Export car to Poland: selling used cars to Polish buyers
How to export a car to Poland: what Polish buyers import, the documents they need to register, the excise effect on price, VAT and safe payment.
· 7 min read
To export a car to Poland successfully, offer cars Polish buyers can register cheaply, price them for what a Polish dealer can pay after excise (3.1% up to 2,000 cc, 18.6% above) and hand over complete papers: the registration certificate, an invoice and ideally a CoC. Take full payment by bank transfer before releasing the car and its documents.
Poland is Europe's big buyer of used imports
Poland imports used cars on a scale few EU markets match. According to the automotive research institute Samar, 408,264 used cars were brought into Poland in the first five months of 2025 alone, 1.4% more than a year earlier. The average imported car was about 12 years old, and 52.1% came from Germany.
Two conclusions follow for a seller elsewhere in the EU:
- The mass market is old cars. Much of the volume is 10–15-year-old cars bought cheaply by private importers and small dealers. Competing there from a West European forecourt is hard.
- Younger cars go to dealers. Polish dealers buying 3–6-year-old stock compare your offer with German supply and with local prices, so they need a clear margin after excise and transport.
Samar also reported strong growth in imports of electric cars (up 34.7% in that period), which fits the tax rules: EVs pay no excise at all.
Which used cars Polish buyers want
The cars that travel best to Poland are those the excise treats lightly and that Polish buyers already know.
- Engines up to 2,000 cc. They pay 3.1% excise. Most VW Group 1.4–2.0 TSI and 2.0 TDI cars, four-cylinder BMWs and Toyota 1.8 hybrids fall here.
- Hybrids and plug-ins up to 2,000 cc. Conventional hybrids pay 1.55%; plug-in hybrids are exempt until the end of 2029.
- Electric cars. Exempt from excise, with growing demand from a low base.
- Large-engine premium cars only when your price is far below the Polish market, because 18.6% excise comes on top.
Price comparisons need care. According to listings tracked by MyCarDealer in October 2026:
| Model | Poland median | Germany median |
|---|---|---|
| Toyota Corolla 2019–2022 | €15,762 (125 listings, ~103,000 km) | €17,900 (157, ~77,000 km) |
| VW Tiguan 2019–2021 | €18,595 (66, ~115,000 km) | €22,000 (615, ~100,000 km) |
| Skoda Octavia 2019–2021 | €14,369 (73) | €16,500 (538) |
Polish asking prices were lower, but Polish cars had more kilometres. A low-mileage German Corolla can sell in Poland, but not at a German price plus transport. The full comparison is in car prices Germany vs Poland.
For car dealers
Know your margin before you buy
MyCarDealer compares any car from an auction or listing with the market in your country and shows the net margin after VAT, transport and costs – and the maximum bid.
Request accessWhich documents a Polish buyer needs to register a foreign car
A Polish buyer needs your registration documents, proof of purchase, proof of excise payment and, in most cases, a valid technical inspection. The buyer has 30 days from bringing the car into Poland to register it; late registration is fined from PLN 500.
What you should hand over:
| Document | Why the buyer needs it |
|---|---|
| Registration certificate, all parts (e.g. German Teil I and Teil II) | Proves registration and title; withdrawn by the Polish office |
| Invoice or sale contract with VIN, price, date and both parties | Proof of ownership; also the basis for the excise |
| Certificate of conformity (CoC) | Lets the office enter technical data without extra approval |
| Last roadworthiness test report | A valid EU test can replace a new Polish inspection if it contains all data needed |
| Deregistration confirmation, where your country issues one | Shows the car has left your register |
| Service history and both keys | Value, not law, but Polish dealers ask for it |
Foreign-language documents must be translated by a sworn translator for the Polish registration office, so clear, typed invoices with the VIN in full save your buyer time and money. The registration fee for an imported car is PLN 256, and the buyer receives temporary red plates valid for 30 days while the permanent documents are prepared.
How Polish excise changes what a buyer will pay
Excise is paid by whoever brings the car into Poland, so a Polish dealer deducts it from what it offers you. The tax base is the amount paid for the car, and the tax office can correct an unrealistically low price.
Work out the maximum a Polish dealer can pay like this:
- Start from the Polish market price for the same car.
- Subtract the dealer's target margin and preparation costs.
- Subtract transport to Poland.
- Divide by 1.031 for engines up to 2,000 cc, or 1.186 above.
Example for a large-engine SUV that sells for €45,000 in Poland: €45,000 minus €3,000 margin and preparation, minus €600 transport, is €41,400; divided by 1.186 that is about €34,900. If you need €40,000 for the car, it will not sell to Poland, however strong demand is. Rates, exemptions and deadlines are explained in our guide to Poland car excise duty.
VAT: margin or intra-Community supply
The VAT treatment depends on the car and on the buyer.
- Margin car to any buyer. You invoice under your margin scheme with the required wording. No Polish VAT is due on arrival, and the Polish dealer resells under its own margin scheme (art. 120 of the Polish VAT Act).
- VAT-qualifying car to a Polish VAT-registered dealer. You invoice net as an intra-Community supply. The buyer accounts for 23% Polish VAT. Check the VAT number in VIES on the day of sale and keep transport evidence; see our guide to proof of intra-Community delivery.
- New means of transport (under six months or no more than 6,000 km). VAT is due in Poland whoever the buyer is.
How to arrange payment with a Polish buyer
Release the car and the title document only after the full amount has reached your account. Polish dealers are used to paying by bank transfer before collection, and a serious buyer will not ask for anything else.
- Pro forma invoice with your bank details, sent from your usual business e-mail.
- Payment in full to an account in your company's name. Confirm the credit on your bank statement, not on a screenshot.
- Collection by the buyer's transporter only with a written collection order naming the driver and truck.
- CMR consignment note signed at loading, with a copy returned after delivery.
- Documents handed to the driver or sent by courier once the payment has cleared.
Be wary of buyers who change bank details, offer to pay in instalments, or want the documents sent ahead of payment. Typical schemes are described in car sale payment scams.
Export car to Poland: getting the price right
The difficult part of exporting to Poland is not the paperwork, it is offering a price that works for the Polish side after excise. MyCarDealer shows market prices from comparable listings in each country and the margin after VAT and transport, which lets you check where a car is worth most before sending offers. One car can be valued for free.
Frequently asked questions
Which used cars are most in demand among Polish buyers?
Volume is in older, cheap cars, mostly from Germany. Polish dealers buying younger stock prefer engines up to 2,000 cc, hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric cars, because they pay little or no excise. Large-engine cars sell only when priced well below the Polish market.
Which documents does a Polish buyer need to register a foreign car?
All parts of the foreign registration certificate, the invoice or contract, proof of excise payment and, unless a valid EU test with all required data is available, a Polish technical inspection. A CoC helps. Foreign documents need sworn translations.
How does Polish excise change what a buyer will pay?
The buyer pays 3.1% of the price for engines up to 2,000 cc and 18.6% above, so it reduces the offer by roughly that much. Hybrids pay 1.55% or 9.3%, and electric cars and small plug-in hybrids pay nothing.
How should payment be arranged with a Polish buyer?
By bank transfer of the full price to your company account before the car and its title document are released. Collect against a written collection order, sign a CMR note and keep it as proof of delivery.
How long does a Polish buyer have to register the car?
Thirty days from bringing it into Poland. Late registration is fined from PLN 500, so buyers want complete documents at collection.