Paperwork
The taxi licence in Poland 2026: cost, requirements and timing
25.08.2026 · 8 min read
A passenger transport licence in Poland is issued by the city where you conduct business — not by the fleet or the app. There is no single national price: the fee depends on the validity period you apply for and the number of vehicles, so it must be checked with the specific city hall. The application requires a criminal-record certificate and medical assessments, and since 17 June 2024 the driver must hold a Polish driving licence.
What it actually is
A passenger transport licence is administrative permission to carry passengers for payment. It is issued by the city with jurisdiction over your place of business — not the fleet, not the app, not a central agency.
This is the single most confused point in the whole process:
| Document | What it certifies | Issued by |
|---|---|---|
| Driving licence | your right to drive a vehicle | transport department |
| Passenger transport licence | permission to carry passengers for payment | city hall |
You need both. A Polish driving licence alone does not entitle you to work in ride-hailing.
Why there is no single price
Plenty of specific amounts circulate online, and most are either out of date or apply to one city and one variant. The licence fee depends on two things:
- The validity period you apply for. A longer period means a higher one-off fee, but a lower cost per year.
- The number of vehicles declared. Significant for fleets, less so for a single driver.
So the only honest answer to "how much is a taxi licence in Warsaw / Kraków / Wrocław / Poznań" is: check the current schedule at that city's office. Anyone quoting one number for all of Poland is simplifying in a way that can cost you time.
What has to be attached
The list is refined locally, but the core is constant:
- business details and the vehicle or vehicles being declared;
- a criminal-record certificate;
- medical and psychological assessments clearing you to carry passengers;
- proof of title to the vehicle;
- proof of fee payment.
One practical warning: the assessments expire. Obtain them too early and, if the application drags, you will repeat and pay for them twice. The sensible order is residence and driving licence first, then assessments, and file for the licence while the set is fresh.
The condition that overrides everything else
Since 17 June 2024 a driver carrying passengers through an app must hold a Polish driving licence, and a foreign national must additionally document at least 185 days of residence in Poland within the calendar year. The same legislation introduced mandatory driver identity verification.
Without that, the licence will not help: registration with Bolt or Uber will not go through anyway.
→ The Polish licence and the 185-day rule
Your own licence, or the carrier's
Two arrangements exist in practice:
- Your own business and your own licence. More freedom: you decide how many apps you work and on what terms. In exchange, contributions, tax and filing are yours.
- Working under a carrier's licence through a contract. Simpler to start, but you are bound by that company's terms.
Ask the fleet this before signing, and get the answer in writing. "Everyone here does it this way" is not an answer.
→ The full document list for ride-hailing work
The order that saves money
- legal residence and an address,
- a Polish driving licence,
- medical and psychological assessments,
- criminal-record certificate,
- the passenger transport licence,
- app registration,
- only now, the car.
The car comes last because rent runs from day one, and no office moves faster because you are paying for a rental.
→ The complete guide to renting for ride-hailing
Sources: notesfrompoland.com (Polish licence requirement, driver verification) · uber.com/pl (driver requirements) · local city fee schedules (as of August 2026 — check your own)
Frequently asked
There is no single national figure. The fee depends on the validity period you apply for and on the number of vehicles declared, and it is set by the city hall. Always check in the city where you will work.
A driving licence certifies your right to drive. A passenger transport licence permits carrying passengers for payment. You need both, and different offices issue them.
The licence is issued by the authority for your place of business. If you move cities, revisit the licence question rather than assuming it transfers automatically.
It depends on how you are set up. Some drivers operate under the carrier's licence under a contract. Ask the fleet directly and get the answer in writing before you start driving.
Filing is a single visit. The time goes on assembling the attachments — the medical assessments and the criminal-record certificate. Plan in weeks, not days.