Importing Cars from the USA and EU/Polish Regulations

Registering a car from the USA in Poland is fully legal and does not require European homologation – the key requirement is passing the Polish technical inspection. To pass it, a few simple modifications are needed: replacing or adapting the headlights to meet EU standards, changing rear turn signals to amber, adding a rear fog light, and adjusting the speedometer to display in km/h. There’s no need to change the radio, safety systems, or dashboard labels – they do not affect the registration process. The entire procedure is straightforward and low-cost if these adjustments are made before the inspection.

Importing a car from the USA to Poland is not legally complicated, but it’s important to understand a few basic rules that govern vehicle approval for road use in the European Union.

Registration Without Homologation

Unlike some European countries, Poland does not ban the registration of vehicles imported from the USA, nor does it require what’s known as European homologation. This means that a car originally made for the American market can be registered in Poland even if it was never officially approved for sale within the EU. The only condition is obtaining a positive result from the technical inspection, which confirms that the vehicle meets Poland’s roadworthiness requirements.

Required Adaptation to EU Regulations

To pass this inspection, the car must be modified to comply with standards required in the European Union. In practice, this involves a few specific technical adjustments:

• Headlight replacement – US headlights use a different beam pattern and may shine symmetrically without a clear cutoff, potentially blinding oncoming traffic. They also lack EU-compliant markings. Therefore, they must be replaced or adapted to meet European lighting standards.
• Rear turn signal conversion – Many US vehicles come with red rear turn signals, which are not allowed in the EU. These must be replaced with amber ones.
• Installation of a rear fog light – This is a mandatory feature in Poland, but most US vehicles don’t come equipped with one. It needs to be installed before the inspection.
• Speedometer and odometer adjustment – The speedometer must display speeds in kilometers per hour (km/h). If the instrument panel shows only miles per hour (mph) without a secondary km/h scale, the gauge must be replaced or appropriately labeled.

Other Differences Do Not Affect Registration

Many buyers wonder whether replacing the radio, upgrading safety systems (such as eCall), or translating dashboard symbols into Polish is required. Fortunately, these are not necessary – technical inspectors do not demand modifications to these elements. Labels can remain in English, and a radio with an American frequency range is not an issue. These features only impact user comfort and convenience, not road approval or legal registration.

To summarize: importing a car from the USA to Poland does not require major investments in conversion. A few basic technical modifications are enough to pass the inspection and register the vehicle legally.