 4.something with the Euro and all the crisis is hitting hard in the car industry, I could find very cheap used cars compared to Spain (my home country).

I want to know: What is the easiest way to be able to legally drive the car I acquired here in Poland? I'm EU citicen, that should make things easier, right?

I mean: registration, insurance, and all that chore. Registering it in Spain is not an option because I must take the car to Spain so it would get the compulsory mechanical revision and I don't plan to do that until after summer when I come back to Spain, and I want the car now (a car really helps in winter here...).

So, how can I register it in Poland in a easy, temporal way? Get temporal insurance? I just need it registered here until july or around.

Thanks for any help.

P.S. I am a student here, and I'm not registered with those papers that you must be in a flat and stuff like that because I'm staying in the flat of a friend and she's letting me be there for free so there is no contract. Being an EU citizen that shouldn't be a problem, right?

Sorry to tell you, but you won't be able to do anything unless you have the proper papers.

You can't register a vehicle in Poland unless you have a registered address. If you are only temporarily registered then this will be noted on your vehicle document.

So I recommend that first you see if your friend will register you at her address. If not, or you can't find anyone who will do this for you then you are stuck.

If you can do that then buying insurance is cheap and easy. The vehicle inspection is easy too.

Oh crap.

To be honest, I already tried to make the registration, but the parent's of my friend (the legal owners of the flat) sent me a copy of the flat propierty papers instead of the original, and they told me in my local administration that without the originals they won't make anything regarding registration.

The thing is, they live in Kalisz, and they don't want to send me the originals of such important papers (which I understand), only a copy. So I can't register...

Is there no other way?

that shouldn't be a problem - you can go to the court and ask them to print out another copy for you. It costs around 50zl. Or get your friends parents to do it.

another option is that they could go to a Public Notary where they live to get the copy signed as a true copy of the original

benszymanski, is that easier / cheaper than the court stuff? Because it sounds good indeed.

Another thing: It takes 2-3 weeks to get the registration since you give all the papers, right? So I'll have to wait that long to be able to drive my damn car? :)

Why not just register as living in Kalisz? You don't need to go register in person.

Apart from anything else, your insurance will be cheaper in Kalisz than in Warsaw.

All of a sudden...without warning.....i am about to do the same , buy a second hand car in Poland....bought plenty of cars in my time , but never in Polska....SO...once i have bought the car what do i do as regrds registering it , making it legal etc....its an old car , and not been on the road a while...give me a clue somebody....?

Harry, I am studying in Politechnika Warszawska, and my university had to fill some papers too as to state I'm here as student. You think I can register in Kalisz even though I'm studying in Warsaw?

And also, they need to see my original passport/id, just see it by eye, they don't need to keep it but still that means I should be in Kalisz with my ID, isn't it? Because I'm of course not going to send by post my real ID :)

Don't know as never done the court way that inkrakow suggested. But getting a copy certified at a Public Notary is very easy. I would check at your local office just to be 100% sure that they will be happy with this though.

It will take a couple of weeks to get the registration - but you can get temporary number plates immediately if you need (although you have to pay extra for them). If I remember correctly the temporary plates last for 1 month and include insurance.


Don't worry it's not too bad - just go to the traffic department to register the car. You need ID and your zameldowanie. Couple of weeks later go back to get the documents and number plates. Insurance is cheap and easy to do.

I wrote a few articles on cars that might be of use: buying a car in Poland - Polish car insurance

Thats great...very usefull , thanks a lot.....

benszymanski, can I get instant temporary license plates for a used car? I don't think so, because the car has already registered plates... so any way to drive it while I wait for my registration and all the paperwork to be done?

Thanks for your help so far, it has been invaluable.

whether you need to change the plates depends on whether the old plates are from the same district as where you intend to register it. For example if you buy a car from Bielsko Bialy it will have an "SB" plate. But if you want to register it in Nowy Targ they will give you "KNT" plates. Normally you have a grace period of 30 days to sort this stuff out. If for some reason the car doesn't have plates or you want to export the car to say Germany (anywhere out of Poland but within EU) then you can get temporary plates. As you say you already have plates then you won't need to worry about that.

I presume they are local plates in which case you normally pay just to update the registration rather than issue new plates. You can drive on those plates while you wait for your registration. Just make sure you carry all your documents with you (such as temporary registration, sale contract for the car etc..)

Often the previous owner's insurance policy is still in effect on the car. Again you have a grace period to contact that company and transfer it to you, or cancel that policy and arrange your own. Check when you buy the car what the situation is.

Does anyone know if you need the contract to register a vehicle? I just bought a Polish registered motorcycle and the contract is in my name, but it will not be registered to me. Also, the bike is currently insured under the previous owner, will proof of insurance do as far as registering it?

I've got the rest of the documentation (book and reg card). Just was wondering about the contract and the insurance.

Thanks

Hello, I'm new to this site and i just wondered if somebody could help? I have read lots of threads on this topic and there are lots of valuble information but unfortunatly everybodys circumstances are different.. I am travelling from the UK to the Netherlands to purchase a vehicle then driving it to Nowy targ with my Girlfriend who is Polish, now living in England ..we are building a holiday home, i understand that the vehicle needs registering within one month.

The question is..as im at present still constructing the house would this class as an address to register the vehicle?
Do you think it may be easier for my girlfriend to register? if this is the case would she have to fill all the ownership documents in the Netherlands?

Many thanks

An owner has to have an address of course. The holiday home robably doesn't have an address yet because it was not registered - if it was, then there is no problem, give that address once you register yourself there in urzad gminy.

If you bought the car and have no registered address in Poland, then I think you can wait until you do, only that the car cannot be driven unregistered.

It does have an address but as yet no sign off certificate for completion of the building. my plan was to drive it from the Netherlands, put it in a garage and wait till i return in february when i will have more time to register it, does this sound feseable?

Thanks

Merged: Buying second hand car in Poland

i am a UK citizen currently living and working in Kraków, due to a change in flat it is beneficial to buy a car in Kraków. I have browsed various sites, gumtree, allegro for example, but road legal cars all go for 5K zl upwards? Is this normal for poland or am I looking in the wrong places? In the UK you could pick up a cheap run around for £100/200, so 500/1000zl . Is this even possible in Kraków? And if so where should I look?

You will not find a safe car for 100 / 200 quid in the UK, maybe a scrap car, but not one with a lengthy MOT or safe to drive.

A. That's not correct, last 3 cars I owned in the UK I got with MOT's for about £150, and
B. That's not a constructive answer.

Old cheap cars are cheaper in UK, because on average people can afford better, so there is lower demand for older cars and you have nowhere to sell them abroad, because steering wheel is on the wrong side. But I think you can find something for 3000zł

Anything at that price is going to be junk. Cars are more expensive here for the reasons stated above. If you pay less than 3000, you're risking your life. It's better to spend a minumum of 10000 at a dealership. They can show you the thickness of the paint with a little gizmo, so you know if it's had a crash, and they're less likely to spin a yarn than a private owner.

Actually, it is not entirely impossible to find a decent ride for say 6-10k PLN from a private seller - but it tends to be a time consuming task... I would look for non-hype makes such as Citroen, Renault, etc. from rather better off, older individuals... UK does have cheaper cars - but the road tax (>200GBP/YRfor an average 1.6L car v. 180pln ONE TIME fee due at registration in Poland) especially for the less fuel efficient cars, and insurance are way more expensive, ...

Silly advice with all respect Roger.

10 Grand at a "dealership" buys you a rust bucket with broken suspension here in Poland.

NEVER buy a used car from a Pole you don't know personally. No offence people.

I love a gamble, but know something after 25 years here. Sellers have a vastly inflated view of the worth of their motor, and Germany or France is your friend..

End of discussion AFAIAC


Yeah, sure. French cars are not made for:

Cold temperatures....

Polish roads.......

Go ahead by all means, and learn the hard way.

Best value in Poland if you must buy insist on buying second hand here is GM group in my view.

I don't know about cars, but here is some top 10 2nd hand cars for 5,000PLN:
moto.onet.pl/top-10-5-tysiecy-za-te-kwote-mozna-kupic-naprawde-dobre-auto/412cb
superauto24.se.pl/auto/jakie-auto-uzywane-ponizej-5-tysiecy-zlotych-10-najlepszych-ofert-samochodow_411359.html
porady.autotrader.pl/Porady_autotrader/56,133253,16019003,Najlepsze_samochody_do_5_tys__zl.html

Doug. I bought a 5-year-old Renault from a dealer for 12k. Three years later I can say I've had no problems. It has never not started in cold weather (minus 30), and there's no rust.

Please don't judge everyone by their 'old cars' I have a 1972 model worth 15-17,000 Euros, a 1986 model worth again circa 17,000 Euros and the third is a restored 1986 model worth...I have no idea really ?? 20,000Pln ballpark......OK they are all special vehicles.....but they are old, some people just don't believe me about the 1972...I have to show the build plate and it has never been restored, just reasonably well looked after....I love classic cars....I hope to add a ZUK to my collection one day.