Taking a classic car from the US to Poland / Registration process

Hello.

I am from Norway but i live in Krakow.

I have bougth a 1967 Pontiac GTO from California and had it shipped to Gdynia.

So last Friday i was up in Gdynia to take it. and the all the problems started.

I had in front of this had several conversations with the shipping agency me and my Polish friends. And the deal was that for a veteran car you Pay arround 1500 Zloty in the customs for release. Becuse i just wat to have the car here for renovation and the i later will sell it (becuse i have 2).

So when i got to the shipping agecy the said i had to have a special paper from a specialist in Krakow that say this car is old. if i dont have this i have to pay full TAX/VAT 12000 Zloty.

and i only had my visacard from Norway but after 3 houers in 4 diffrent offices the shipping agency took 7000 Zloty from me that i got out from a bakomat as a deposit becuse they made a trasit document so i culd take the car to the customs i Krakow. so after 5 houers in Gdynia we could drive back to Krakow with the car. But the driver had to fill in some papers that he will bring the car and all the carparts that was with the car to the coustoms in Krakow. So today we was at the coustoms in Krakow and we had to unload the car there at the customs. So 2 diffrent people can come and look at the car and take photos and say its old. (becuse the orginal title issued på the state of California it says that it a 1967 model but that doesnt matter) so now i dont know what is happening maby i have to go to sobody with some good vodka and some cash:) But i have been in so many offices i have so many papers alot of stamps and signatures..and i guess it will come alot more

Now money won't help. The trick is to get the bribe in before the paperwork trail starts. Now they won't take bribes because there's too much paperwork that they'd need to explain away.

Why didn't you speak to the customs office first. After all they are the folks u have to pay.


Welcome to Poland.

I talked to Alot of people offices,agents ect. Everybody said that NEXT TIME TAKE IT TO BREMENHAVEN:)

But i have some good people to help me arround that is not taking the legal way all the time:)

Holy Christ.. I'm sorry this is just embarrasing this guy has to go to all this trouble and rip offs just to get a car.

And the news now if the Konservator from Krakow coms and says its an antik i can not take it out of Poland becuse i only own 99% of it and 1% is the Polish goverment.

Becuse my plan was to renovate it and sell it in Norway.

You should have just left the GTO with me in California, I would gave taken good care of the car for you, lol.

what in the hell?? how is that?

I know this is an old post I'm reviving but I have heard it's true that if you own a classic car or motorbike and register it as classic, the Polish government then claims part ownership of your vehicle. I was warned by my Polish friends to not register my classic vehicles that I brought into the country as classics or this would happen. So I registered them with normal registrations.

But that brings in another problem. It is impossible to buy a comprehensive insurance policy for them as they are over 5 years old (actually more than 40 years old) but they are not registered as classics. Only 3rd party is available to buy, which I did. But I would feel much better with full, comprehensive insurance cover.

I won't register them as classics as I won't allow any government to claim any percent ownership of my property. It's a classic Catch 22!

a) Limitation on ownership rights only applies to vehicles made before 1945 and even then the limitation is only that you need permission to export the vehicle.

b) You most certainly can get fully comp insurance on vehicles which are more than five years old. I know because I've got it (from Aviva Direct).

Thank you for that, Harry. I will check with Aviva and if needed I can change the reg to classic as both bikes are from 1969.