Before you start

A valid foreign driving licence
PESEL and a registered Szczecin address
A sworn translation by a tłumacz przysięgły
A PKK candidate profile, if a theory exam is required

Step-by-step

1
Check whether the exchange applies to you at all
EU and EEA licences are mutually recognised and need no action ever. Non-EU licences stop being valid in Poland six months after you take up residence, whether or not you have driven.
OnlineWho: You
2
Commission a sworn translation
Only a court-registered sworn translator produces an accepted document. An ordinary professional translation, however good, is refused at the counter — the most common cause of a failed application.
In personWho: YouTypically PLN 60–150
3
Apply at the city driver records department
The Urząd Miasta Szczecin handles licence exchange with your licence, the sworn translation, a photograph, PESEL and proof of address.
In personWho: YouPLN 100 for the Polish licence
4
Take the theory exam if your country is outside the conventions
The city first generates a PKK candidate profile; only then can you book at WORD Szczecin. The theory test is available in English and the Polish highway code differs enough from most countries that studying it is not a formality.
In personWho: You
5
Hand in the original licence
The foreign document is surrendered and returned to the issuing authority. You cannot hold both, which matters if you expect to move on again.
In personWho: You
6
Check your insurance actually covers Germany, and learn the German rules
Polish third-party motor insurance covers the EEA, but confirm the scope of any comprehensive cover and carry the policy details. German rules differ in ways that catch Polish-plated drivers: environmental zones in larger German cities require an emissions sticker, and speed enforcement across the border is unforgiving.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Foreign driving licence
Sworn Polish translation
PESEL confirmation and proof of Szczecin address
Photograph to Polish specification
Medical certificate, where required by category or age

Things most newcomers don’t know

Szczecin is the one Polish city where cross-border driving rules are everyday knowledge.

The border is about fifteen kilometres from the western suburbs and there are several crossings, so a weekly run into Germany for fuel, shopping or work is ordinary here. That makes German rules practical rather than theoretical: the Umweltplakette emissions sticker needed for environmental zones in bigger German cities, different alcohol limits and enforcement culture, and the need to be sure your insurance covers you on both sides. None of this is difficult; all of it catches people who assumed a border inside Schengen means no difference.

Source: German road traffic rules; local cross-border practice

No clean transport zone here — Warsaw and Kraków are the only Polish cities with one in 2026.

Warsaw's zone moved to its second, stricter stage on 1 January 2026 and Kraków's took effect the same day. Szczecin has not introduced one. But if your driving includes German cities, their environmental zones already apply to you — so the emissions standard of your car matters here even though your own city does not enforce one.

Source: Polish clean transport zone status, 2026

The sworn translator requirement is the single most common rejection.

A tłumacz przysięgły is a court-registered profession with a ministry number and a physical stamp. HR departments and translation agencies produce excellent documents that are nonetheless not accepted, because the requirement is about the translator's legal status rather than the quality of the translation. It costs under PLN 150 to do correctly.

Source: gov.pl — exchange of a foreign licence

The six-month clock runs from residence, and insurance is the real exposure.

Once your foreign licence has lapsed for Polish purposes, you are driving without a valid licence in the eyes of an insurer as much as a traffic officer. A claim on a policy where the driver was not validly licensed is where this becomes expensive — and a cross-border accident with an invalid licence is a far worse version of that problem.

Source: Polish road traffic law

Common mistakes to avoid

Submitting a translation that is not from a sworn translator.
Driving into a German environmental zone without the emissions sticker.
Letting the six-month window close and exposing yourself on insurance, on either side of the border.
Booking a WORD exam before the city has issued your PKK profile.
Assuming a Schengen border means no difference in traffic law.

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