Ukrainians in Poland face fines for driving licenses: what will change from October 1
9 September 10:10
Starting from October 1, Ukrainians in Poland may receive a fine of 2000 zlotys for an invalid driver’s license. This is due to the expiration of a special resolution that allowed the use of Ukrainian licenses. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to Uamotors.
According to Polish law, foreigners must replace their driving licenses with Polish ones after 180 days in the country, otherwise they face administrative liability. However, an exception was made for Ukrainian refugees.
The current transitional period for Ukrainians under temporary protection is valid until September 30, 2025. Thus, during September, Ukrainian drivers can still exercise their rights, even if they have formally expired.
However, starting from October 1, 2025, if this resolution is not extended, persons staying in Poland for a long time will need to have a Polish driving license to drive a car.
For violation of this requirement, drivers face heavy fines of 2000 zlotys, or 22,800 hryvnias.
The abolition of the special condition will mean that Ukrainians will need to change their license as a matter of urgency, as massive police checks can lead to a large number of fines. Social media even jokes that a significant portion of the Polish budget revenues is generated by such mandates, but this can be a real problem for drivers.
It should be noted that about 900 thousand Ukrainians living in Poland may lose their right to protection due to the veto of the newly elected President Karol Navrotsky. The Polish government has presented a new bill aimed at providing assistance to Ukrainian refugees. It takes into account the comments of President Karol Nawrocki, who previously vetoed the previous version.
What does the new bill provide for refugees in Poland?
The Polish government has announced that the right to receive social benefits, in particular, the child support allowance of 800 zlotys, will be linked to the employment status of parents. This step is aimed at preventing potential legal complications that may arise after September 30, when the current legal framework for temporary protection of Ukrainians expires.
The draft law, recently published on the website of the Government Legislative Center, contains several key changes. The most important one stipulates that the right to receive the 800 plus payment will depend on two main conditions
- the applicant’s employment;
- children’s education in a Polish school.
New rules were also announced that allow the Social Insurance Institute (ZUS) to conduct monthly checks in the register maintained by the Main Directorate of the Border Guard. This is to verify the stay of foreigners receiving benefits in Poland.
In addition, the proposed legislation stipulates that the right to participate in the “Good Start” assistance program will now depend on the availability of employment or health insurance.
At the same time, some provisions of the law of March 12, 2022 on assistance to Ukrainian refugees will be extended until March 4, 2026, which will ensure continuity of protection.
