How To Get A Polish License Plate For An Imported Vehicle

When importing your car to Poland, you need to register and get a Polish license plate for it. Below are some guidelines to follow to get your Polish license plates.

How Does The Polish Car Registration System Work?

In Poland, your imported car must be registered within 30 days to avoid fines. To register your imported vehicle, you need to go to the Department of Communication office in your region (the powiat office).

Before going to the registry office, make sure your car has a valid technical inspection (badanie techniczne).

Additionally, you will need some documents which include:

• Vehicle registration application
• ID card with visa or residence card (passport is acceptable)
• Proof of vehicle ownership (contract, VAT invoice, or final judgment)
• Registration documents
• Vehicle history card (if available)
• Proof of excise duty paid
• Certificate of technical inspection
• Proof of stamp duty
• Certificate of Conformity:

The European Certificate of Conformity (COC) is issued by the manufacturer or an authorized representative, stating that the vehicle complies with European road requirements.

Certificates of conformity are issued by manufacturers, but EUROCOC stands in the gap for you by helping you get your COC faster.

• Proof of provisional registered address in Poland:

All Poland residents, whether citizens or foreigners receive a registration certificate to prove their residency.

• Proxy form:

This form is for your proxy if you have one, such as someone who helps you with the Polish language.

Your vehicle registration application and documents must be submitted along with confirmation of stamp duty payment. You can also apply for the registration online through the City Hall website or you can apply by mail.

All documents must be original and in Polish (for other languages, a certified translation must be attached).

How To Apply For Polish Number Plates?

After registration is complete, you will receive a temporary permit not valid for more than 30 days, a license sticker, and Polish number plates.

Before the 30-day limit expires, you will need to return to get your permanent vehicle registration certificate. You can use this online tool to check the availability of your registration certificate.

Fees

The basic fees for vehicle registration in Poland are:

• Registration certificate: €11.38
• License sticker: €3.9
• Permanent license plates: €16.85
• Vehicle card: €15.8
• Temporary permit: €2.84
• Validation sticker: €2.63
• Registration fee: €0.53

The total amount is €53.93 or PLN 256 (the official currency of Poland).

What Do Polish Car Number Plates Look Like?

The Polish number plate uses standard black lettering on a white background.

In most European countries, including Poland, the common size for license plates is 520 mm x 110 mm (20.5 inches x 4.3 inches).

As a mark of EU membership, the EU flag is shown on the left side of Polish license plates as a blue stripe decorated with a circle of 12 yellow stars. Below the flag are the letters ‘PL’, which is the international vehicle registration code for Poland.

Format Of Polish Number Plates

The registration number on a Polish license plate is split into two groups that are separated by a gap:

• First Group – Powiat

The first section of the registration number is the Powiat code, and it contains either two or three characters (XY or XYZ). The first character of the powiat code is the powiat’s voivodeship.

• Second Group – Combination of a series of letters and numbers

The second group of the registration number is a serial combination of numbers and allowed letters, giving a total of four or five characters.

The letters allowed in the second group on Polish number plates include all letters of the alphabet except the letters B, D, I, O, and Z, as they can be confused with numbers. The letter Q is not used in the Polish language.

However, the excluded letters listed above, including the letter Q, can be used on customized plates.

The Polish plate is made valid by two hologram stickers fixed to the license plate and an adhesive sticker bearing the license plate number on the inside of the windshield.

For vehicles that use only one plate, the registration papers must be accompanied by a second plate.

What Types Of Polish License Plates Exist?

Special Polish license plates are reserved for owners of electric cars, classic cars, testing vehicles, and diplomatic vehicles.

For example, electric car plates have a light green background instead of a white background. Also, testing vehicles make use of plates with red text on a white background, instead of black text.

Polish Custom Number Plates

You can customize your Polish plates in the format:  X1 JKLMN. Custom plates cost over €200 and have the following limits:

• 3 to 5 characters are allowed after the gap
• Only letters are allowed for the first character
• All letters must be used before numbers (no intermixing)
• Numbers are allowed for not more than the last two characters
• All Latin letters aside from ‘Q’ are allowed
• The plates must not contain offensive content

COC Availability Checker

You can check your COC availability by inserting
the VIN into our new COC availability checker.

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