Countries › Poland
Poland
At a glance
- Traffic
- on the right
- Currency
- PLN
- Plugs
- types C, E · 230 V
- Emergency
- 112
Entering the country
- Schengen Area: 90 days in any 180-day period, all Schengen countries counted together.
- Passport valid at least 3 months after you leave Schengen and issued less than 10 years ago.
- EES: fingerprints and photo taken on your first entry into Schengen, then checked at each crossing (system in place since 2025-2026).
- ETIAS: online travel authorisation, planned for late 2026; check whether it's in force before you go.
- Borders with Ukraine, Belarus and Kaliningrad (Russia): don't cross them. To Lithuania, go via Suwałki.
Driver and insurance
- International Driving Permit recommended (CAA, AAA): cheap, and it saves trouble.
- Insurance: your North American policy isn't valid here. You need European insurance for a vehicle registered outside Europe, with its green card.
Speed limits
| Town | Road | Motorway | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car, light RV | 50 | 90 | 140 |
| With a trailer or caravan | 50 | 70 | 80 |
In km/h. Signs always take precedence.
Tolls and vignettes A few tolls
A few tolled motorway sections (A1 Gdańsk–Toruń, A2 Konin–Stryków, A4 Katowice–Kraków), at booths or by plate reading. Over 3.5 t: e-TOLL electronic toll required.
Low-emission zones
Clean transport zones in place or planned in Warsaw and Kraków (old diesels).
Boondocking Tolerated depending on the spot
Free camping banned in parks and most forests except designated sites ("Zanocuj w lesie" programme). Sleeping in a vehicle often tolerated elsewhere.
Mandatory equipment
- Warning triangle
- Fire extinguisher
- Dipped headlights on in daytime
- Country-of-registration sticker (CDN or USA) on the back
Frequently asked questions
- Poland: what do you need to enter the country with your vehicle?
- Schengen Area: 90 days in any 180-day period, all Schengen countries counted together. Passport valid at least 3 months after you leave Schengen and issued less than 10 years ago. EES: fingerprints and photo taken on your first entry into Schengen, then checked at each crossing (system in place since 2025-2026). ETIAS: online travel authorisation, planned for late 2026; check whether it's in force before you go. Borders with Ukraine, Belarus and Kaliningrad (Russia): don't cross them. To Lithuania, go via Suwałki. International Driving Permit recommended (CAA, AAA): cheap, and it saves trouble. Insurance: your North American policy isn't valid here. You need European insurance for a vehicle registered outside Europe, with its green card.
- Poland: what are the speed limits?
- Car and light RV: 50 in town, 90 on rural roads, 140 on motorways (km/h). With a trailer or caravan: 70 on rural roads, 80 on motorways.
- Poland: do you need a vignette or pay tolls?
- A few tolled motorway sections (A1 Gdańsk–Toruń, A2 Konin–Stryków, A4 Katowice–Kraków), at booths or by plate reading. Over 3.5 t: e-TOLL electronic toll required.
- Poland: are there low emission zones?
- Clean transport zones in place or planned in Warsaw and Kraków (old diesels).
- Poland: is wild camping allowed?
- Tolerated depending on the spot. Free camping banned in parks and most forests except designated sites ("Zanocuj w lesie" programme). Sleeping in a vehicle often tolerated elsewhere.
- Poland: what equipment is required in the vehicle?
- Warning triangle, Fire extinguisher, Dipped headlights on in daytime, Country-of-registration sticker (CDN or USA) on the back.