Buying an export car from UK (VAT-free) and importing it into Poland

I have just quit my job and I have bought a flat in Lodz. I own the flat, no mortgage and I have applied to register my stay in Poland.

I hope to the register my address for a 5 year stay.
Then I will start looking for a new job.

I am looking to buy an export Car from UK (VAT Free) and import it into Poland.
I am struggling to find information on how much Import Tax / VAT would be due on this car to register it in Poland.

Does anybody know where I can look to work out these costs?

If its Right hand drive dont bother it will be too much hassle they wont let you register you cant see properly at junctions you will be stuck behind tractors lorries buses alot and wont be able to overtake safely buy a car in germany and import from there much less hassle

I have RHD now and I am buying LHD in UK.

I'm just looking at costs of importing a car that I have not paid any tax on in UK.

Its approx €22,000.

is it registered in the uk if so just put a year mot and insure it in uk for a year get unlimited european coverage after you have owned it for one year you wont have to pay any tax to register it in poland you will have to pay for a vehicle check and transfer fee for polish plates under £100 all in

To buy tax free I must export the car to Poland. Also I want to live in Poland and sever all ties in the UK except my family.

I am trying to work out the costs involved in exporting the car to Poland to see if buying in Poland is cheaper.
I need to make a decision in the next week to get the delivery.

I want a LHD car, registered and insured in Poland. How much will importing a brand new €22,000 car with no tax paid on it within the EU before registering the car in Poland?

if your buying brand new buy in poland it will include all registration and tax if you own the car less than 1 year than import tax will apply then you have to waste a day registering and getting paperwork done

but how much will the import tax and VAT be for a car in Poland.
I can waste a day if it saves me 5000pln.

The car brand new in Poland is 124,000pln. The car in UK would be 94,000pln.

Would import tax and VAT to register the car cost 30,000pln?

I would like to know how they calculate what tax I must pay to bring a car to Poland?
I don't need advice on a better way to do this, I would like an answer to my question.

Perhaps - as I recall, the engine size has a direct influence on the taxation. I seem to recall that cars over 2 litres have a fairly crippling level of excise duty applied to them.

Probably the best bet would be to contact a Customs clearance agent and ask them - they'll probably be able to give you a definitive answer.

Do they work in the Urzad celny? Or the Urzad skarbowy?

Its a 2 ltr ecoflex diesel engine.

We were chatting before, are you still in Poznan? I have finally bought my flat in Lodz. Only taken 4 years.

Normally, any decent Customs clearance would have very close links with the Urzad Celny. I'd recommend - if I was importing a car - to try and find one at Swiecko.

What you want to look for is something like "Agencja Celna" at TTOC Swiecko - for instance - emsped.com.pl/kontakt

I'd recommend clearing the car into the EU (and Poland) there for the simple reason that it's a convenient location and that there are a lot of agents there that you can use - you just need to make sure to arrive there with the car during normal office hours.

Nothing stops you clearing the car into Poland somewhere else, but if you plan on transporting it yourself, it might be best to do it somewhere where they're not going to muck you around.

I will be driving the car as it will be registered in UK as an export car with UK plates.

I was hoping to register it in Lodz but get all the details of costs now before I order the car.

The thing that makes me slightly suspicious about this is that if it was easy and economically sensible, more than a few of the million+ Poles who have lived in the UK since EU accession would have done exactly the same thing.

Would they really be buying new cars, though?

Yes, if only to flog the things on (with delivery mileage only) for well below what the dealerships here can offer.

They are not in the same circumstance as me so would not be able to do it.

I am legally entitled to do this and was just after the costs involved.

Hmm, I know more than a few Poles who moved back to Poland after emigrating to the USA / Canada / Australia who bought tax-free cars.

Still not the same circumstances as me.
There are very few, if not no others, in the exact same circumstances as I am where this could be more economically viable than any other purchase.

That's because it makes no economical sense, why import a new car from the UK when you can buy a motor from Germany which is older than 6 months, has more than 6,000 km on the clock and you save 25-30% on the price of a new motor in Poland.

because I can get a brand new vehicle with a 160,000 km warranty without the hastle of trying to buy a second hand car in Germany when I don't speak any German.

In the long run, my approach is cheaper than going to Germany to get what you say.

Stop second guessing my circumstances and saying what is better.
Just accept it makes more sense to do things this way for ME in MY exact circumstances!!

Quite frankly my friend I don't give two hoots about your situation, nor do I wish to second guess you, I was responding to Harry's statement.


UK and Polish dealers may not offer the same warranty, when you register your car in Poland you will be subject to Polish warranty conditions, unless you wish to drive back to the UK.


Polish dealers and buyers must all be wrong...Nearly all German dealers speak English so language is not an issue, also registering export cars in Germany is very simple and can be done in a couple of hours inclusive of insurance.

So Steveramsfam have you considered buying the car outright in the UK, then registering the motor as a temporary foreigners motor in Poland with no VAT/Duty to pay?

That changed a while back - warranties must now be honoured EU-wide. Buy a product in the UK with a UK guarantee, and you must have it honoured in Poland.

you would need to pay vat in the registering country here its 23%
then you would pay import tax at 10%

so 33% of 22000euro is 7260Euro making 29260euro or 125580pln plus you have the added hassle of waiting around all day in the town hall doing the paperwork

so because you still need to pay vat somewhere it makes it more expensive than buying in poland

was a nice idea in theory but like most ideas doesn't work in practice

I have imported a car into Poland and of course EU wide warranty applies all cars can be checked by their VIN, The problem may occur if the warranty in the UK is outside terms and conditions of the standard warranty provided by dealers in Poland. When you import a car to Poland the insurance broker will write down the value of your car by 10% as import.As Harry previously pointed out if there was a rub on buying LHD in the UK and registering in Poland to save money, they would all be doing it.

oh man, just reading this journey makes me wonder whether to buy a car at all....

first things first, I will get to Lodz and see what it is the best thing to do...

in any case, reading everything on this thread has enlighted me....

I am trying to find out the process for registering a car in Poland and paying Tax.

I have emailed the Road Transport Office to see if anyone can answer my query.

The Warranty terms and conditions are for UK only as Vauxhall and Opel are not technically the same company.
(I read the terms and conditions as I have a RHD version at the moment)

I have bought a car in Germany before and most places I went didn't speak English and it was not an easy process.
I have enough time to sit waiting for Polish Paperwork, that is no issue either.


If that is how it works, this would still save me money on buying the same car in Poland so it would work in theory.

I cannot give my RHD car in part exchange in Poland but I can in UK.

All I wanted was how the process of importing and registering a car works in Poland.
Then I can make an informed decision on what would be cheapest in MY EXACT SITUATION which is different to everybody else.

I see your part exing the old car yeah that wont work in poland

you would need to drive it over on export plates go to a swore translator to translate all documents realating to the car pay the import tax and vat at the customs and excise office than have the polish mot done then the real fun begins you will be sent from office to office in the town hall until someone stamps the papers and issues you some number plates and a window sticker then you need to get insurance then you watch as 35% of the value falls off the car in a matter of weeks and if its badged as vauxhall and on the papers its vauxhall when it comes to selling it people will offer you less as they will think its been converted to lhd in a garage by a guy that looks like super mario

I have bought 15 new cars and 1 second hand car. I have never lost 35% or more on the value of any of them.

This car I want to keep until it falls apart so selling on is no worry.
I have driven in Poland for over 4 years, most of that with a LHD car because I know a RHD car is no good off the motorways in Poland.

I have 3 sworn translators who are my friends so that is not a problem either.

When the office reply with the exact process I will let you all know what was said.
Until I am told exactly how much it will all cost I will not know if I will save money or not.

As an Englishman living in Poland, can I travel to Germany, buy a used car (under 2 litres) there and drive it back to Poland, pay 2 or 3% duty, and register it here in Poland?

Would I be able to insure it in Germany for my journey back to Poland prior to re-registration?

Yes

If I bought a car at a dealer would I have to pay German VAT and therefore no VAT in Poland or could I pay ex VAT in Germany and then pay VAT on the price I paid here in Poland?