Driver's License Exchange in Łódź | Cost of Exchanging a License

Łódź is home to a large Ukrainian community, so questions about exchanging foreign driver’s licenses come up frequently. Some residents are already required to exchange their Ukrainian licenses for Polish ones. Others want a Polish driver’s license so they no longer have to worry about changes to the rules governing foreign licenses. Meanwhile, some still hold older paper licenses and are unsure whether the local authorities will accept them.

In this article, we explain the process of exchanging a Ukrainian driver’s license for a Polish one in Łódź: where to submit your application, which documents you need, how much the procedure costs, and how license verification works. We also explain how the Work Permit team can assist you throughout the process.

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Where to Apply for a Driver’s License Exchange in Łódź

In Łódź, applications to exchange foreign driver’s licenses are handled by the Wydział Spraw Obywatelskich i Komunikacji Urzędu Miasta Łodzi, Oddział Praw Jazdy (Driver’s License Department).

Applications to exchange Ukrainian driver’s licenses for Polish ones are accepted at the following location:

Oddział Praw Jazdy — ul. Smugowa 26a i 30/32, 91-433 Łódź, I piętro. Applications are accepted at the department’s public service counters on the first floor.

You must book an appointment in advance through the official appointment reservation system of the Łódź City Office (Urząd Miasta Łodzi).

When booking your appointment, select the appropriate service category:

Group S — submitting an application to exchange a driver’s license;
Group T — collecting your completed driver’s license.

Before your appointment, you must collect a queue ticket from the electronic ticket machine on the first floor (I piętro). If you fail to confirm your appointment according to the required procedure, your booking may be cancelled.

You must apply to the authority responsible for your place of residence. If you live within the city limits of Łódź, you should submit your application to the City Office.

If you live outside the city, for example in Pabianice, Zgierz, or Brzeziny, you should contact the relevant county office (starostwo powiatowe) responsible for your area of residence.

Importantly, the responsible authority is not determined solely by whether you have a registered address, known as zameldowanie. Your actual place of residence and compliance with Polish legal requirements also matter. If you do not have a registered address or your actual address differs from your registered one, check in advance how you can provide proof of residence.

What Documents Are Required to Exchange a Ukrainian Driver’s License in Łódź?

To exchange a Ukrainian driver’s license for a Polish one, you must prepare the documents required by the Oddział Praw Jazdy in Łódź.

According to the City Office’s official guidelines, the standard application package includes:

a completed application for the issuance of a Polish driver’s license (wniosek o wydanie prawa jazdy);
the original Ukrainian driver’s license for inspection;
a copy of your Ukrainian driver’s license;
a sworn translation of your license into Polish or a translation certified by an authorized Polish consul, if required;
a recent color photograph measuring 35 × 45 mm, taken against a plain, light-colored background no more than six months before submitting your application;
proof of payment of the PLN 100 fee for issuing a Polish driver’s license;
a passport or another valid identity document;
a copy of your Polish residence card, visa, or another document confirming your legal stay in Poland;
proof of compliance with residence registration requirements, if applicable;
any additional documents or explanations required for your particular case.

The application form must be printed on both sides of a single sheet of paper in landscape orientation. The first side should contain sections A, B, C, and H, while the second should contain sections D, E, F, and G.

You should also pay close attention to your photograph. It must meet the requirements for a Polish driver’s license, including the position of your face, the background, and image quality.

If your Ukrainian driver’s license does not comply with the international format established by the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, you may be required to pass the theoretical part of the state driving examination.

If your foreign driver’s license has expired, additional documents may be required, including a medical certificate and, for certain license categories, a psychological assessment.

A sworn translation is generally required for Ukrainian driver’s licenses under the local guidelines. Before ordering a translation, we recommend confirming the requirements for your specific document.

Once your Polish driver’s license has been produced, the authority may notify you by SMS or email, provided you included the relevant contact details in your application. You can collect your completed license in person by appointment or arrange to receive it by post under the applicable procedure. You must surrender your foreign driver’s license before the Polish document is issued.

Driver’s License Verification: What to Expect in Łódź

When exchanging a Ukrainian driver’s license for a Polish one, the local authority must verify the necessary information about the foreign document.

The official guidelines issued by the Łódź City Office provide for obtaining confirmation of the license details and information from the authority that originally issued the foreign driver’s license.

The legal basis for the exchange is established by the Polish Act on Vehicle Drivers (Ustawa o kierujących pojazdami) and the relevant implementing regulations. General administrative procedures and deadlines are governed by the Code of Administrative Procedure (Kodeks postępowania administracyjnego, KPA).

Depending on the circumstances, verification may be carried out in several ways:

The Polish authority initiates the verification process. The responsible office sends an official request to verify the details of your Ukrainian driver’s license. Waiting for a response may extend the overall processing time.
The applicant obtains confirmation independently. The license holder may contact the Main Service Center or the relevant Regional Service Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, including remotely, to request an official statement confirming that the license was issued.

However, confirmation obtained independently by the applicant does not always replace the verification carried out by the Polish authority. Before submitting such a document, you should check whether the Oddział Praw Jazdy in Łódź will accept it and whether the information provided will be sufficient.

If the authority needs additional information, it may send the applicant an official request (wezwanie). In that case, it is important to submit the required documents or explanations within the specified deadline.

Violetta Expert

Work Permit helps clients in Łódź navigate the verification process for Ukrainian driver’s licenses. If necessary, we can assist with preparing an electronic request to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, obtaining an official response, and checking the requirements of the Polish authority. This can be particularly helpful for holders of older licenses whose details are missing from electronic records.We'll explain how to obtain confirmation from the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs and prepare the documents required by the Łódź Driver's License Department.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Polish Driver’s License in Łódź?

The time required to obtain a Polish driver’s license depends on whether your application is complete, whether additional verification is necessary, and how long it takes to receive confirmation from the authority that issued your Ukrainian license.

According to the official guidelines of the Łódź City Office, an administrative case is processed within 30 days of receiving all necessary documents. If the details of a foreign driver’s license need to be verified, the overall processing time may be longer.

According to the Polish government portal Gov.pl, once the foreign license details have been confirmed and the required fee has been paid, the Polish driver’s license is usually produced within nine working days.

However, the verification process itself may take several weeks or longer. For this reason, it is not possible to guarantee an exact date when your new license will be ready.

Situation	Factors Affecting Processing Time
A modern Ukrainian driver’s license with verifiable records	The time required to verify the license details and produce the Polish document
The applicant has official confirmation from the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs	Whether the Polish authority considers the information provided sufficient
An older driver’s license requiring additional verification	Whether the relevant Ukrainian authorities can confirm the license details
The license details are missing from the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ electronic records	Additional confirmation or a search of archived records may be necessary
The Polish authority has issued a wezwanie	The deadline for responding to the request and the time needed for further processing

Once your driver’s license is ready, the authority may notify you by SMS or email.

You can also check the production status of your Polish driver’s license online at info-car.pl or kierowca.pwpw.pl.

Exchanging an Older Driver’s License in Łódź: What You Should Know

If you have an older paper, laminated, or other outdated driver’s license, the exchange procedure may involve additional requirements.

The most important factors are whether your license meets international standards, remains valid, contains legible information, and can be verified with the issuing authority.

According to the Main Service Center of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, information about driver’s licenses issued before 2014 may be missing or incomplete in electronic databases. As a result, these licenses may not appear during an online verification check.

However, this does not automatically mean that your license is invalid or cannot be exchanged.

In such cases, you can contact the Main Service Center or a Regional Service Center of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs and request an official statement confirming that your license was issued. Requests can be submitted remotely, including by email.

Before requesting confirmation, we recommend checking with the relevant authority in Łódź whether it will accept the document and whether further verification will be required.

For more information about exchanging paper, laminated, and other older licenses, read our dedicated guide to exchanging older Ukrainian driver’s licenses.

If you hold an older driver’s license, do not assume that exchanging it is impossible simply because its details are missing from an electronic database. Additional verification may be required, but this does not automatically result in refusal. Ukrainian men aged 18–60 may be subject to specific requirements when accessing certain consular services. However, this does not mean there is a general ban on driver’s license verification.

Driver’s License Exchange Assistance in Łódź From Work Permit

You can exchange your Ukrainian driver’s license for a Polish one in Łódź without professional assistance. However, in certain situations, preparing the documents and navigating the administrative process may require additional time and attention.

For example, difficulties may arise if you have an older license, your information is missing from the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs’ records, you receive a wezwanie, or you need clarification about the exchange requirements.

The Work Permit team assists residents of Łódź with the following matters:

Exchanging a Ukrainian driver’s license for a Polish one. We’ll help you check your eligibility, prepare the required documents, and understand each stage of the exchange process.
Verifying the validity of your driver’s license. We’ll assist you in preparing a request to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs and obtaining an official response when necessary.
Older driver’s licenses. We’ll review your document and explain what additional steps may be required.
Responding to a wezwanie. We’ll help you prepare the necessary explanations or supporting documents within the required deadline.
Complex or unusual cases. We’ll help you address situations involving a change of surname, delayed verification, a previous refusal, or the need for additional confirmation.

If the Polish authority has already issued a decision refusing the exchange, you can appeal to the Samorządowe Kolegium Odwoławcze w Łodzi (Local Government Appeals Board) through the authority that issued the decision. The standard deadline for submitting an appeal is 14 days from the date the decision was delivered.

Work Permit’s goal is to help you prepare for the procedure, avoid common mistakes, and take the right steps at every stage of obtaining your Polish driver’s license.

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