A car from the USA is registered in Poland almost the same way as a car from Germany or France. There are three differences: the American documents have to be translated, the car has to be adapted to European lighting rules, and you have to pay excise duty before registration. Below we describe every step in the order you'll go through them.
What we handle and what's left to you
When you import a car with us, it arrives at your address already cleared through customs. The 10% customs duty and the 21% Dutch VAT are settled in Rotterdam, and together with the car you get the full set of documents needed for registration:
- title - the American or Canadian ownership document of the car,
- Bill of Sale - proof of purchase at the auction, with the price and the car's details,
- customs clearance documents - proof that the car was cleared in the European Union.
What's left to you is excise duty, the roadworthiness test and the visit to the vehicle registration office. On request, we help as part of our additional services: we prepare sworn translations, order an assessor's report, arrange the repair and the adaptation of the car to type-approval requirements, and help you fill in the excise declaration.
Deadlines to keep an eye on
- Excise duty - you file the excise declaration within 14 days and pay the duty within 30 days of the tax obligation arising. In both cases, at the latest before the car is registered.
- Registration - a car brought into Poland must be registered within 30 days. The district office imposes a fine for being late.
- Third-party liability insurance (OC) - you must have it on the day of registration at the latest, including temporary registration.
Step 1: excise duty
You file the AKC-U/S excise declaration at the tax office or online in the PUESC system. The rate depends on the engine:
- 3.1% - engine up to 2000 cm³,
- 18.6% - engine over 2000 cm³,
- 1.55% - hybrid up to 2000 cm³,
- 9.3% - hybrid from 2000 to 3500 cm³,
- 0% - electric car.
We check plug-in hybrids for each specific car, because the rules here are more detailed. Once the duty is paid, you get a confirmation that is needed for registration.
Step 2: translating the documents
The title and the Bill of Sale are in English, and the customs clearance document from Rotterdam is also in a foreign language. All three have to be translated by a sworn translator, and the registration office accepts the originals together with the translations. We can prepare the sworn translations for you.
Step 3: adapting the car
A car from the USA must meet European rules, otherwise it won't pass the roadworthiness test. Most often you need to change:
- headlights - the dipped beam must have the European beam pattern that doesn't dazzle oncoming drivers,
- rear indicators - in many cars from the USA they flash red, while in Europe they must be amber,
- rear fog light - cars from the USA often don't have one.
The scope of changes depends on the model and year. Before the auction, we'll tell you what a specific car needs, so the cost of adaptation is included in the quote.
Step 4: roadworthiness test
Before its first registration in Poland, the car goes through a roadworthiness test at a vehicle inspection station. The inspector checks its technical condition and identifies the car by its VIN. Since September 2025, the periodic test for a passenger car costs PLN 149, and for an imported car the station may add a fee for identification.
If the documents show that the car was in an accident, or the inspector notices signs of repairs to load-bearing parts, the car has to pass an additional roadworthiness test. This applies to most cars with a salvage title, which we write about in the post Salvage title - what does it mean and is such a car worth buying?.
You can take the car to the station on a transporter or drive it yourself on temporary plates.
Step 5: temporary registration (if you want to drive earlier)
If you want to drive the car to a workshop or to the inspection station, the registration office will give you a temporary permit and temporary plates for 30 days. On the same day, the car must have third-party liability insurance. Without temporary registration, the car may travel on public roads only on a transporter.
Step 6: registration
You submit the registration application at the vehicle registration office of your district or city, and in many cases also online at gov.pl. Prepare:
- the registration application and your ID card,
- the title with a sworn translation,
- the Bill of Sale with a sworn translation,
- the customs clearance document with a sworn translation,
- confirmation of paying excise duty or of the exemption from it,
- the roadworthiness test certificate,
- the temporary permit and temporary plates, if you got them earlier.
At registration you get your plates and a temporary permit, and the final registration certificate usually takes from a few days to a few weeks. The lists of documents can differ slightly between offices, so check your office's website before the visit.
Buy third-party liability insurance before visiting the office, with a start date no later than the day of registration. If you're still comparing offers, a short 30-day policy is enough, and you can buy the full one after collecting your plates. For a repaired car, ask several insurers to quote comprehensive cover, because the differences can be large.
How much it costs to register a car from the USA
The registration office fees for standard plates, a registration certificate with stickers and a temporary permit come to about PLN 160. Temporary plates are paid for separately. On top of that come:
- roadworthiness test - from PLN 149, and for a car after damage also the additional test,
- sworn translations - depend on the number of pages and the translator,
- adapting the lights - depends on the model,
- excise duty - at the rate for your engine.
Customs duty and VAT are not a registration cost. You pay them earlier, at clearance in Rotterdam. The full breakdown of import costs is on the USA car import costs page.
Cars older than 25 years
An older car from the USA that doesn't meet today's technical requirements can in some cases be registered as a historic vehicle. This needs an assessor's report and an entry in the register of historic monuments, which makes the whole procedure longer. If you're thinking of a classic, tell us before the auction - we'll check whether that specific car has a chance.
Want to import a car from the USA or Canada and don't know where to start? See what the import process looks like step by step, or write to us through the Contact page.
