What is the registration process when buying a car from a previous owner?
After you buy a car in Poland, it has to be registered at your city/town hall, at the vehicle registration department, within 30 days. But first there are a few prerequisites that you have to meet.
- Before you visit the registration office ensure that the vehicle has a valid technical inspection / roadworthiness test (badanie techniczne), which for cars older than 3 years is valid 12 months. If the technical inspection is invalid, you only need to visit the closest “stacja kontroli pojazdów” and get your car checked.
- You also have to get insurance (OC – civil liability), if the vehicle is not already insured. It’s up to you to choose the insurance company, but you can also hire an insurance adviser to help you find the best deal available on the market. The insurance deals are signed for 12 months.
- You have 30 days after the purchase to visit your town hall and get your vehicle registered. Remember to take the licence plates and all the documents (including your own ID, stay permit and registration document) with you. The old licence plates and the car registration document (dowód rejestracyjny) will be taken from you and you’ll get new ones.
You’ll get the licence plates immediately after submitting the application, but you’ll have to wait maximum another 30 days for the issuing of the new documents (you’ll be able to use temporary ones during that time). You can check if the documents are ready to be picked up here (unfortunately, in Polish). - At the closest tax revenue office (Urząd Skarbowy) you have to submit a filled-out PCC-3 form and pay tax in the amount of 2% of the car value. You have 14 days after the purchase to do it, but it’s not necessary to do it before the registration.
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| Document | Polish name | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Technical inspection | Badanie techniczne | A stamp with a due date in your car registration document is a confirmation of the inspection |
| Car registration document | Dowód rejestracyjny | Includes the most important information about your car and proves that you’re its owner (when the police stop you on the road for example) |
| Sale/purchase agreement | Umowa kupna/sprzedaży | The agreement you sign when buying a car |
| Vehicle card | Karta pojazdu | Includes technical specifications of the vehicle and all its owners |
| Registration application | Wniosek rejestracji | Fill out and take with you to the vehicle registration office |
| Insurance slip | Kwit opłaty za ubezpieczenie | Proves that your car is insured |
| Your ID or passport | Dowód osobisty lub paszport | You’ll have to show it to the registration office employee |
| Stay permit | Karta pobytu | If you’re not a Polish citizen you at least need to be allowed to live here (you get this at the voivodship immigration office) |
| Residence registration document | Poświadczenie zameldowania | This document proves that you live in Poland (you get this from your local town hall) |
Car registration takes up quite a lot of time, and also, unfortunately, quite a lot of money. The technical inspection would cost you about a 100PLN, the registration about 250PLN, and tax and insurance costs might be even higher. So if you’re considering getting yourself a car, keep in mind that it won’t only be the car price that you’ll have to pay.
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Hi, here’s a twist: I’ve lost my car papers (stolen). I still have the booklet (Karta Pojazdu). What are the steps to replace the Dowód rejestracyjny (get a duplicate)?
Thanks!
Hello!
We bought a car (Audi A5) which is registered in Poland as a truck. Will we face any problem to register it? should we pay any taxes if we want to change it to a normal car?
Look to buy an old Merc in Poland and ship to Australia.
Does any one know the ramifications ? can i skip registering it ?
Who is best company to do a car check on my behalf.
also does anyone have any hints on exporting from poland ? Is there a company that can manage the whole process ?
hello
I am considering buying a used truck and drive around europe(convert it to a motorhome along the way). I have a base in germany and france. where would it be best to register the truck eg. running cost ?
thanks for your help
Do I need karta pobytu as a EU citizen registering a car in Poland or is zameldowanie sufficient?
I am an Erasmus+ traineeship student in Katowice and I am going to stay here for 6 months. I would like to buy a used car.
But I do not have pesel number and residence permit. I only registered my accommodation from the city hall.
Is it possible for me to buy a car without pesel number and residence permit? Also I would like to sell the car in Poland before I leave. Is it also possible?
Can you please tell me, what documents need to check before buying a used car in poland
how can i find the previous polish owner of my motorbike? i’ve only the polish license plate number and VIN of the motorbike.thanks
This website should help https://historiapojazdu.gov.pl/strona-glowna
they don’t put owner’s name. is there an institutional office for making the request? has it a website?
It seems to be an official government website. Maybe you could try with the town hall where the vehicle was previously registered, but I wouldn’t hope for much, they might be prohibited from revealing such data.
Great post! Hope you can help me, what is the difference between brutto and netto in the car prices? How do I know the final price I have to pay? Thanks in advance!
Brutto price includes tax, and netto price does not. When you’re buying a car from a dealer or a company, the brutto price might include 23% VAT.
Thank you very much! Honestly, I thought it was the other way around, Brutto without tax and Netto including tax, so it was good you clarified my question. Another question, do you know if there is people who can help me to see a car and the papers to buy confidently? Of course, as a service and paying for that. Thanks again Agnieszka!
To be frank, I haven’t heard of anyone providing such services. People in Poland would normally ask a friend for help. Maybe someone like a professional car expert, someone who used to work for an insurance company for example. I really don’t know.
Thanks for the great article! I have a couple of questions if possible: Do I have to keep Karta Poajazdu in the car or should I keep it at home? Where is the Badanie techniczne? Is it included in the Dowód rejestracyjny?
Antonio, you do not need Karta Pojazdu with you, it’s mostly useful when servicing the car. You need, however, to keep Dowód Rejestracyjny with you, as it is always checked when you’re pulled over. When you get a confirmation of having had the technical inspection, you get a stamp in it. Due date for the next inspection should be written there too.
Thank-you! 🙂