Getting a Polish Driving Licence From Scratch

Researched from official sources · May 28, 2026

A Polish driving licence (prawo jazdy) is issued by your local county office, the starostwo powiatowe.

You first obtain a Candidate Driver Profile (PKK), pass a driver medical examination, complete a course, and pass the state theory and practical exams at a regional road-traffic centre (WORD), then pay the flat 100 zł issuing fee. For the common car category B the minimum age is 17, with Poland-only driving until you turn 18.

Estimated time

Several weeks to a few months, depending on driving-school availability and how quickly you can book an exam slot at the regional road-traffic centre

Cost

100 zł issuing fee, plus provider-set medical, course and exam costs

What You Need

Tap to check off items as you gather them

Additional Items

  • Trusted Profile (Profil Zaufany) if you want to submit the application online and sign it electronically
  • PKK number once issued — driving schools and the test centre use it to identify you
  • Psychological certificate (orzeczenie psychologiczne) — only for categories C1, C1+E, C, C+E, D1, D1+E, D, D+E

Step-by-Step

  1. 1

    Pass the Driver Medical Examination

    badania lekarskie

    1. Visit a physician who carries out driver assessments (*badania lekarskie*) and obtain your medical certificate (orzeczenie lekarskie) confirming no health contraindications to driving
    2. For higher categories (C1, C1+E, C, C+E, D1, D1+E, D, D+E), also obtain the psychological certificate (orzeczenie psychologiczne)
  2. 2

    Gather Your Documents

    1. Assemble the application form, the medical certificate, a current photograph, your identity document, and proof of address
    2. Foreigners bring a passport or residence card (karta pobytu); Polish citizens bring an ID card or passport
  3. 3

    Submit Your Application to the Issuing Authority

    starostwo powiatowe

    1. File the documents at your county office (starostwo powiatowe) where you live, or the city office (urząd miasta) if you live in a city with county rights, or your district office (urząd dzielnicy) if you live in Warsaw
    2. You can also apply online through the official driver portal info-car.pl, signing with a Trusted Profile (Profil Zaufany)
  4. 4

    Receive Your PKK Number

    1. The office generates your Candidate Driver Profile and issues a PKK number — a unique identifier for each candidate driver
    2. Keep this number safe; you will give it to your driving school and to the test centre

    💡 Tip: No driving school can enrol you and no test centre can examine you until you have your PKK (profil kandydata na kierowcę) number — get the PKK first.

  5. 5

    Take the Course and Exams

    egzamin

    1. Either enrol at a driving school (szkoła jazdy) for the theory and practical course (kurs), then sit both exams (*egzamin*) at the regional road-traffic centre (WORD)
    2. Or self-study, pass the theory exam at WORD first, then take the practical course at a driving school before the practical exam

    ⚠️ Watch out: Course, medical, and WORD exam fees are set by the providers and the regional centre, not the issuing office, so confirm prices directly with your driving school and local WORD before you commit.

  6. 6

    Let WORD Report Your Result

    1. After you pass the practical exam, the test centre sends your result electronically to your issuing office
    2. You do not need to deliver the exam result yourself
  7. 7

    Pay the Issuing Fee

    1. Pay 100 zł for issuing the licence, either at the office cashier or by bank transfer
    2. Deliver confirmation of the payment to the office
  8. 8

    Collect Your Licence

    prawo jazdy

    1. Pick up your finished driving licence in person, bringing your identity document
    2. If you chose postal delivery on the application form, the licence is sent to you by mail; where you held an earlier licence, the old document must be returned before the new one is released

What Could Go Wrong

Submit your application and receive your PKK number: A driving school refuses to enrol you because you have no PKK number

Recovery: Obtain the Candidate Driver Profile first — the county, city or district office generates the PKK when you submit your application with the medical certificate and other documents. No school can enrol you and no test centre can examine you until the PKK exists.

Take the course and exams at WORD: You cannot find a single published national price for the medical exam, the course, or the exams

Recovery: These costs are set by the providers and the regional road-traffic centre, so no national figure is published. Ask your chosen driving school and local WORD directly for their current rates before committing.

Collect your licence: The office will not release a new licence because you still hold an older one

Recovery: Return the old licence document to the office; where you held an earlier licence, the old document must be surrendered before the new one is released.

Costs

Item Amount Payment Notes
Driving licence issuance zł100 Office cashier or bank transfer Flat fee for issuing the licence, set by ministerial regulation. The driver medical examination, driving-school course, and exam fees are set by the providers and the regional road-traffic centre and are not included.
Driving licence issuance zł100
Payment:
Office cashier or bank transfer
Notes:
Flat fee for issuing the licence, set by ministerial regulation. The driver medical examination, driving-school course, and exam fees are set by the providers and the regional road-traffic centre and are not included.
Total: zł100

FAQ

General

What is the PKK and why do I need it first?

The Candidate Driver Profile (profil kandydata na kierowcę) is the electronic record that identifies you in the licensing system. No driving school can enrol you and no test centre can examine you until you have your PKK number, so it is the first thing you obtain — the county, city or district office generates it when you submit your application.

Do I have to take a course before sitting the exams?

There are two routes to the same result. You can complete a driving-school course (kurs) covering both theory and practice and then sit both exams at the regional road-traffic centre (WORD); or you can self-study, pass the theory exam at WORD first, and then take the practical course at a driving school. Either route ends with the practical exam at WORD.

I already hold a foreign driving licence — do I have to do all of this from scratch?

Not necessarily. If you hold a valid licence issued by an EU or EFTA member state, you do not have to exchange it and may drive on it until it expires, applying for a Polish licence only when it expires, is lost or stolen; licences issued under the Geneva (1949) or Vienna (1968) road-traffic conventions can be exchanged for a Polish one without retaking exams, while holders of other foreign licences must pass the theory part of the state exam, and you need at least 185 days of residence in Poland to apply. Exchanging an existing licence is a separate procedure from the from-scratch process described here, handled by the same office for the same 100 zł fee.

Where can I check the status of my application?

You can track the progress of your case on the official driver portal info-car.pl by entering your PKK number, first name and surname.

Can I really get a category B licence at 17?

Yes. For the common car category B the minimum age is 17. Until you complete your 18th year, however, a category B licence is valid only within the territory of Poland. The same Poland-only restriction until 18 applies to categories A2, B+E and C1.

After This Process

  • → Track your case status on info-car.pl using your PKK number, first name and surname
  • → Buy mandatory third-party motor insurance before driving
  • → If you also hold a foreign licence, check separately whether you need to exchange it

Sources

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More in Poland

5 sources cited last accessed 2026-05-28

T1 official portal · T2 embassy/consulate · T3 news · T4 community — higher tier wins on conflict. methodology →

  1. T1
    Ministerstwo Infrastruktury (Ministry of Infrastructure) — gov.pl 2026-05-28

    The procedure to obtain a Polish driving licence runs in nine steps: pass the driver medical examination, gather documents, submit the application to the issuing authority, receive the Candidate Driver Profile (PKK) number, take the course and exams, WORD reports the result, pay the 100 zł issuing fee ('100 zł za wydanie prawa jazdy'), submit proof of payment, and collect the licence. The licence is issued by the county office ('urzędzie starostwa powiatowego w swoim miejscu zamieszkania'), the city office if you live in a city with county rights ('urzędzie miasta – jeśli mieszkasz w mieście na prawach powiatu'), or the district office if you live in Warsaw ('urzędzie dzielnicy – jeśli mieszkasz w Warszawie'). The PKK is defined as the data set that identifies a person who wants to obtain a driving licence ('zestaw danych, które identyfikują osobę, która chce uzyskać prawo jazdy'); processing of the PKK ranges from immediate to up to two months, and licence issuance from up to nine working days to up to two months. The framework is the Act of 5 January 2011 on Vehicle Drivers (Ustawa z dnia 5 stycznia 2011 r. o kierujących pojazdami).

    gov.pl
  2. T1
    gov.pl service catalogue (Driving licence categories), updated 08.04.2026 2026-05-28

    For the common car category B the minimum age is 17 years; until you complete your 18th year you may drive only within the territory of Poland ('do czasu ukończenia 18 lat możesz kierować pojazdem wyłącznie na terytorium RP'). The same Poland-only-until-18 restriction applies to categories A2, B+E and C1. Other minimum ages include AM 14, A1 16, B1 16, A 20 (with A2 held two years) or 24, C and D1 21, and D 24.

    gov.pl
  3. T1
    Ministerstwo Infrastruktury (Ministry of Infrastructure) — gov.pl 2026-05-28

    Holders of a valid driving licence issued by an EU or EFTA member state do not have to exchange it for a Polish one ('nie musisz wymieniać go na polskie prawo jazdy') and may drive on it until it expires, applying for a Polish licence only on expiry, loss or theft. Licences issued under the Geneva (1949) or Vienna (1968) conventions can be exchanged without retaking exams; holders of other foreign licences must pass the theory part of the state exam. Applicants must have lived in Poland for at least 185 days ('mieszkasz w Polsce już od minimum 185 dni'). The exchange fee is 100 zł, handled by the same county, city or district office.

    gov.pl
  4. T1
    Polska Wytwórnia Papierów Wartościowych S.A. (PWPW) — info-car.pl 2026-05-28

    info-car.pl is the official driver portal, operated by Polska Wytwórnia Papierów Wartościowych ('Właścicielem portalu info-car.pl jest Polska Wytwórnia Papierów Wartościowych'). Applicants can check the status of their case by entering the PKK number, first name and surname, and can complete the PKK application online with an electronic identity means such as a Trusted Profile (Profil Zaufany), supplying documents in digital form and signing electronically.

    info-car.pl
  5. T1
    Sejm RP / Dziennik Urzędowy (ISAP/ELI record DU/2025/953) 2026-05-28

    The 100 zł issuing fee is set by the Regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure of 9 July 2025 on the amount of fees for issuing documents confirming entitlement to drive vehicles (Rozporządzenie Ministra Infrastruktury z dnia 9 lipca 2025 r. w sprawie wysokości opłat za wydanie dokumentów stwierdzających uprawnienia do kierowania pojazdami, Dz.U. 2025 poz. 953), in force since 1 August 2025, status obowiązujący — not by the Act of 5 January 2011 on Vehicle Drivers, which establishes only that the procedure exists and who runs it.

    api.sejm.gov.pl
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