Car re-registration without changing number plates in 2026: costs and deadlines

indekscen.pl editorial team · published 30 September 2026 · prices according to the 5 October 2026 index

Re-registering a car without changing its number plates costs PLN 66.50 in official fees at the vehicle registration office, or around PLN 72 with a temporary permit. Registration with new number plates has a median cost of PLN 160, while a car imported from abroad also requires translations and a technical inspection. You have 30 days from the purchase date to submit the application.

Re-registering a car bought in Poland is now one of the less expensive administrative procedures, provided that you retain the number plates, meet the deadline and do not pay an agent for something that takes an hour at the vehicle registration office. It only becomes more expensive if you need new number plates, personalised plates or have a car from abroad. Below, we compare all the options using official fees and price lists collected in the price index.

How much does it cost to re-register a car without changing its number plates?

Re-registering a car without changing its number plates costs PLN 66.50 in official fees, an amount consistently quoted by 3 sources collected by indekscen.pl. This covers a new registration certificate and validation stickers, while the number plates remain with the car. The full list of quotations is available on the car re-registration page.

If you want to drive the car before collecting the new registration certificate, the office will issue a temporary permit. Re-registration then costs around PLN 72. The fee for the registration certificate itself is PLN 54, so the difference from the total amount consists of small items: validation stickers and the registration fee.

Retaining the number plates when ownership changes has been standard practice in Poland since 2020, including when the new owner lives in a different county (powiat). You will receive new plates if you request them, if the old ones are damaged or if the car still has old-style black plates.

How much does it cost to re-register a car with new number plates?

Re-registering a car with new number plates costs the same as registration with new plates: the median price-list fee is PLN 160, with a typical range of PLN 135 ‑ 190. Details are available on the vehicle registration page. Registration with personalised plates bearing your chosen inscription costs around PLN 1,080.

Registration option	Cost (median)	When
Without changing number plates	PLN 66.50	car bought in Poland, number plates in good condition
Without changing number plates, with a temporary permit	PLN 72	you want to drive before collecting the registration certificate
With new number plates	PLN 160	car from abroad, damaged or old number plates
With personalised plates	PLN 1,080	your chosen inscription on the plate
Through an agent	PLN 225	you do not have time to visit the office
Car imported from abroad	PLN 300	fees and translations according to one source

The same services, with the number of sources and typical ranges:

Median and typical range from public price lists, as at 5 October 2026. Each price includes a source and quotation on the service page.

How long do you have to re-register a car?

You have 30 days from the purchase date to re-register a car bought from another person, while businesses that trade in cars professionally have 90 days. The application submission date counts, not the date when the registration certificate is collected. The same 30-day deadline applies to importing a car from abroad.

If the deadline is missed, the head of the county (powiat) imposes an administrative fine. Its amount depends on how long the delay is and whether the owner is a private individual or a company, and in every case it is several times higher than the registration cost itself. The seller also has an obligation: they must notify the office of the vehicle’s sale within 30 days, free of charge.

The re-registration itself takes less time than you might expect. Submitting the application at the counter takes around a dozen minutes, and the new registration certificate is usually ready within a few days to two weeks, depending on the office. Many vehicle registration offices send an SMS or e-mail when the document is ready for collection. If you received a temporary permit, it is valid for 30 days and you must collect the registration certificate within that period.

What do you need to re-register a car?

To re-register a car bought in Poland, you will usually need five things:

1. Registration application (at the office or online at gov.pl).
2. Proof of ownership, such as a purchase agreement, invoice or deed of gift.
3. The existing registration certificate and vehicle card, if one was issued.
4. Number plates, if you are replacing them with new ones.
5. Proof of identity and confirmation of payment.

You can re-register a car online: submit the application through gov.pl using a trusted profile, pay the fee by bank transfer, and then only visit the office to collect the registration certificate, although even that is not always necessary. The fees are the same as when applying at the counter.

When buying from a private individual, remember the tax on civil-law transactions. You must declare it to the tax office within 14 days of the purchase, and it is calculated on the car’s market value. You do not pay this tax when buying from a dealership with an invoice.

Third-party liability insurance passes to the new owner with the car and remains valid until the end of the period for which it was purchased. You can cancel it and buy your own policy. The average third-party car insurance (OC) policy costs 650 PLN/year, so comparing offers usually pays off, especially if you have a longer no-claims history.

How much does it cost to re-register a car from Germany?

A car from Germany or another EU country must be registered from scratch with new number plates, so the starting point is PLN 160 in official fees. There are also three additional costs that do not apply to a car from Poland:

• Document translation. translation of documents for a car imported from abroad usually costs PLN 38 ‑ 105 per document, with a median of PLN 45. Simple German documents fall at the lower end of the range, while documents from countries outside Western Europe cost more.
• Technical inspection. Before it is first registered in Poland, the car must undergo an inspection at a vehicle inspection station. For comparison, a periodic car roadworthiness test inspection of a passenger car costs PLN 149. We discuss the rates in more detail in the article how much does a car inspection cost.
• Excise duty. This is calculated based on the car’s value and engine capacity and paid to the tax office before registration.

One source estimates the total cost of fees and translations for a car from abroad at around PLN 300. Treat this amount as a lower limit: the excise duty on a more expensive car can exceed all the other fees combined. If the car also needs to be brought to Poland, transport from abroad on a vehicle transporter has a median cost of PLN 2,750.

Is it worth using a car re-registration agent?

An agent charges around PLN 225 for car re-registration, several times more than the official fees alone when retaining the number plates (PLN 66.50). You still pay the official fees separately, and the agent acts under a power of attorney, which carries an additional stamp duty.

An agent can be useful for a car from abroad when translations, excise duty and an inspection are all required, particularly if you are unfamiliar with the procedure or live far from the office. For a standard re-registration of a car bought in Poland, especially when the application is submitted online, there is usually little reason to pay an agent.

How can you avoid overpaying for car re-registration?

• Retain the number plates if they are in good condition. This is the least expensive option.
• Do not miss the 30-day deadline. The fine for being late costs more than all the registration fees combined.
• Apply online if you have a trusted profile. The fees are the same, and you save time and avoid any agent’s fee.
• Compare third-party liability insurance instead of automatically renewing the previous owner’s policy.

You can find more official fees in the law and government offices category, and car running costs in the motoring category.

„Od 66,50 zł, jeśli zachowujesz dotychczasowe tablice.”

rankomat.pl, 2026, source

„Przerejestrowanie bez zmiany tablic | od 66,50 zł”

autostrefa.felgeo.pl, source

„66,50 zł za wydanie dowodu rejestracyjnego i znaków legalizacyjnych, · 13,50 zł za wydanie pozwolenia czasowego, · 80 zł za standardowe tablice rejestracyjne”

kalkulator-oc-ac.auto.pl, source

The amounts in this article come from public lists of official fees, price lists and motoring guides. Each amount has a source, date and verbatim quotation on the service page (as at 5 October 2026). This article does not constitute legal advice: confirm the details of your case with the vehicle registration office.

Frequently asked questions

How many days after buying a car do you have to re-register it?

Nowy właściciel ma 30 dni od zakupu na złożenie wniosku o rejestrację, a firmy handlujące pojazdami 90 dni. Opłaty urzędowe przy zachowaniu tablic to PLN 66.50, a spóźnienie grozi karą administracyjną wielokrotnie wyższą.

Can I register a car without paying a fee?

Nie. Opłaty komunikacyjne trzeba uiścić przed wydaniem dokumentów: przy zachowaniu tablic to PLN 66.50. Jeśli sprawę załatwia pełnomocnik, dochodzi jeszcze opłata skarbowa od pełnomocnictwa.

How much does a new registration certificate cost?

Sam dowód rejestracyjny kosztuje PLN 54, a z pozwoleniem czasowym PLN 72.50. Ta opłata jest częścią kosztu przerejestrowania, a nie dodatkiem do niego.

How much do personalised plates cost when re-registering a car?

Indywidualna tablica rejestracyjna do samochodu osobowego to mediana PLN 1,050. To opłata zamiast zwykłych tablic, więc opłaca się tylko wtedy, gdy naprawdę zależy Ci na własnym napisie.

How much does it cost to transport a car from Germany on a vehicle transporter?

Transport samochodu z zagranicy na lawecie to mediana PLN 2,750, typowo PLN 2,350 ‑ 3,100. Koszt zależy głównie od odległości i kraju pochodzenia.

Translation of the original Polish article dated 30 September 2026. Quotations from price lists are in Polish, as published by the companies. Read the original in Polish.

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