Paperwork
A Polish driving licence for Uber and Bolt drivers: the 2024 rule and what it means now
25.08.2026 · 8 min read
Since 17 June 2024, a Bolt, Uber or FreeNow driver in Poland must hold a Polish driving licence. A foreign national must additionally document at least 185 days of residence in Poland within the calendar year. Ukrainian, Georgian and other foreign licences are no longer enough for app work, although they remain valid for ordinary driving within the period set by the exchange rules.
What changed
Until mid-2024, a large share of app drivers in Poland worked on foreign licences — Ukrainian, Georgian, Belarusian. It was legal and it was widespread.
Since 17 June 2024 it is not. A driver carrying passengers through an app must hold a Polish driving licence. For a foreign national that means going through the exchange procedure, which in turn requires documented residence in Poland of at least 185 days in the calendar year.
The same legislation introduced mandatory identity verification of drivers, so an app account can no longer simply be handed to somebody else.
How hard it hit the market
Forecasts published before the rules took effect:
| Source | Predicted loss of drivers |
|---|---|
| Uber | 15–30 % |
| TOR (industry body) | ~10 % nationally |
| TOR, Warsaw specifically | up to 30 % |
Read that as a market fact rather than a warning: after June 2024 there is less competition for rides and a higher barrier to entry. For a driver who holds the paperwork, that is good news.
The right order
The most common and most expensive mistake is starting with the car. Rent runs from day one; paperwork does not.
- Legal residence and an address. Without documented residence there is neither the 185 days nor the exchange.
- Exchange your driving licence for a Polish one, at the transport department of the local authority where you live.
- Passenger transport licence — issued by the city, paid for separately, handled independently of the driving licence.
- Register with the app — Bolt, Uber or FreeNow, usually through a fleet partner.
- Only now, the car.
In that order you take the car exactly when it can start earning.
A driving licence is not a taxi licence
This is the most frequent confusion.
- Prawo jazdy — the driving licence itself, exchanged at the local authority.
- Licencja na przewóz osób — permission to carry passengers for payment. Issued by the city, tied to the carrier, priced separately and differently in each city.
You need both. A Polish driving licence on its own does not permit taxi work.
What to do if you are short of 185 days
The honest answer is that you cannot legally work in the apps during that period, and there is no lawful way around it.
What is worth doing instead:
- complete your residence formalities and accumulate documented time in the country;
- take the medical examination you will need anyway;
- check the cost and lead time of the licence in your city — they differ;
- study the rental market so that on the day your paperwork clears you are not taking the first car offered.
What not to do is rent a car in advance. The weekly rate runs whether you are driving or waiting.
What this means for choosing a car
Once the paperwork clears, the constraint disappears and the question becomes economic: which car pays for itself at your utilisation. Fuel consumption matters (hybrid or LPG against petrol), so does the mileage cap in the contract, and so does whether the fleet lets you work several apps at once.
In the ViroCars catalogue those terms appear on the listing before you contact the fleet, so comparison takes minutes. The paperwork still comes first.
Sources: notesfrompoland.com (Polish licence requirement, forecast driver losses) · uber.com/pl (driver requirements)
Frequently asked
No. Since 17 June 2024 a Polish driving licence is required for app work. A Ukrainian licence remains valid for ordinary driving, but you will not pass driver registration with it.
A foreign national must show residence in Poland of at least 185 days in the calendar year. It is a condition of the licence exchange, so a Polish licence cannot be obtained immediately after arrival.
No, they are two separate documents. The driving licence certifies your right to drive; the passenger transport licence is issued by the city, costs money of its own, and is handled separately. You need both.
Filing takes one visit, but issuance depends on the voivodeship and on whether confirmation from the issuing country is needed. Plan in weeks rather than days.
Usually yes, if you hold a valid licence for ordinary driving. But you will not be able to work in the apps, and the rent runs the whole time. It is cheaper to finish the paperwork first.