On the spot payment with Police (ticket) in Poland?

So, I was pulled over for speeding last week, I'm not going to moan about it because I was speeding and I deserve to pay a penalty, which I did on the spot 500pln,

The question I have is, Do the Police always make foreigners pay on the spot? can't I get a ticket on credit like natives? I have residency here, pesel, NIP etc... but no ID card.

I don't always carry 500PLN around with me to pay off Police so what are my options? Next time I get pulled over short of 500PLN will I be taken away to prison if I can't pay immediately?

Any advice would be appreciated!

Yes.


No, you should be asked to drive along to the nearest bank.


You should obtain an ID card, and if you decide to stay in Poland then you should register yourself a Polish citizen. This will solve most of your problems.


Try not to exceed the speed limit next time?

;)

You can't get an ID card as an EU national - we get a piece of A5 paper instead.


The law is a mess with this - my understanding is that they cannot force someone with valid Polish residency to pay on the spot - but the amount of hassle involved to prove your residency makes it probably easier to simply pay on the spot rather than have to wait around while phone calls are made, etc, etc.


No, not necessarily. They can escort you to the nearest cash machine, or if that fails, they might be happy to take you home so you can get the cash. Or of course, they might just give up trying to communicate with the foreigner and let you go - but generally speaking, there are options. But as with so many things here, it depends on the mood of the officer on the day - but you can certainly be taken to the nearest cash machine to pay up.

Be warned - if you gave them your PESEL, then you'll have points added to your license. The Polish system links penalty points to the PESEL rather than the licence - which is how they can ban foreigners without much fuss. Whether or not foreign countries will recognise a ban for running up points is another question.

Always, always, always carry 200zl with you when driving. Make sure it is two 50zl notes and one 100 and is kept folded up in the registration document. When you get pulled, consider what you've done and either remove the 100 or leave it there. When asked for your documents, hand it over: you'll either get it back less the cash or asked "What's this?", to which you reply "I always keep that money with my car documents and separate from my wallet. If I lose my wallet I still have enough money for a tank of petrol to get me home from most places. You didn't think I was trying to bribe you, did you? 100zl wouldn't be anything like enough of a bribe, would it!"

sneaky devil:)

Sorry but there is such a thing, a Karta pobytu and it is recognised as ID and I can travel with it too. Just came back from UK using it

There are still some people that have it, but they're not issuing new ones to EU nationals. More importantly, what were they letting you travel on the Karta Pobytu for? It's not a valid travel document and is only valid in conjunction with your passport. It's also not enough to be legally recognised in Poland as ID - though the interpretation of this is, as always, inconsistent. As far as I can gather, the general consensus is that it is acceptable unless someone wants to make life awkward for you.

The document is "zaświadczenie o zarejestrowaniu pobytu obywatela unii europejskiej" - which is what's now issued. It just isn't possible to get an ID card anymore - I know, I've tried!

(why Poland can't copy Estonia's example and issue an ID card for EU citizens which is valid for travel within the EU is entirely beyond me)

You mean the Karta Pobytu Obywatela, the card that is no longer being issued to EU citizens? I'd love to have another one of those (lost mine a couple of years back).

Me too, I'd love to have something useful and credit card sized rather than the hassle of carrying around my passport to do mundane things.

I can only assume that Poland had a case of UK-itis and decided to interpret EU regulations in a stupid way!

Within the European Union, identity cards meeting a European standard can also be used by European citizens as a travel document in place of a passport. During the UK Presidency of the EU in 2005 a decision was made to agree common standards for security features and secure issuing procedures for ID cards, (December 2005.) with detailed standards agreed as soon as possible thereafter.

Every Polish citizen over 18 who is resident in Poland must have an Identity Card (Dowód osobisty?) issued by the local administration. Other Polish citizens may obtain it on a voluntary basis.


You should obtain your ID card in the region you are registered as citizen in the local administration. You'll then have a valid identification in all of Europe. (You can also choose to register yourself as a Polish citizen if you decide to settle in Poland.)

;)

They don't give ID cards to EU nationals though, just Polish nationals :P The logic is that most EU citizens already have an ID card and don't need a second. EU nationals are issued with a piece of A5 paper that confirms their registration of residence - which is useless for identification requirements.

I have my blue "zaświadczenie o zarejestrowaniu pobytu obywatela unii europejskiej"
document,

Is this in conjunction with my passport enough to prove to a Police officer I am resident in Poland?

and thanks to everyone for the advice,=)

^ Yes, provided you've got a maldunek to go with them. Frankly a 100zl note will work better nine times out of ten.

I liked your idea above harry i'll have to remember to slip a 100 pln note in with my docs. i can confirm it works as on my very first driving experience in Poland back in 2003, i was pulled and the old back hander payed dividends, some swift talking by my wife of course. The Police man was on his own so that helped a bit.

What advice do you have for a someone with a Polish passport?

If you're living in Poland and don't have a Polish ID card, my advice is to get a Polish ID card pronto. There is a general obligation for Polish citizens to have an ID card if resident in Poland, so not having one (and yet being resident) could get you into a bit of a fix.

Good question actually - I think they would treat someone with a Polish passport (but not an ID card) as not being resident - and thus on the spot fine.

thank you delphiandomine.

This called a 'shakedown' in the USA...Make sure you get a receipt.

the best thing to do when ever you see the Police is hit the breaks like a madman, get down to 50 kmh asap and youll be just fine. Thats what i do anyway ive clocked up around 80,000 miles and never been caught since living here. Been pulled twice though for randoms.

Every reply you've given me so far is complete and utter ********, but I suspect you're going to make up another clever reply when I tell you that your driving license will suffice as idenfication aswell?

:)

Of course he will hes a nerd, do everything by the book type of guy. Slave to the system and all that.

If you want factual advice listen to Harry imo, he has both sides of the coin.

Delph is right with what he said in what you quoted in post 20, Arien. However, many ID card corporations are chafing at the bit to introduce ID cards in the future. Many want RfiD chips to be introduced and it will be big business.

What part of "they do not issue ID cards to non-Polish EU nationals" is so difficult to understand?

I could make it even simpler for you -

The Polish State does not issue identification cards to non-Polish EU nationals resident in Poland for a period longer than 3 months. Instead, a piece of paper, called "zaświadczenie o zarejestrowaniu pobytu obywatela unii europejskiej" - is issued instead. You cannot obtain an ID card in Poland as a non-Polish EU national - you have to obtain citizenship.

If you want to split hairs further, the residence cards issued to non-EU nationals are not ID cards as they aren't valid travel documents - and they are actually only valid in conjunction with your passport. They are accepted and seen as equal to a Polish ID card by many people, but they aren't the same thing.

A driving licence doesn't suffice as identification in Poland either. For a start, there's no mention of your citizenship on the licence, and it isn't a valid travel document either.

Why are you persisting with posting misleading information?

Not if it's the old style British one: those things don't even have a photo on them! Worth their weight in gold though, plodski tend to just take one look and then realise they really can't be arsed with working out what info they need to extract to put on a ticket for you.

A foreign driver must pay in cash if he/she doesn`t have a permanent address in Poland. If they don`t possess the required cash, the police officer can accept credit card payment coz they have those terminals in their cars. If the fine isn`t paid, the police CAN detain the driver and involve the court in the case.

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