Driving licence without PESEL in Poland — conditions and documents

This also covers foreign applicants without a PESEL number who can establish their identity and the relevant basis of stay. A permanent residence card is not a general requirement. A residence card, visa or another right-of-stay document are alternatives listed in § 14(4) of the regulation.

This guide mainly concerns a first category B licence. The minimum licensing age is 17, and training may start three months earlier; parental or guardian consent is needed before age 18. Other conditions, including having no driving ban, still apply.

1. Creating PKK: the office checks the application and documents. Since 3 September 2026, the residence declaration is no longer mandatory at profile creation. There is no general 185-day wait for PKK.
2. Starting training: you need PKK, a medical certificate, the required age and consent where applicable. PKK opens the procedure but does not guarantee a licence.
3. Tests: for category B, the residence condition and declaration under Article 11(1a)–(1b) must be met no later than the day of taking the state test. Do not postpone them until collection. You may study theory independently; the practical test requires a theory pass and completion of the required training.
4. Issuance and collection: the statutory conditions, a test pass, payment and complete documents are required. For the situations covered by Article 11(1a), the provision also identifies personal collection or planned postal dispatch as the latest deadline. Confirm the applicable stage with the office, particularly for another category or an exchange.

Article 11(1)(5) defines residence in Poland. The usual case is at least 185 days in each calendar year because of personal and occupational ties, or an intention to settle permanently because of personal ties alone.

It also covers working in several EU states, a temporary assignment in another EU state, and studying abroad while retaining residence in Poland.

The period does not start when you receive PESEL. Registered address, correspondence address, visa validity and residence are different matters. A tourist visit or simply wanting to take a course is insufficient.

The office may examine the actual circumstances using, for example, documents about stay, work, study or family ties; there is no single exhaustive list for everyone.

Since 3 September 2026 the residence declaration is separate, made under criminal liability and recorded in PKK. Sign it only when it reflects the facts.

• Driving licence application: enter your date of birth in the field for people without PESEL. Do not enter somebody else’s or an invented number.
• Identity document for inspection — passport or residence card for a foreign applicant; the office records the series, number, document name and issuing country.
• Medical certificate and a current colour photograph, 35×45 mm, taken no more than six months before applying.
• For a foreign applicant: a copy of a residence card, visa or another right-of-stay document, or a certificate confirming at least six months of study.
• Written parental or guardian consents if required for your age and stage of the procedure.
• A copy of any existing driving licence — tell the office so it can select the correct procedure.

A psychological assessment is not routinely required for an ordinary first category B licence; it may be needed following a referral by the district authority, for example. Submit the applicable residence declaration before the test or collection, and payment confirmation before issuance. The PKK checklist helps assemble your initial documents.

§ 14(4) allows a foreign applicant to attach a certificate confirming at least six months of study. Ask your university to confirm the actual period; a student card, admission or enrolment for a future semester does not establish that period.

Do not treat this attachment as automatically satisfying every licensing condition. Before the test, ask the office how it applies the residence and Article 11 declaration requirements to your student circumstances. Study does not replace identity checks, medical assessment, training or tests.

1. Contact the transport department for your place of residence. Explain that you have no PESEL and check the residence documents and any student circumstances.
2. Get the medical certificate and photo, complete the current application with your date of birth, and submit the documents in person or through a channel accepted by the office.
3. Receive PKK. The school and WORD access the profile using its number and your date of birth instead of PESEL (§ 5(5)). Keep names consistent with your identity document.
4. Complete training, or study theory independently and then complete the required practical training. The full category B guide covers the common stages.
5. Resolve and confirm the residence condition before the test. If online booking demands PESEL, book directly with WORD using PKK and your date of birth; also confirm the identity document accepted at the test.
6. After passing the tests, complete issuance formalities and collect the licence. A test result or PKK alone is not permission to drive.

The rules permit an electronic application signed with a trusted profile, qualified electronic signature or personal signature (§ 30). Check with the office whether its channel, identification method and form support applicants without PESEL. A portal access limitation does not prevent you from obtaining a licence.

An electronic application includes the required scans, signature specimen and payment confirmation (§ 30(4)). Before licence issuance, deliver the required original certificates and consents in person or by post (§ 30(5)). Uploading scans alone does not complete this part of the procedure. Use a paper application if online submission is unavailable.

Creating PKK is free. Licence issuance costs 100 PLN, whether or not you have PESEL. Medical assessment, photo, training and tests are separate costs. Do not add the former 0.50 PLN registration fee.

With a paper application the document fee is normally paid after passing the test; an electronic application includes confirmation of the required payments. Confirm the payment method and account with your office.

Without PESEL, ask the office directly about case status if the online lookup does not accept other details. Show an identity document on collection. Lack of access to mObywatel does not prevent issuance of a physical licence.

A person with PESEL UKR already has PESEL: this differs from having no number. Current UKR status can establish a basis for lawful stay, but a recorded number alone does not prove that status remains valid.

A residence card is not needed solely for PKK if another appropriate document proves the right to stay. Prepare an identity document and confirmation of current status, agreeing its form with the office.

UKR does not waive residence or Polish driving licence conditions. Tell the office if you already hold a licence from Ukraine or another country: recognition and exchange are separate procedures. This guide does not require foreign licence holders to repeat a course.