Turkish licence in Poland: exchange, time, papers

After settling in Poland you can keep driving on your Turkish licence, but only for a while. A Turkish driving licence is not valid in Poland indefinitely; you have to apply for the Polish licence exchange (wymiana prawa jazdy) before the period allowed by law runs out. This article explains, based on official sources, who applies, when, where, with which documents, and what happens to your Turkish licence.

Short answer: A Turkish licence defined in the Vienna Convention lets you drive in Poland for 6 months from the day your permanent or temporary stay begins. If you live in Poland permanently, you exchange it at the district office (starostwo) where you live, or at the office of a city with district status. You attach a photo, a residence document and, as a rule, a sworn translation; the fee is 100 zł. If the licence does not match the convention model, a theory exam is also required.

Driving in Poland on a Turkish licence: the 6-month rule

Under the Act on Vehicle Drivers (ustawa o kierujących pojazdami, art. 4 and 5), two kinds of foreign-issued documents prove the right to drive in Poland:

an international driving permit defined in the Geneva Convention (1949),
a national or international licence defined in the Vienna Convention (1968).

These documents are valid in Poland for 6 months from the day the permanent or temporary stay begins. Licences from EU countries have no such limit; a Turkish licence is not an EU licence, so the 6-month rule applies to you.

Two points to watch:

The law says "the day the stay begins". Ask the office that handles driving licences, before you apply, which date applies to you (entry on a visa or the residence decision), and get the answer in writing.
An international driving permit obtained in Turkey does not extend the period and cannot be exchanged for a Polish licence; only a national licence can be exchanged (gov.pl service page).

Who is the Polish licence exchange (wymiana prawa jazdy) for?

A Polish licence is issued to a person who lives in Poland. As of September 2026 the legal test is: staying in Poland for at least 185 days in each calendar year because of personal or professional ties (plus a few special cases listed in the law). The gov.pl service page likewise defines the service as being for holders of foreign licences "who have lived in Poland for at least 185 days".

In the application you show this in two ways:

a declaration, made under criminal liability, that you live in Poland (part of the application form),
a copy of your residence card, visa or another document showing your right to stay in Poland; if you are a student, a certificate that you have been studying for at least six months (regulation on driving licence documents, 5 August 2025, § 14).

People on short visits cannot use this route. If your residence application is still pending, ask the office in advance which document it will accept; for questions about your residence status see our articles on residence card renewal and the first residence permit application.

Where do you apply?

You apply according to where you live (gov.pl):

the district office (starostwo powiatowe),
if you live in a city with district status, that city's office (urząd miasta); Szczecin is one of these cities,
in Warsaw, the office of the district where you live (urząd dzielnicy).

You can hand in the application in person or send it by post. The matter can also be handled through a proxy; the office decides how.

Which documents are needed?

The basic list according to the gov.pl service page and the 2025 regulation:

Application form (wniosek o wydanie prawa jazdy); you can fill it in at home or at the office,
Current photo: colour, 35 × 45 mm, taken no more than 6 months before the application,
Identity document: passport, residence card or another identity document valid for foreigners,
Document showing your registered address: residence card or address registration (meldunek) certificate; if you are not registered, ask the municipal office what to do,
Copy of the Turkish licence and its sworn translation: the Polish translation is made or certified by a sworn translator (tłumacz przysięgły) or a Polish consul; a copy of the licence is permanently attached to the translation. The regulation's only exemption is for licences issued according to the EU licence directive's model; do not go without a translation before asking the office whether that exemption applies to a Turkish licence,
Additionally, for an expired licence: a medical certificate; for C1, C, D1, D and their E categories also a psychological certificate (not needed if a valid code 95 is entered).

If you have not yet done your address registration and PESEL number, sort those out first: our article on PESEL, address registration and bank account covers these first tasks. Later you track the production of your licence with your PESEL number.

Is an exam required? The Vienna Convention test

Since 17 December 2025, article 14 of the Act uses this test: if the foreign licence does not match the model and data scope required by the Vienna Convention, the Polish licence additionally requires you to

pass the theory part of the state exam (egzamin państwowy, część teoretyczna), and
submit a certified translation of the licence

(amending act, 17 October 2025). In that case the office gives you a driver candidate profile number (PKK); with that number you register for the theory exam at the regional traffic centre (WORD). Once you pass, WORD forwards the result to the office.

Whether your Turkish licence meets this test is decided by the office that examines your document. In this article we do not give a general "no exam" or "exam" answer, because the decision is made by looking at the document itself. The soundest approach is to show the office your licence, including its year and format of issue, and ask before you apply.

Note: the gov.pl service page (last updated 10 August 2023) still uses the wording "Geneva or Vienna Convention"; the law in force refers only to the Vienna Convention.

Confirmation from Turkey, fee and timing

When exchanging a licence issued outside the EU, the office asks for confirmation of the licence data either from the issuing authority or from that country's diplomatic mission in Poland. The regulation allows two more options: the applicant may submit the confirmation, and a document issued by the diplomatic mission of the non-EU country also counts as confirmation (§ 14). If the data cannot be confirmed, the licence is not exchanged (the Act, art. 14).

Fee: 100 zł for issuing the licence (fee regulation, 9 July 2025). It is paid at the office's cash desk or to its account. Translation, photo, a medical certificate if needed and exam fees are paid separately; get these in writing from the relevant provider.

Timing (according to gov.pl):

PKK number: immediately if the application is complete; up to 2 days if data must be checked, up to a month if the situation must be clarified, up to two months if further clarification is needed,
production of the licence: up to 9 working days after the office receives confirmation of the foreign licence and proof of payment,
the confirmation stage: gov.pl states it can take "several weeks".

What usually determines the total time is the confirmation stage. That is why you should apply early, well before the 6 months run out.

What happens to your Turkish licence?

You receive the Polish licence only when you hand over your Turkish licence; gov.pl says it plainly: if you do not return your foreign licence, you will not get a Polish one. If you collect the licence at the office, bring your passport and your Turkish licence; if you chose delivery by post, you send the Turkish licence in advance.

The office returns the foreign licence on which the Polish licence was based to the authority of the issuing country; a licence from a non-EU country is sent via that country's diplomatic mission in Poland (regulation, § 15). From 1 January 2027, a Polish licence issued by exchange will also carry a code showing the issuing country and the number of the old licence (regulation amendment of 29 August 2026).

If the exchange is refused, you can appeal to the local government board of appeal (samorządowe kolegium odwoławcze) within 14 days of receiving the decision; you file the appeal with the office that refused. How to read letters from authorities is covered in our article on official letters.

Frequently asked

How long can I drive in Poland on my Turkish licence?

Under the law, a licence defined in the Vienna Convention gives you the right to drive in Poland for 6 months from the day your permanent or temporary stay begins. If you have settled in Poland you need to apply for the exchange before this period ends; start early, as the confirmation stage can take weeks. Ask the office handling driving licences which start date applies to you.

Is a sworn translation required to exchange a Turkish licence?

As a rule, yes. Under the 2025 regulation, the copy of the licence is accompanied by a Polish translation made or certified by a sworn translator or a Polish consul; the only exemption is for licences issued according to the EU licence directive's model. The office assesses the exemption for a Turkish licence. If the licence is found not to match the convention model, the law additionally requires a certified translation alongside the theory exam; either way, preparing the translation before applying saves time.

Will my Turkish licence be given back once I get a Polish one?

No. To get the Polish licence you hand over your Turkish licence. The office sends it to the authority of the issuing country, and for non-EU countries via that country's diplomatic mission in Poland. Ask the Turkish authorities what you need to drive in Turkey. Keeping a copy of both sides of your licence for yourself before handing it over makes things easier if correspondence is needed later.

How we run it

First we check your 6-month window and your address registration. We ask the office on your behalf what it requires before you apply (translation, confirmation, whether an exam is needed), book the appointment, fill in the application form with you and complete the document list. The sworn translation of the licence is done by our translator partner. After filing we explain every letter in Turkish and track the PKK and production stages. In-person accompaniment to the office is currently only in Szczecin; in other cities we handle the appointment and paperwork, and you go to the office. The office decides; we are not legal representation.

Sources

Last checked: 26 September 2026. This article is general information; your own case needs assessment by a licensed partner.

Tell us when you settled in Poland, which city you live in and when your licence was issued; we'll tell you where to start. Tell us your situation or see the "I'm in Poland" page.

This article is for information only and is not legal advice. Basis: the Act on Vehicle Drivers (art. 4, 5, 11, 14) and its amendment of 17 October 2025, the regulation on driving licence documents (5 August 2025, as amended on 29 August 2026), the regulation on driving licence fees (9 July 2025) and the gov.pl service page, as of September 2026. For your own case the last word rests with the relevant office.

Author

Savaş Dere · Founder, CEO

Close to twenty years in software and e-commerce: web and application development, automation, digital products. At Senavia he runs process design, the technology infrastructure and integrations; a founder who has been through company formation and settling in Poland himself.

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Exchanging a Turkish driving licence in Poland: who, when, which documents