Driver guide

Is driving for Uber and Bolt legal in Poland
The Lex Uber rules explained

DEPartner / 2026-10-25

Yes. Uber and Bolt operate legally in Poland, and driving for them is legal too, as long as every trip is carried out under a passenger transport licence and the driver meets the legal requirements. The rules come from the Road Transport Act, changed by the reform known as Lex Uber and by a further amendment in 2023. Here is what they mean for you as a driver.

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What is Lex Uber?

Lex Uber is the popular name of the Act of 16 May 2019 amending the Road Transport Act and certain other acts (Dz.U. 2019 poz. 1180). It came into force on 1 January 2020 and brought ride-hailing apps fully into Polish transport law. The key changes:

A licence for every carrier. Paid domestic passenger transport by passenger car, by a vehicle for up to 9 people including the driver, or by taxi requires a licence.
Apps became licensed intermediaries. Intermediation in passenger transport (in Polish: pośrednictwo przy przewozie osób) needs its own licence, and an intermediary may pass trips only to carriers that hold the right licence. Platforms already operating had three months to obtain it.
App instead of taximeter. The fare can be settled through a mobile app that meets the technical and tax requirements, so a classic taximeter is not the only option.

The 2023 amendment: stricter driver checks

The Act of 26 May 2023 (Dz.U. 2023 poz. 1123) tightened the rules in stages, mainly to improve passenger safety:

From 17 September 2023 platforms must verify every driver in person before cooperation starts: an identity document, a criminal record certificate issued no earlier than one month before, and a photo of the driver's face. They must also check, at least once every 50 trips and at least every 7 days, that the person driving is the person who was given the trip.
Drivers working for a licensed carrier must not have convictions for crimes against life and health or sexual freedom, or for certain drug offences, and must not have a court ban on working as a driver.
From 17 June 2024 the driver must hold a driving licence issued in Poland. The platform checks it against the central driver register.

A platform that fails to verify a driver faces a fine of 10,000 zł, and 50,000 zł if it happens again. That is why the apps check documents carefully before they activate your account.

Four roles: carrier, vehicle, driver and app

The carrier

Holds the licence. A taxi licence covers a specific area: one municipality (gmina), neighbouring municipalities that have an agreement, or the city of Warsaw. With DEPartner, we are the carrier, so you do not need your own business.

The vehicle

Each car used for trips has an extract from the licence (wypis). During a trip the driver must carry it and, if the fare is settled in an app, show the phone with the app to an inspector on request.

The driver

Meets the personal requirements: a Polish driving licence, medical and psychological fitness and a clean criminal record in the scope set by law.

The app

A licensed intermediary. It checks the carrier's licence, the vehicle extract and you. Where a city requires extra taxi markings, the app checks those as well.

What you need as a driver

Age 18+ and a Polish category B driving licence.
Medical and psychological certificates confirming there are no contraindications to working as a driver. Until the age of 60 they are renewed every 5 years, after 60 every 30 months. DEPartner reimburses the cost when you present an invoice issued to the company (DEPartner).
A criminal record certificate (zaświadczenie o niekaralności) from the National Criminal Register (KRK), issued no more than one month before your verification.
An identity document, such as a passport or residence card, and a legal basis to stay and work in Poland.

Have a foreign driving licence? For app trips the law requires a licence issued in Poland. If you hold a licence from another country, you need a Polish one before you can drive for Uber or Bolt. See our guide to exchanging a foreign driving licence in Poland.

Your own licence or a fleet partner?

You can work as an independent carrier: register a business in CEIDG (the Polish business register), apply to the city office for a licence for your area, prepare the vehicle documents and the extract, and handle accounting yourself. This route takes time and paperwork.

With a fleet partner, the licence is already in place. DEPartner handles the licence extract, the notification to the city authority and the administrative matters. You bring your personal documents, choose a fleet car or your own car, and focus on driving. When everything is ready, you can often take your first trips the same day. Learn more about taxi licensing in Poland.

Start driving legally with DEPartner

DEPartner works with Uber, Bolt and FREENOW, has 14 offices across Poland and a rating of 4.9/5 in Google from over 3,000 reviews. Every office speaks Polish and English. Leave your contact details and we will tell you which documents to prepare.

Apply to drive +48 573 580 800

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Is driving for Uber and Bolt legal in PolandThe Lex Uber rules explained