No traps are described for this pair yet — all differences by topic are below.
Other differences and topic-by-topic comparison
Right of way and junctions
Trams
Poland
Trams have priority in specific situations
Wherever give-way-to-the-right would apply, a tram has priority whichever side it comes from. Where there are priority signs or traffic lights, they decide. At a stop with no boarding island, while a tram is arriving or standing, stop and let pedestrians cross.
Details
Art. 25(2): the right-hand rule does not apply to rail vehicles — they have priority whichever side they come from. Art. 24(4): overtake a tram on the right only; on the left only if the track layout leaves no room on the right or the road is one-way. Art. 26(6): at a stop with no boarding island, stop to let people walk to and from the tram.
Fine:The fines table has no row for failing to give way to a tram. Not stopping for pedestrians at a tram stop — 300 zł (item 44).
Trams have priority over everyone: every road user must give way to rail vehicles and clear the track as soon as possible — whichever direction the tram comes from and whatever road you are on.
Details
Art. 12.1: the duty to give way to trams is general; the right-hand rule does not apply against a tram. Art. 16.9: a tram running on the carriageway is overtaken on the right — whether moving or stopped at a stop; on the left only if a narrow passage, a parked vehicle or another obstacle prevents passing on the right (without hindering oncoming traffic), or on a one-way road when traffic requires it. Art. 40.3: pass a tram stopped at a stop slowly; if the stop has no passenger island, a driver on the boarding side must stop, let people board and alight, and move off only at a moderate speed.
Give way not only to pedestrians already on the crossing but also to those stepping onto it. Overtaking on a crossing or just before it is banned, and so is passing a car that has stopped to let a pedestrian cross.
Details
Art. 26(1) (since 1 June 2021): the driver must give way to a pedestrian 'on the crossing or entering it' (wchodzący). Art. 26(2): when turning, give way to pedestrians crossing the road you turn into. Art. 26(3): no overtaking on or just before a crossing (unless it is signal-controlled), and no passing a vehicle that has stopped for a pedestrian. Art. 26(7): stop to let disabled people and people with visibly limited mobility cross. Pedestrians, in turn, may not use a phone while crossing in a way that stops them watching the road (art. 14 item 8).
Fine: 1,500 PLN. Failing to give way to a pedestrian, overtaking on or before a crossing, passing a car that stopped for a pedestrian — 1,500 zł each; a repeat within 2 years — 3,000 (fines table, items 34, 35, 41, 42; Petty Offences Code art. 38 § 2).
Approach an uncontrolled pedestrian crossing at a moderate speed and give way to pedestrians who are on it or about to step onto it.
Details
Art. 40.4.2: the duty applies as soon as a pedestrian is about to step onto the crossing, not only once they are walking. Art. 40.4.1: at a controlled crossing, even on green, let pedestrians who started crossing lawfully finish. Art. 19.5: when turning, give way to pedestrians crossing the road you turn into. Art. 40.5: do not enter a crossing if a queue may leave you stopped on it. Art. 17.2.5°: you may not overtake a vehicle that is approaching or has stopped at an uncontrolled crossing.
In built-up areas the limit is 50 km/h round the clock unless signs say otherwise. In residential zones (sign D-40) it is 20 km/h.
Details
Art. 20(1): 50 km/h. Since 1 June 2021, when the separate night-time limit (art. 20(1a)) was repealed, 50 km/h has applied round the clock. A built-up area (obszar zabudowany) begins at sign D-42 — a white plate with a black town silhouette — and ends at D-43; a plain place-name sign (E-17a) does not start one. Art. 20(2): residential zones — 20 km/h. Art. 21: signs may raise or lower the limit.
Fine: 50–2,500 PLN. From 50 zł (up to 10 km/h over) to 2,500 zł (more than 70 km/h over); from 31 km/h over, a repeat within 2 years doubles the fine. More than 50 km/h over in a built-up area — and since 3 March 2026 also on a single-carriageway two-way road outside one — means the licence is taken for 3 months (fines table, items 72–81; Road Traffic Act art. 135, for foreign licences art. 135a).
In built-up areas the limit is 50 km/h in Flanders and Wallonia. In the Brussels-Capital Region the general limit is 30 km/h; more is allowed only where a sign says so.
Details
Art. 11.1 has a separate version for each region. A C43 sign can set a different limit. Residential and meeting zones (sign F12a) are 20 km/h (art. 22bis); cycle zones are 30 km/h max (art. 22novies).
on roads with 4+ lanes whose directions are separated by more than markings: 100 km/h
on dual-carriageway expressways: 120 km/h
with a trailer: 70 km/h
vehicles over 3.5 t: 70 km/h
on roads with 4+ lanes whose directions are separated by more than markings, with a trailer: 80 km/h
on roads with 4+ lanes whose directions are separated by more than markings, vehicles over 3.5 t: 80 km/h
on dual-carriageway expressways, with a trailer: 80 km/h
on dual-carriageway expressways, vehicles over 3.5 t: 80 km/h
Outside built-up areas cars may do 90 km/h. On dual carriageways with at least two lanes each way it is 100 km/h, and on dual-carriageway expressways (ekspresowa, marked 'S') 120 km/h. With a trailer — 70 km/h (80 on those roads, on any expressway and on motorways).
Details
Art. 20(3) item 1: motorway — 140; dual-carriageway expressway — 120; single-carriageway expressway, and dual carriageway with at least two lanes each way — 100; all other roads — 90. So a road with a central reservation but one lane each way is 90. Art. 20(3) item 2: cars with a trailer and vehicles over 3.5 t — 80 on motorways, expressways and 2+2 roads, 70 elsewhere. The law sets no separate speed limits for novices.
Fine: 50–2,500 PLN. From 50 to 2,500 zł depending on the excess; from 31 km/h over, a repeat within 2 years doubles the fine (fines table, items 72–81). Since 3 March 2026, more than 50 km/h over on a single-carriageway two-way road outside a built-up area means the licence is taken for 3 months.
on roads with 4+ lanes whose directions are separated by more than markings: 120 km/h
Outside built-up areas the limit depends on the region: 70 km/h in Flanders and the Brussels Region (in Flanders 90 only where a '90' sign is posted), 90 km/h in Wallonia.
Details
Why the base value is 70: it is the default in two of the three regions (Flanders and Brussels), and it is safer to assume the lower figure until you see a sign. In Flanders 90 is allowed only where a C43 '90' sign is posted. Roads with 4+ lanes whose directions are separated by more than road markings (barrier, verge) are 120 km/h in all regions. In Wallonia, roads with a central lane (chaussée à voie centrale) are 70 km/h. Lorries over 7.5 t and buses have lower limits (art. 11.3).
On motorways cars may do 140 km/h. With a trailer, and for vehicles over 3.5 t — 80 km/h. There is no general minimum speed. On motorways and expressways keep a gap in metres of at least half your speed.
Details
Art. 20(3): 140 km/h on a motorway (sign D-9); with a trailer or over 3.5 t — 80; buses that meet extra technical conditions — 100 on motorways and expressways (art. 20(4)). A minimum speed is set only by sign C-14; only vehicles able to do at least 40 km/h may use a motorway (art. 2 item 3). Art. 19(3a) (since 1 June 2021): on motorways and expressways the gap to the car ahead, in metres, must be at least half your speed in km/h (70 m at 140), except while overtaking. Apart from trams and vehicles turning left (art. 24(4)–(5)), passing on the right is allowed only on a one-way carriageway marked into lanes, or on a two-way road with at least two lanes each way in built-up areas or three outside them (art. 24(10)).
Fine: 50–2,500 PLN. Speeding — 50 to 2,500 zł; too short a gap on a motorway or expressway — 300–500 zł (fines table, items 72–81, 153).
Motorways: 120 km/h. Minimum speed is 70 km/h unless a sign sets a lower one.
Details
Art. 11.2 (all three regions): 120 km/h on motorways and on roads with 4+ lanes whose directions are separated by more than markings. Vehicles over 3.5 t and buses: 90 km/h. Art. 21.2: driving below 70 km/h on a motorway is forbidden, though you must still adapt your speed to conditions (art. 10.1). Vehicles that cannot reach 70 km/h on the level are not allowed on motorways (art. 21.1).
From 0.2 to 0.5 g/l is 'after drinking': a petty offence that goes to court, with a fine of at least 2,500 zł and a mandatory driving ban. Above 0.5 g/l is drunk driving and a crime: up to 3 years in prison and a ban of at least 3 years.
Details
Sobriety Act art. 46: 0.2–0.5 ‰ in the blood (0.1–0.25 mg/l in breath) is 'after drinking', above 0.5 ‰ (0.25 mg/l) is intoxication. Petty Offences Code art. 87: 'after drinking' means detention or a fine of 2,500–30,000 zł and a mandatory ban of 6 months to 3 years; no on-the-spot fine is possible, only a court. Criminal Code art. 178a: intoxication means up to 3 years in prison, a ban of at least 3 years and a payment of at least 5,000 zł. At 1.5 ‰ or more the court must confiscate the car (Criminal Code art. 44b § 1a); since 29 January 2026, if it isn't yours (borrowed, rented, leased), it orders a payment of 5,000 to 500,000 zł instead.
Fine: 2,500–30,000 PLN, driving ban 6–36 months. 0.2–0.5 ‰: a fine of at least 2,500 zł (up to 30,000) and a 6-month to 3-year driving ban — through a court only (Petty Offences Code art. 87). Above 0.5 ‰ — criminal liability (Criminal Code art. 178a).
The alcohol limit is 0.5 g/l in blood (0.22 mg/l in exhaled air).
Details
Art. 34 §1 of the Road Traffic Act: 0.5 to 0.8 g/l is an offence; from 0.8 g/l (0.35 mg/l) it is a more serious offence (art. 34 §2) with higher fines. Deliberately refusing the test is punished in the same way as that more serious case.
There is no separate limit for professional drivers — the general 0.2 g/l applies. The new zero limit for novices applies from 4 September 2026 during the probation period after a first Polish category B licence; it does not apply to drivers on a Ukrainian or other foreign licence.
Details
Drivers Act art. 91(4) (as amended by Dz.U. 2025 item 1676): during the probation period a driver may not drive with more than 0.0 ‰ in the blood. Probation is 2 years from a first Polish category B licence; the probation chapter does not apply until the driver-data go-live date, which Notice Dz.U. 2026 item 743 set at 4 September 2026 (footnote 33 to the act). Probation does not cover foreign licences, except when a foreign licence held for under 2 years is exchanged for a Polish one.
0.2 g/l applies to anyone driving a vehicle that needs a C1, C, D1 or D licence (with or without trailer), even non-professionally — e.g. a motorhome over 3.5 t — and to people carrying passengers in other vehicles subject to the same medical requirements as those categories (e.g. taxis). There is no separate limit for novice drivers — they are at 0.5 g/l.
Details
Art. 34 §3 of the Road Traffic Act: for these drivers the threshold is 0.2 g/l in blood or 0.09 mg/l in exhaled air.
While driving you may not use a phone that you have to hold in your hand. A headset, hands-free, or a phone in a holder is not banned by this rule.
Details
Art. 45(2) item 1: no use while driving of a phone that requires holding the handset or microphone. The law has no separate rule on touching a mounted screen, but the general duty to pay attention applies.
While driving you may not use, hold or handle any mobile device with a screen unless it is fixed in a holder made for that purpose. Holding it in your hand is allowed only when the vehicle is stopped or parked.
Details
Art. 8.4 covers any device with a screen (phone, tablet, satnav).
Dipped headlights (or, by day, daytime running lights) are mandatory at all times, all year, in town and out of town — also while stopped in a jam.
Details
Art. 51(1): dipped headlights while driving in normal visibility. Art. 51(2): from dawn to dusk they may be replaced by daytime running lights. Art. 51(7): lights must also be on when stopped in a traffic jam; you may switch them off if you stand for more than a minute with cars ahead of and behind you.
Fine: 100–300 PLN. No lights by day — 100 zł; from dusk to dawn — 300 zł (fines table, items 183, 182).
Dipped headlights are required from dusk to dawn and whenever you cannot see clearly for about 200 m. In daytime with good visibility they are not required for cars.
Details
Art. 30: front fog lights only in fog, snowfall or heavy rain; the rear fog light only when visibility is below about 100 m or in heavy rain. Motorcycles have a separate rule (art. 30bis).
When overtaking a cyclist, moped, motorcycle or e-scooter, leave at least 1 m to the side — in town and out of town. When turning, give way to cyclists going straight along the road, lane or path you are turning off.
Details
Art. 24(2): lateral gap when overtaking — at least 1 m. Art. 27(1)–(3): give way to cyclists on a cycle crossing, and when turning to those going straight along the road, cycle lane or cycle path you are turning off. Art. 27(4): no overtaking on or just before a cycle crossing unless it is signal-controlled. Polish law has no 'cycle streets' with rules of their own.
Fine: 300 PLN. A gap under 1 m — 300 zł; overtaking on or before a cycle crossing — 1,000 zł, 2,000 for a repeat (fines table, items 91, 98).
When passing a cyclist leave at least 1 m in built-up areas and 1.5 m outside them. In a cycle zone (sign F111, formerly 'fietsstraat / rue cyclable') overtaking cyclists is forbidden and the speed limit is 30 km/h.
Details
Art. 40ter: the same distances apply to riders of two-wheel mopeds; approach cycle crossings slowly and stop if needed. Art. 22novies: in a cycle zone a cyclist may use the whole carriageway width on a one-way road (on two-way roads the right half); cars may enter but must not overtake. Under B22/B23 plates cyclists may turn right or go straight on red — expect them. Art. 12.4bis: when crossing a cycle track (e.g. turning or leaving a property) give way to those riding on it.
Winter tyres are not mandatory in Poland. Studded tyres are banned. Snow chains are mandatory only where sign C-18 says so.
Details
Neither the Road Traffic Act nor the vehicle technical regulation requires winter tyres. Technical regulation § 11(7) item 6: a vehicle may not have tyres with permanently fitted protruding anti-skid elements — that is, studs — with no seasonal exception. A foreign vehicle may be driven if it meets the required technical conditions (Road Traffic Act art. 71(5)), so better not to bring studded tyres.
Winter tyres are not mandatory in Belgium. Snow chains are allowed only on snow or ice. Studded tyres are allowed every year from 1 November to 31 March — only on vehicles up to 3.5 t and with a speed limit.
Details
Art. 81.4 of the Code sets the tyre requirements (minimum tread depth 1.6 mm) and contains no winter-tyre obligation. Studs are banned in principle, but the ministerial order of 28.09.1976 allows them from 1 November to 31 March: studs on all wheels, max 90 km/h on motorways and 2+2-lane roads and 60 km/h on other roads, with a '60 km' plate on the rear.
A car must carry a warning triangle and a fire extinguisher within easy reach. A first-aid kit and a hi-vis vest are not mandatory for cars.
Details
Technical regulation § 11(1) items 13–14: triangle and extinguisher. Art. 50(2): on motorways and expressways place the triangle 100 m behind the car, on other roads outside built-up areas 30–50 m, while in built-up areas you switch on the hazard lights and use the triangle (behind or on the car, at most 1 m high) only if the car has none.
warning triangle, fire extinguisher, first-aid kit
Every car must carry a warning triangle, a fire extinguisher and a first-aid kit. A reflective safety vest must be worn when leaving a broken-down car on a motorway where stopping is forbidden.
Details
Art. 81.2: triangle, extinguisher and first-aid kit — as specified by the technical regulation. Art. 51.2: place the triangle at least 30 m behind on ordinary roads and 100 m on motorways. Art. 51.4: vest on motorways and motor roads.
Children under 150 cm must travel in a child seat or other restraint. A child of 135 cm or more may ride on the rear seat with just the seat belt if no suitable seat can be found for their height and weight. A rear-facing seat must not go in front with the airbag on.
Details
Art. 39(3): children under 150 cm — in a seat suited to their height and weight. Art. 39(3b): from 135 cm — on the rear seat with the belt if, because of the child's height and weight, no suitable seat can be used. Art. 39(3c): in a car, a third child aged 3 or more may ride in the back with the belt when two children already sit in seats there and a third seat does not fit. Art. 45(2) items 4 and 6: no rear-facing seat in front with an active airbag, and no child under 150 cm in front without a seat.
Children under 18 who are shorter than 135 cm must travel in a child restraint suited to them. A rear-facing child seat must not be placed on a front seat with an active front airbag.
Details
Art. 35.1.1: children under 3 may not travel in seats without a seat belt; children under 135 cm may not travel in front seats without a belt. Art. 35.1.2: if a third seat cannot physically fit after two child seats, a third child aged 3+ may ride in the back with a belt. For occasional short trips without a seat available, children aged 3+ may ride in the back with a belt — but not when their own parent is driving.
Warsaw: Zone in force, but a compliant car needs no registration or sticker
Kraków: Foreign cars must be registered online
Clean transport zones (SCT) operate in Warsaw (since 1 July 2024) and Kraków (since 1 January 2026). In Warsaw, according to the city, a compliant car needs no registration and no sticker; whether a foreign car needs a sticker the city does not say outright (see details). In Kraków foreign-registered cars must be registered online before their first entry — even if they comply.
Details
Warsaw: from 2026, petrol cars that meet Euro 3 or were built in 2000 or later, and diesels that meet Euro 5 or were built in 2009 or later, may enter (either condition is enough); the rules are the same for regular commuters and tourists, and the police and municipal guard enforce them. According to the city's FAQ, a sticker is needed only by non-compliant cars that qualify for an exemption. Yet the city also says that where the central vehicle register lacks data on a car, the driver must display a city-issued sticker — and foreign cars are not in that register. The city does not say outright how this applies to them, so check with the city's 19115 helpline before you go. Kraków: the zone lies roughly within the 4th ring road; for vehicles up to 3.5 t — petrol from Euro 4 (2005), diesel from Euro 6 (2014); registration at sct.zdmk.krakow.pl before the first entry is required for every foreign-registered car. A non-compliant non-resident car may enter for a fee in 2026–2028 (in 2026: 2.50 zł/hour or 5 zł/day). Zone limits are marked with signs D-54 and D-55.
Fine:Entering a zone in breach of the ban — up to 500 zł (Petty Offences Code art. 96c).
Brussels-Capital Region: Foreign cars must be registered online
Antwerp: Foreign cars must be registered online
Ghent: Foreign cars must be registered online
Low emission zones (LEZ) cover the whole Brussels-Capital Region, Antwerp and central Ghent. Foreign-registered cars must be registered online for free — even if they meet the emission rules. Best before entering; the deadline is 5 days after entry in Brussels and 1 day in Ghent (in Brussels and Ghent, compliant Dutch cars are exempt).
Details
Brussels (lez.brussels): the zone is active 24/7 across all 19 municipalities (the R0 ring is excluded). Registration is free and valid 5 years; do it before entering or within 5 days after. Since 1 January 2026 Euro 5 diesels and Euro 2 petrol cars are not admitted (diesel needs at least Euro 6, petrol Euro 3); a non-compliant car can enter with a day pass. Flanders (Antwerp and Ghent): foreign vehicles are admitted after registration; one free registration is valid in all Flemish LEZs. Ghent: register no later than 1 day after entering; the rules were not tightened in 2026 — diesel Euro 5 and newer and petrol Euro 2 and newer enter freely; foreign-registered electric cars must also register; a non-compliant car can enter with a day pass up to 12 times a year. Check Antwerp's conditions on slimnaarantwerpen.be. Enforcement is by number-plate cameras.
Fine:Brussels: €350 (for vehicles that lost access on 1 January 2026, a first offence gets a warning letter, with a fine possible from 3 months later; since 1 July 2026 the fine is issued for a 12-month period — the amount equals the price of a planned annual pass). Ghent: €185, at most once per day; late registration after a fine costs €75.
A Ukrainian driving licence is valid in Poland for people with temporary protection for as long as that protection lasts (currently until 4 March 2028), without a translation or an international permit. Other holders of Vienna Convention licences may drive for 6 months from the start of their stay in Poland.
Details
Regulation (EU) 2022/1280, art. 3: valid licences issued by Ukraine are recognised throughout the EU for people with temporary protection until it ends; no translation or international permit is needed. Temporary protection was extended to 4 March 2028 (Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1912). Drivers Act art. 4(1) item 2 and art. 5(4): a national licence from a party to the 1968 Vienna Convention entitles its holder to drive for 6 months from the start of permanent or temporary residence; after that it must be exchanged for a Polish one (art. 14). EU, EEA and Swiss licences are valid for their whole term (art. 5(6)).
Visitors not resident in Belgium may drive with an EU licence, or a foreign national or international licence issued under the rules for international traffic. A valid Ukrainian licence is recognised for holders of temporary protection for as long as the protection lasts (currently until 4 March 2028), with no translation or international permit needed.
Details
Art. 3 §2 of the Royal Decree of 23.03.1998: carry the licence; it must be valid for the vehicle category, and the driver must have reached the Belgian minimum age for that category. People registered in a Belgian municipality with their normal residence there may drive only with a Belgian or European licence. Regulation (EU) 2022/1280, art. 3: a valid licence issued by Ukraine is recognised throughout the EU for holders of temporary protection until that protection ceases; you may be asked for a passport or temporary-protection document to verify identity. EUR-Lex lists the regulation as in force. Temporary protection was extended to 4 March 2028 by Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1912; new applicants must show, where applicable, that they meet their military obligations in Ukraine.
The main value matches, but details may differ — expand to see both rules.
Unmarked junction with no signs
Poland
Priority to the right, but a paved road outranks an unpaved one
At a junction of equal roads with no signs or lights, give way to traffic from your right. Anyone coming off a dirt road onto a hard-surfaced one, out of a property, off an internal road or out of a residential zone gives way to everyone.
Details
Art. 25(1): at a junction give way to traffic from the right, and when turning left also to oncoming traffic going straight or turning right. Art. 17: coming onto a hard-surfaced road from a dirt road or a field, out of a property, off a road that is not a public road (droga wewnętrzna — often the exits from car parks and housing estates) or out of a residential zone (strefa zamieszkania, sign D-40) counts as joining traffic ('włączanie się do ruchu'): you give way to everyone. A road's width or number of lanes gives it no priority. The fines table has no dedicated row for failing to give way: it is punished as creating a danger (Petty Offences Code art. 86), and if someone is hurt it is 1,500 zł, 3,000 for a repeat.
Priority to the right, but a paved road outranks an unpaved one
At a junction with no signs or lights you must give way to anyone coming from your right — even if your road is wider, busier or looks like the main road. The only built-in hierarchy is that a dirt road or path gives way to a road with a carriageway.
Details
Art. 12.3.1: priority to the right always applies, except when: you are already driving on a roundabout (rond-point); the driver on the right comes out of a one-way street against its direction (sens interdit); you are coming out of a road signed B1 (give way) or B5 (stop); you are coming out of a dirt road (chemin de terre) or path onto a road with a carriageway. Width, surface (asphalt vs cobbles), number of lanes or how important a road looks do not count. Separately, art. 12.4: a manoeuvre — leaving a parking space, coming out of private property (driveway, petrol station, car park), U-turn, reversing, changing lanes — means you give way to everyone, so the right-hand rule does not help you. Art. 17.2: at junctions where priority to the right applies, overtaking cars, motorcycles and other vehicles on the left is forbidden (bicycles excepted). So a car coming out of a small side street on your right onto your 'big' road has priority.
Traffic on the ring has priority only when the entry is signed
Traffic already on the ring has priority only where the entry carries sign A-7 'Give way' (an inverted triangle) together with sign C-12 'Roundabout'. With C-12 alone, the roundabout is an ordinary junction and give-way-to-the-right applies: whoever is entering has priority over traffic on the ring.
Details
Signs regulation § 36(1): sign C-12 on its own only tells you to drive round the island in the arrows' direction. § 36(2): priority for traffic on the ring comes from C-12 and A-7 together. Without A-7 the general rule of art. 25(1) applies — give way to the right. So look for both signs at every entry. Overtaking at an uncontrolled junction is banned; on a roundabout or a signal-controlled junction it is allowed (art. 24(7) item 3).
Traffic on the ring has priority only when the entry is signed
On a roundabout, traffic already on the ring has priority: Belgian roundabouts (rond-point) always have give-way (B1) or stop (B5) signs at the entries. A circular junction without those signs is legally not a rond-point, and the normal priority to the right applies.
Details
Art. 2.39 defines a rond-point as a one-way road around a central island, signed D5, whose entries carry B1 or B5 signs. Art. 12.3.1 removes priority to the right for the driver on the ring. You do not signal when entering the ring; you must signal when leaving it (art. 19).
You may turn right on red only on a green arrow — a separate S-2 signal (a thin green arrow on a black background). Before turning you must come to a full stop at the signal, then give way to pedestrians and traffic from other directions.
Details
Signs regulation § 96(1): red together with the S-2 green arrow allows turning in the arrow's direction into the nearest carriageway. § 96(3): the turn is allowed 'provided the driver stops before the signal' and does not obstruct others — a full stop is mandatory even when no one is around. A left arrow also allows a U-turn from the leftmost lane unless sign B-23 forbids it (§ 96(2)).
Fine: 500 PLN. Disobeying traffic lights, including turning on the arrow without stopping — 500 zł (fines table, item 296).
Turning right on red is forbidden for cars. You may go only when an extra green arrow is lit together with the red — and then you must give way to pedestrians and traffic from other directions.
Details
Art. 61.1: red means do not cross the stop line; a green arrow lit together with the red allows movement only in its direction, giving way. A B22 plate (bicycle with a right arrow) under a light lets only cyclists and speed-pedelec riders turn right on red — not cars; B23 does the same for going straight on.
When heavy traffic hampers emergency vehicles, on any road with two or more lanes in one direction, clear a corridor for emergency vehicles: the left lane moves left, all the others move right. Driving in the corridor yourself is banned.
Details
Art. 9(2): in heavy traffic on a road with two lanes in one direction, the left lane moves as far left and the right lane as far right as possible; with more lanes, the leftmost moves left and the rest move right. It applies on any road with such lanes, not only motorways. The law ties the duty to heavy traffic that hampers emergency vehicles, not to the lights and sirens that art. 9(1) is about. Art. 9(3): using the corridor is banned. Art. 9(1): give way to an emergency vehicle with its signals on, stopping if necessary.
Fine:Driving in the emergency corridor — 500 to 2,500 zł (fines table, item 55). Failing to clear it has no row in the fines table: up to 3,000 zł (Petty Offences Code art. 97), on the spot or by a court.
As soon as traffic queues, drivers must form an emergency corridor: on a two-lane road the left lane moves left and the right lane moves right; with more lanes the left lane moves left and all others move right, so the corridor is between the left lane and the second lane.
Details
Art. 9.8 (couloir de secours / reddingsstrook) applies as soon as a queue forms, not only when you hear a siren. The corridor may be used by emergency vehicles, services called by the police or prosecutor, and tow trucks heading to an incident (art. 2.70). Only emergency vehicles may drive on the hard shoulder; called-in services and tow trucks only to reach an incident on a motorway when traffic is heavily slowed (art. 9.7).
Poland has no vignette for cars. State-run motorway sections have been free for cars since 1 July 2023; only the concession sections charge — A1 Gdańsk–Toruń, A2 Świecko–Konin and A4 Katowice–Kraków, paid at toll plazas or through the operators' apps. Vehicles over 3.5 t pay the e-TOLL distance charge.
Details
Since 21 September 2026 a car of up to 3.5 t towing a trailer no longer pays e-TOLL (Dz.U. 2026 item 982); on concession sections a car with a trailer pays the operator's tariff. The A4 Katowice–Kraków concession expires in 2027 — check whether the section is still tolled. Not paying e-TOLL for a vehicle over 3.5 t — 1,500 zł.
As of late 2026 there is no vignette for cars — motorways are free. The only toll for cars is the Liefkenshoek Tunnel in Antwerp. A digital vignette for vehicles up to 3.5 t (including foreign ones) has been announced from 1 May 2027.
Announced change, 1 May 2027:A digital vignette for vehicles up to 3.5 t, including foreign ones, is announced from 1 May 2027; it still needs final approval by the Flemish Parliament.
Details
Liefkenshoek Tunnel (2026, vehicles under 3 m): €6.20 by card, €8 cash, €4.40 with a badge. Lorries over 3.5 t pay a kilometre charge via an on-board unit (Viapass). Vignette from 1 May 2027 (on sale from 2 April 2027): digital, tied to the number plate, required on regional roads and motorways; prices announced by Flanders range from €9 per day to €100 per year for Euro 4 and newer. Details still need final approval by the Flemish Parliament, so check before travelling after April 2027.
You may not have a device in the car that detects speed cameras and radars in operation or jams them — not even carry one ready for use.
Details
Road Traffic Act art. 66(4) item 4 bans both detectors and jammers. The fines table has no row for it: the fine is up to 3,000 zł (Petty Offences Code art. 97).
It is forbidden to knowingly carry any device that hinders the detection of offences or detects speed cameras and radars.
Details
Art. 62bis of the Road Traffic Act. The device is seized on the spot (even if it does not belong to the offender), confiscated and destroyed (art. 29bis).
Cars registered in the EU/EEA and the other states of the insurers' bureaux Multilateral Agreement enter without a Green Card. A Ukrainian car needs a Green Card or frontier insurance — without one the border guard turns it back, and the police may tow it away.
Details
Compulsory Insurance Act art. 29(1) item 3: the keeper of a car registered outside the Multilateral Agreement states who has no valid Green Card must buy frontier insurance before crossing the border; art. 89: without it the car is not let across. Road Traffic Act art. 38(2): the driver of a foreign car must carry the registration document and proof of insurance; art. 130a(1) item 2: if the car is registered outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland and the document is not shown, it is removed. Within the EU/EEA, insurance checks at the border are banned by Directive 2009/103/EC (art. 4). The full list of Multilateral Agreement states is kept by the Council of Bureaux; Poland's bureau is PBUK.
EU, EEA, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Andorra
Cars registered in the EU/EEA, Switzerland, the UK, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Andorra and a few other listed countries enter without a Green Card. Others, including Ukrainian cars, need an international insurance certificate — the Green Card (or frontier insurance).
Details
Royal Decree of 13.02.1991, art. 2: foreign vehicles without a Belgian policy are admitted if their liability is covered by an international insurance certificate; the countries exempt from this are listed by name — Ukraine is not among them. A vehicle's home country is determined by its number plate (art. 1). Act of 21.11.1989, art. 2: third-party liability insurance is compulsory.
A driver who does not live permanently in Poland gets a cash fine — paid on the spot to the officer, in cash or by card if a terminal is available (residents of other EU countries may get 7 days to pay). Refusing the fine sends the case to court.
Details
Petty Offences Procedure Code art. 98 § 2: a cash fine is imposed on a person staying in Poland temporarily or without permanent residence there. § 3: residents of other EU countries may get a fine payable within 7 days. Art. 99: refusing it sends the case to court. The maximum on-the-spot fine is 5,000 zł, 6,000 for several offences at once (art. 96 § 1ad). A repeat within 2 years of an offence listed in Petty Offences Code art. 38 § 2 carries at least double the minimum fine.
A driver with no residence in Belgium may be offered an on-the-spot payment by the police. If they do not pay at once, they must pay a deposit covering the possible fine; otherwise the car is held.
Details
Art. 65 §3 of the Road Traffic Act: the car is held at the driver's cost and risk until the deposit is paid — for up to 96 hours; after that the prosecutor may order it seized. A deposit is also required if earlier unpaid fines are on record in your name. Paying on the spot normally ends the prosecution; an administrative fee is added to the amount.