Importing a used car from the US to Poland

What the Polish record shows, and what it misses

Poland’s vehicle register (CEP, part of CEPiK) holds inspections, insurance and the odometer readings taken at each inspection since 2014. The free Historia Pojazdu service on gov.pl shows that data, plus some risks recorded abroad, for example that a car was in an accident or used as a taxi. Its foreign data comes from an outside system with sources that include the US and Canada, and it appears only where available.

A flag that says “accident” doesn’t tell you how bad it was or how well it was fixed. The auction record shows the car on the day it was sold: photos of the damage, the damage the yard recorded, the title it sold under and the odometer reading.

Getting the car to Poland

Cars from the US arrive by sea, in a container or on a car carrier, either at a Polish Baltic port or at a larger hub. Bremerhaven in Germany is one of Europe’s big car ports: its port company counts about 1.25 million vehicles a year. If the car is cleared in Germany, the duty and VAT are settled there, and Poland treats it as arriving from another EU country, with excise still due in Poland.

Duty, akcyza and VAT

Customs duty depends on where the car was built. A US-built car pays 0% from 1 July 2026 to 31 December 2029 under Regulation (EU) 2026/1455, if you can prove its origin. A car built in Japan, Korea, Germany or elsewhere and bought in the US pays the standard 10% for passenger cars.

VAT at 23% comes on top. The engine size matters more than most buyers expect: a US pickup or SUV with a 3.5 or 5.0 litre engine lands in the 18.6% band. Ask a customs agency (agencja celna) for the full figure before you bid.

Registration and the badanie techniczne

1. Clear customs. You get the customs clearance document (dowód odprawy celnej) that registration requires.
2. First technical inspection. A car registered abroad has its first periodic inspection before its first registration in Poland, at a vehicle inspection station (stacja kontroli pojazdów). The result has to be positive.
3. Apply within 30 days of the car’s release for free circulation, at the vehicle department of your powiat or city office. Bring proof of ownership, the foreign registration document, the customs clearance and the inspection certificate. Documents in English need a sworn translation.
4. Temporary plates. The office registers the car for 30 days while the permanent registration certificate is made.

Accident damage and the extra inspection

The Road Traffic Act adds an additional technical inspection (dodatkowe badanie techniczne) in several cases that touch US salvage cars. The starosta can order one when the documents filed for registration show the car was in a road accident. It is also required after a repair of significant damage (szkoda istotna) to the load-bearing structure, brakes or steering, and when an inspector finds traces of damage to the structure.

The law doesn’t list US title brands by name. Whether a salvage title triggers the extra inspection is up to the office, so ask your wydział komunikacji before you buy a branded car.

Checks before you buy

1. Run the VIN through the VIN decoder: the plant country decides 0% or 10% duty, and the engine size decides the akcyza band.
2. Open the auction record and compare the damage photos with the car in front of you.
3. Pull a CARFAX or AutoCheck report for brands from earlier states, total-loss records and the US mileage trail.
4. Run the free Historia Pojazdu check too: it works on a VIN even before the car is registered in Poland.
5. Have the structure checked: the repairs that matter are the ones under the paint.

What our reports cover

Our CARFAX and AutoCheck reports cover vehicles sold in the US and Canada: title brands, total-loss and auction events, and mileage records. The auction report shows the Copart or IAAI lot as sold: photos, recorded damage, title and odometer. Reports are in English, and we don’t handle transport, customs or registration.