Importing a Car from the UK to Poland: All Taxes and Fees Explained

Thinking about bringing a car over from the UK to Poland? It's an increasingly popular route — cars in the UK are often cheaper than on the Polish market. But it quickly becomes clear that the taxes and fees involved in importing a car from the UK are a complicated business. Customs duty, VAT, excise duty, the MOT-equivalent inspection, registration — every step comes with a cost, and the rates change regularly. This guide breaks down every charge step by step, so you know exactly what you'll be paying and for what.

Legal notice: This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. The legal position is current as of June 2026. Tax rates and rules change — always check the current figures on podatki.gov.pl and gov.pl. TwojaSprawa.com is an information platform, not a law firm or tax advisory firm.

Why is importing from the UK different after Brexit?

On 1 January 2021, the United Kingdom left the European Union. This means that importing a car from the UK into Poland is now treated as an import from a third country — that is, from outside the EU zone. The customs procedures, taxes and documentation requirements are therefore completely different from bringing in a car from Germany or France.

Before Brexit, nobody paid customs duty or excise duty on a used car bought in the UK — it counted as an "intra-EU acquisition". Today, every vehicle from the UK is subject to: - A customs procedure - Customs duty (generally 10% of the value) [to be verified — may be 0% where UK origin is proven and the rules-of-origin conditions are met] - 23% VAT - Excise duty (3.1% or 18.6% depending on engine size)

This matters, because the total cost can be considerably higher than it used to be.

A full breakdown of the costs, step by step

Below is an indicative table covering the whole process. All figures are estimates — check the current rates on podatki.gov.pl and work out the actual figures for your specific vehicle.

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Stage Cost Where you pay
Customs duty ~10% of the customs value (the vehicle's actual value) Customs office (Urząd Celny)
VAT 23% on (value + customs duty) Customs office (Urząd Celny)
Excise duty 3.1% (engine ≤ 2000 cc) or 18.6% (> 2000 cc) Tax office (Urząd Skarbowy)
Translation of the registration document 100–300 PLN Sworn translator
Roadworthiness / MOT-equivalent test 120–150 PLN Vehicle inspection station
Registration fee at the local authority (Starostwo) ~260–300 PLN Starosta / Transport Registration Department
Number plates 200–250 PLN Starosta / issuing point
Third-party (OC) insurance depends on cover (from around 400 PLN/year) Insurer

Worked example (a car worth £10,000)

Say you bought a car in the UK for £10,000 (≈ 47,500 PLN at the July 2026 exchange rate). The car has a 2000 cc engine.

  1. Customs duty: £10,000 × 10% = £1,000 ≈ 4,750 PLN
  2. VAT: (47,500 PLN + 4,750 PLN) × 23% = 11,977.50 PLN
  3. Excise duty: (47,500 PLN + 4,750 PLN) × 3.1% = 1,615.50 PLN (engine ≤ 2000 cc)
  4. Total taxes: ~18,343 PLN
  5. Remaining fees (translation, inspection, registration, plates, insurance): ~700–900 PLN

Total additional cost: roughly 19,000–19,250 PLN on top of the purchase price.

In other words, a car costing £10,000 in the UK will end up costing you £10,000 plus around 19,000 PLN in Poland — roughly 66,500 PLN in total. It's worth checking whether that still works out cheaper than buying new from a Polish dealership.

⚠️ [to be verified — customs duty may be 0% for vehicles of UK origin; check at the point of customs clearance whether your vehicle qualifies for TCA preferential treatment]

Customs duty: who pays, and on what?

Rate: generally 10% of the customs value of the car [to be verified — may be 0% with proof of UK origin and compliance with the rules of origin under the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement].

Who pays: The importer (that's you, if you're bringing the car in for personal use) or the customs agent you engage to handle it.

Basis of calculation: The actual value of the vehicle — not necessarily the purchase price, but the market value as assessed by the customs authority, which may sometimes ask for documentation supporting the real price paid.

Where: Customs clearance takes place at the border (for example in Germany) or with a customs agent in Poland.

In practice: If you use a transport company to bring the car over, they'll typically handle customs clearance for you — the cost is usually built into the transport fee.

VAT: when, how much, and how?

Rate: 23% (Poland's standard VAT rate).

Basis: VAT is calculated on the vehicle's value plus customs duty (i.e. on the combined total).

Example: A car worth 50,000 PLN plus 5,000 PLN customs duty = 55,000 PLN. VAT = 55,000 × 23% = 12,650 PLN.

Exemptions: There are very limited circumstances in which VAT on an imported vehicle can be avoided, and they require strict conditions to be met (for example, where the import is for business purposes). None of this applies to a private buyer.

Where you pay: To the customs agent alongside the customs duty, at the point of customs clearance.

Excise duty: based on engine size

Rate: - 3.1% where the engine is 2000 cc or smaller - 18.6% where the engine is larger than 2000 cc

[to be verified — current excise duty rates on vehicles, and whether preferential rates apply to hybrid/electric vehicles]

Basis: This time, excise duty is calculated on the vehicle's value excluding customs duty.

Example: A car worth 50,000 PLN with a 2500 cc engine. Excise duty = 50,000 × 18.6% = 9,300 PLN.

Where you pay: At the tax office (Urząd Skarbowy) — you'll receive a document confirming payment, which is a precondition for registering the vehicle in Poland.

Important: Excise duty is payable even on an old car (decades old) — there's no exemption "for old vehicles".

MOT-equivalent test and translations

Roadworthiness test

A car bought in the UK must pass a roadworthiness inspection carried out by an approved inspector in Poland. This is a separate procedure from registration.

Cost: roughly 120–150 PLN (depending on the station).

Requirements: A right-hand-drive vehicle (as is standard in the UK) may need additional checks or a consultation with the inspector — worth confirming in advance whether there might be issues with registration. [to be verified — whether right-hand-drive vehicles can be registered in Poland without modification, or whether conversion is required]

Timing: You need a positive inspection certificate before you can apply for registration at the Starostwo.

Translations

The foreign registration document (the UK Vehicle Registration Document, V5C) must be translated by a sworn (certified) translator into Polish.

Cost: roughly 100–300 PLN (depending on the translator).

Where: Every district court (Sąd Rejonowy) keeps a list of sworn translators, which you can usually find on the court's website for your area.

Registration at the local authority: process and fees

Registering a vehicle imported from abroad takes place at the Transport Registration Department (Wydział Komunikacji) of the local authority (Starostwo) covering your place of residence.

Documents you'll need

Fees payable at the Starostwo

Total: ~500–600 PLN (excluding insurance).

Registration deadline

An imported vehicle must be registered within a set period from the date it's brought into Poland. [to be verified — the current deadline (previously 30 days) and the penalties for missing it] It's worth submitting your application promptly — driving an unregistered vehicle can result in a fine.

Compulsory third-party (OC) insurance

Every vehicle registered in Poland must carry third-party liability insurance (OC — Odpowiedzialność Cywilna), as required under the Act of 22 May 2003 on compulsory insurance.

Cost depends on: - Engine size - Age of the vehicle - Your driving history (claims, offences) - The vehicle's value

Roughly: 400–1,000 PLN a year for a used car.

What happens without OC cover: Fines from the Insurance Guarantee Fund (Ubezpieczeniowy Fundusz Gwarancyjny) [to be verified — the amount of the fines], and you won't be allowed to drive the vehicle on the road.

Tip: Before registering, it's worth getting quotes from several insurers — prices can vary considerably.

Additional costs and pitfalls

Transporting the car from the UK to Poland

Depends on how you do it: - Driving it yourself: fuel, ferry/Eurotunnel costs (~£20–30) - Using a transport company: ~1,000–2,000 PLN (depending on distance)

Converting the steering to left-hand drive

[to be verified — whether converting the steering position is mandatory or optional; in some cases it comes up at the inspection stage, in others it's a condition for the vehicle to be allowed on the road]

If a conversion is required, expect an additional cost of roughly 2,000–5,000 PLN from a mechanic who specialises in this kind of work.

Additional modifications (if the vehicle doesn't meet Polish specifications)

UK cars can be built to slightly different specifications than the EU standard, which sometimes means a consultation with the inspector. Any additional work involved is likely to cost roughly 500–3,000 PLN.

Extended procedures (where the vehicle's origin isn't clear)

If the customs office queries the vehicle's origin (under the Brexit rules of origin) and asks for extra documentation from the UK, the process can be delayed by several weeks. [to be verified — whether a private individual importing a vehicle for personal use is required to provide proof of origin]

Where to check current rates

  1. Taxes: podatki.gov.pl — the excise duty and VAT sections
  2. Customs duty: the customs office covering your area (e.g. Gdańsk, Warsaw) — full detail is set out in the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement
  3. Registration fees: your local Starosta — Transport Registration Department
  4. Roadworthiness inspection: inspection stations (PIMOT, OCRWL, or private stations)
  5. Road traffic rules / registration: gov.pl, Articles 66–80 of the Road Traffic Act (Prawo o ruchu drogowym)

Frequently asked questions

Should I pay customs duty and VAT before the car arrives in Poland, or at the border? Usually at the border, with the customs agent. If you're using a transport company, the agent typically handles everything as part of the process — the cost is included in the transport fee.

Can I register a right-hand-drive car from the UK? [to be verified — actual practice at local authorities; in principle the vehicle must meet Polish standards, so check with an inspector whether it will pass] Most local authorities require the vehicle to pass the roadworthiness inspection without issue. In some cases modifications are required — for example to the steering position. It's worth asking an inspector before you buy the car.

How long does the whole process take? From the point of purchase to registration: roughly 3–8 weeks, depending on the customs procedure, how long it takes to get the car to Poland, and availability of appointments with the inspection station and the local authority.

Do I only pay excise duty once? Yes, excise duty is a one-off tax payable on import.

Can I take the car back to the UK and avoid the taxes? The taxes are payable when the vehicle is imported into Poland — you can't get them "reversed" if you later take the car out of the country. If you sell the car to someone else in Poland, any tax implications of a future export become that new owner's responsibility.

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