Before you start

A valid foreign driving licence
PESEL and a registered Kraków address
A translation by a sworn translator (tłumacz przysięgły), not an ordinary one
A vehicle meeting the emission standard, if you intend to drive inside the zone

Step-by-step

1
Work out whether you need to do anything at all
EU and EEA licences are mutually recognised and never need exchanging. Non-EU licences run out of validity in Poland six months after you take up residence, and the clock starts at residence rather than at your first drive.
OnlineWho: You
2
Get a sworn translation
Only a tłumacz przysięgły — a court-registered translator with a stamp and a register number — produces an accepted translation. A professionally translated document without that stamp is refused at the counter, and this is the most common reason an exchange is rejected.
In personWho: YouTypically PLN 60–150
3
Apply at the city transport department
Applications go to the Wydział Ewidencji Pojazdów i Kierowców of the Kraków city office, with the licence, the sworn translation, a photograph, PESEL and proof of address.
In personWho: YouPLN 100 for the licence
4
Sit the theory exam if your country is outside the conventions
Convention-country holders exchange without a driving test. Everyone else needs a PKK candidate profile generated by the city first, then the theory exam at WORD Kraków — which can be taken in English.
In personWho: You
5
Check your car against the clean transport zone before you buy or import
The zone covers roughly 60% of Kraków including the entire centre. Vehicles registered outside Kraków that fail the standard may enter on a paid basis only until the end of 2028. Enforcement is automatic and the fine is PLN 500.
OnlineWho: You
6
Surrender the original licence on exchange
The foreign document is handed in and returned to the issuing authority. You cannot hold both, which matters if you plan to move on again.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Foreign driving licence
Sworn Polish translation of it
PESEL confirmation and residence document
Photograph to Polish specification
Medical certificate, where required by category or age

Things most newcomers don’t know

The clean transport zone is live and it changes what car is worth owning here.

Kraków's first attempt was annulled by an administrative court in January 2024; the replacement resolution took effect on 1 January 2026 across about 60% of the city, camera-enforced, PLN 500 per breach. Non-compliant vehicles registered outside Kraków can buy entry only through a transitional window ending in 2028. An old diesel that is fine in Wrocław or Gdańsk is a liability here.

Source: City of Kraków — Strefa Czystego Transportu

The six-month clock starts when you become resident, not when you first drive.

A non-EU licence stops being valid in Poland six months after you establish residence, whether or not you have driven on it. The consequence people miss is insurance: driving on a licence that has lapsed for Polish purposes can leave a claim unpaid, which is a far worse outcome than the fine.

Source: Polish road traffic law

An ordinary translation is not a translation for this purpose.

Poland recognises only sworn translators, a specific legal profession with a ministry registration number and a physical stamp. A fluent professional translation, or one done by your employer's HR team, will be handed straight back. It costs very little to do correctly and it is the single most frequent reason an exchange application fails at the desk.

Source: gov.pl — exchange of a foreign licence

Most people who exchange the licence in Kraków never buy a car.

The tram network reaches almost everywhere, the old town is pedestrianised, paid-parking zones now cover most of the inner districts, and the emission zone sits on top of all of it. The realistic pattern is exchanging so you can use car-sharing and rent for weekends in the Tatras — for which you need the Polish document anyway.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Submitting an ordinary translation instead of a sworn one.
Letting the six-month window lapse and finding your insurance exposed.
Buying or importing a car that fails the Strefa Czystego Transportu standard.
Assuming the emission zone applies only to the medieval centre — it covers most of the city.
Booking a WORD theory exam before the city has generated your PKK candidate profile.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.