Hiring Non-EU Drivers in Poland: Get the Order Wrong and the Application Bounces
The bottleneck in Polish haulage is not trucks, it is drivers. Employing drivers from outside the EU is entirely possible — but it takes four separate documents, and their order is fixed. Get the sequence wrong and the application comes back, costing weeks.
The chain: four documents, in one unchangeable order
1. The right to work
A driver who is not an EU, EEA or Swiss national can only work in Poland with a permit. Either the employer obtains a work permit, or the driver obtains a single permit (zezwolenie jednolite) covering temporary residence and work in one procedure.
2. Driving licence and Code 95 — the real jam
This is the step that locks up the whole process. For vehicles over 3.5 tonnes the driver must hold either an EU driving licence carrying Code 95 or a driver qualification card (karta kwalifikacji kierowcy).
If the driver has neither, the licence must be exchanged or the qualification card obtained before applying for the driver attestation. That order cannot be reversed, and it is precisely where companies lose time.
3. Driver attestation (świadectwo kierowcy)
The mandatory document for employing a non-EU driver in international haulage. The application is made by the carrier, not the driver, and can be submitted to GITD in person, by post, or online through ePUAP.
The fee is strikingly small: 10–40 PLN depending on validity, 40 PLN for the maximum five years. The cost of this document is not the fee — it is the time of everything that precedes it.
4. Driver card (karta kierowcy)
The personal card for the tachograph. Without it the driver cannot legally drive.
What changes in 2026
Two developments worth watching:
- A new regulation from the labour ministry introduces a fast-track work permit route for shortage occupations, with the first permits expected from the second quarter of 2026.
- In July 2026 the Polish transport employers’ association asked the European Commission to recognise driver training completed in Turkey, Ukraine, Serbia and Bosnia as equivalent to the EU initial qualification. If accepted, the jam at step 2 largely disappears.
Do not plan around rules that are not yet in force — but do track them, because they change the timeline.
Common mistakes
- Applying for the attestation before Code 95 is in place
- Waiting for the driver to apply for the attestation — the carrier applies
- Leaving the driver card to last and assuming the truck is ready
- Not budgeting time for the licence exchange
Why this touches your licence
Driver documentation is part of your transport licence, not a side matter. A missing attestation at a roadside check means a penalty and points against good repute — one of the four conditions your licence depends on. See: The Polish transport licence
The full setup route: Setting up a haulage company in Poland
What Meyis does
We run driver employment end to end: work or single permit applications, the licence exchange and qualification card route, driver attestation applications to GITD, driver cards, and the payroll and ZUS side underneath it all.
Tell us how many drivers you plan to bring and their nationalities, and we will map how long each step takes in your case.
Frequently asked questions
- What documents are required to employ a non-EU driver in Poland?
- Four: a work permit or single permit, an EU driving licence with Code 95 or a driver qualification card, a driver attestation for international haulage, and a driver card for the tachograph.
- Who applies for the driver attestation?
- The carrier, not the driver. The application goes to GITD and can be submitted in person, by post, or online through ePUAP.
- How much does a driver attestation cost?
- Between 10 and 40 PLN depending on validity, and 40 PLN for the maximum five years. The real cost is not the fee but the time taken by the licence and qualification steps that must come first.
- Can I apply for the attestation before Code 95 is sorted?
- No. For vehicles over 3.5 tonnes the application must include a copy of an EU driving licence with Code 95 or a driver qualification card. If the driver has neither, that has to be resolved first.
- Is driver training from Turkey or Ukraine recognised in Poland?
- Not automatically at present — the driver must complete the EU initial qualification or obtain a driver qualification card. In July 2026 Polish transport employers asked the European Commission to recognise training from several countries including Turkey and Ukraine; the outcome is not yet settled.
- How long is a driver attestation valid?
- Up to five years, after which it must be renewed. It is tied to the employing carrier, so if the driver moves to another company the new employer must obtain a new attestation.