Buying a car in Poland: history, documents and export to Italy

For a private individual already resident in Italy, importing a car from Poland is worthwhile only if they verify the seller, history, documents and transport before paying. Polish temporary plates do not guarantee that the car may be driven or is insured along the route. Before making a non-refundable payment, it is advisable to have the file checked by the relevant STA or UMC. 1 2 3

First decision: proceed, pause or change transport

Before the price, the key is being able to document the transaction. The VIN must match on the car, registration document, contract and checks; the seller must prove their identity, ownership and right to sell. Pause if part of the foreign document, technical data or clarity about the VAT treatment is missing.

An ordinary used car already registered in Poland falls within the intra-EU route: customs duties do not apply merely because it is transferred to Italy. This conclusion must not be extended to special tax territories or to a direct purchase from a non-EU country. 6

Checking the history of a Polish car

The Polish public Historia Pojazdu service allows a free check of current data held in CEP and any available foreign risk data. To start the search, the registration number, VIN and date of first registration are needed. The downloadable report is informative: coverage depends on available data and a court or authority may not accept the report as official evidence. It therefore does not replace checking the seller’s identity, the chain of ownership, encumbrances or physical inspection. 7

Compare the timeline, recorded mileages and identifying data with actual wear. During an inspection, focus on consistency between the VIN and declared mileage, body repairs, the structure and the underbody. A plausible history alone does not prove the absence of accidents or mechanical defects. Also ask for the originals that the seller will hand over and check that the contract unambiguously identifies the parties, vehicle, price, date and payment method.

VAT: when the car is genuinely used

For VAT purposes, the two thresholds work together. The car is used only if it has travelled more than 6,000 km and is supplied more than six months after first registration. It is new for VAT purposes if it has travelled no more than 6,000 km or is supplied within six months. A vehicle with exactly 6,000 km is therefore not used under this definition. 6 3

For an ordinary used car already registered in the EU and bought from a private individual, transfer to Italy alone does not create new VAT on the car. If the seller is a trader, the invoice must be read and standard VAT distinguished from the margin scheme; a private buyer has no general right to obtain the net price. If the vehicle is new for VAT purposes, no VAT exclusion should be promised. 6 2

For an intra-Community purchase by a private individual, the transaction details must be notified within 15 days after the purchase and in any event before the registration application. The deadline runs from the purchase, not from the car’s arrival in Italy. Where the conditions for exclusion from payment using F24 Elide are met, the Agenzia delle Entrate carries out a prior documentary check; a positive outcome from the Provincial Directorate is communicated to the CED and permits registration without that payment. This procedure does not create a general exemption for vehicles that are new for VAT purposes. 8 2

Documents to finalise before payment

Have the STA or UMC check the file for the specific vehicle before a non-refundable payment. The basic set includes proof of purchase, identity document and tax code, the complete original foreign registration document — both parts, where applicable — technical data, relevant tax and insurance documentation, and any technical-inspection certificates. Damage, modifications or missing documents can change the route. This is a practical precaution, not an earlier legal deadline. 2 3 5

A non-harmonised EU registration document or one with additional annotations requires the relevant full translation. The COC may be submitted in original or copy and does not require translation; however, it is not the only possible technical evidence. Depending on the case, a translated supplementary technical sheet or other permitted evidence may be required. 2

Export from Poland and travel to Italy

For export, the owner can apply for temporary registration. If they have neither permanent nor temporary residence in Poland, the authority at the place of purchase or collection may be competent. Before handover, it is therefore necessary to establish who is recorded as owner, who submits the application and which office handles the case. 1

Polish temporary registration is issued for a period of no more than 30 days. The authority may extend it once by 14 days, exclusively to clarify issues connected with registration: it is not an ordinary extension to complete the journey and does not automatically make the period 44 days. For ex officio deregistration linked to export, the owner submits with the application a declaration, made under criminal liability, that the vehicle will be exported. Once the period has expired, the plates normally have to be returned to the issuing authority, unless the vehicle has actually been exported. 1

Before collection, check in writing the plate, registered holder, permitted driver, dates, documents, insurance cover and recognition in every transit State and in Italy. The Polish issue does not prove these elements. If the chain is not documented, carriage on a vehicle transporter avoids driving the car on its own plates; obligations concerning ownership, tax and registration still remain. 4 5 1

For someone who has already been resident in Italy for some time, the purchase does not open a new three-month period for driving with foreign plates. Article 93-bis links that period to acquisition of registered residence. REVE concerns specific cases of availability or employment and does not generally replace registration in Italy of a car bought into ownership. 4 10

Registration in Italy

In eligible EU/EEA cases, an STA can submit the unified application for registration with the UMC, entry in the PRA register and issue of the Documento Unico (DU), the single registration and ownership document. If the case cannot go through the STA, the procedure first goes to the UMC and then to the PRA within 60 days from the date of the document preliminary to the DU. The 60 days do not run from the purchase or the arrival in Italy. 3

As a rule, a vehicle from another EU State is not subject to a prior technical examination and test (visita e prova). The implementing decree nevertheless provides exceptions for specific approvals, damaged vehicles and other cases. The periodic roadworthiness inspection, the Motorizzazione’s technical examination and test, and a pre-purchase inspection are different checks. The ordinary technical verification for registration in Italy is internal to the procedure, does not require a separate application and has no separate fee; its positive outcome does not replace any tax condition required for registration. 2

Budget without false totals

The actual cost depends on the car, the province, the channel chosen and the documents available. The schedule separates certain items from those requiring a quote and keeps the two transport methods distinct. Do not add alternatives together or calculate a total while amounts are missing.

The €27 ACI charge and the two €16 stamp duties are specific PRA components, not the price of registration in Italy. IPT, Motorizzazione, plates, translations, any technical procedures, repairs and the intermediary’s fee remain to be determined. 3

Frequently asked questions

When is a Polish car used for VAT purposes?

Only when it has travelled more than 6,000 km and is supplied more than six months after first registration. If it has travelled no more than 6,000 km or is supplied within six months, it is new for VAT purposes. The type of seller also matters: with a trader, the invoice and the scheme applied must be read. 6, 3, 2

What is needed to use Historia Pojazdu?

The registration number, VIN and date of first registration are needed. The service shows current CEP data and any available foreign data, but the report is informative: it does not certify ownership or physical condition and does not guarantee a complete history. 7

Can an Italian buyer obtain Polish temporary plates?

The owner can apply for temporary registration for export. If they have neither permanent nor temporary residence in Poland, the authority competent for the place of purchase or collection may deal with it. Before collecting the car, ownership, applicant and documents must be aligned with the specific office. 1

Are Polish temporary plates always valid for 30 or 44 days?

No. Registration is issued for no more than 30 days. A single 14-day extension is possible only to clarify registration issues; it is neither automatic nor intended as an ordinary extension of the journey. Issue does not confirm recognition and insurance in the States crossed. 1

What does the export declaration in Poland involve?

The owner applying for ex officio deregistration for export submits with the temporary application a declaration, under criminal liability, that the vehicle will be exported. After expiry, the plates normally return to the issuing authority, except where export has genuinely taken place. 1

After purchase, can I drive in Italy for three months with Polish plates?

A long-term Italian resident does not receive three new months from the purchase date. In the ownership branch of Article 93-bis, the period is linked to acquisition of registered residence. REVE covers specific situations of availability or employment and does not normally replace registration in Italy of one’s own car. 4, 10

Are the COC and translation always compulsory?

No. The COC can be an original or copy and does not require translation, but it may be replaced by a translated supplementary technical sheet or other permitted evidence. The relevant full translation instead concerns a non-harmonised EU registration document or one with additional annotations. 2

What is the total cost of importing the car from Poland?

There is no reliable total here: price and VAT, chosen transport, insurance, documents, translations, IPT, Motorizzazione, plates, any repairs and the agency depend on the case. The €27 and the two €16 stamp duties indicated by ACI are only PRA components. 3

One check before committing

If the seller’s identity, documents and transport plan can be checked, you can ask CarAudit whether an inspection is available for that location and vehicle before arranging it. The inspection described does not involve dismantling, depends on access and testing conditions, and cannot guarantee detection of every defect or future failure; the certificate is not a guarantee within the meaning of the Civil Code. Availability, price and appointment must be confirmed. The service must not be understood as transport, customs or registration. 11, 9, 12

Sources

1. Ministerstwo Infrastruktury — Rejestracja pojazdów
2. MIT — DD 581 del 17 dicembre 2025
3. ACI Gov — Nazionalizzazione: iscrizione di veicolo usato proveniente dall’estero
4. ACI Gov — Codice della strada, art. 93-bis
5. Your Europe — Car registration documents and formalities in the EU
6. Your Europe — L'IVA quando compri o vendi un'automobile
7. Gov.pl — Sprawdź historię pojazdu
8. Gazzetta Ufficiale — DM 26 marzo 2018
9. CarAudit Italia — Cosa controlliamo
10. ACI Gov — REVE: registrazione dei veicoli immatricolati all’estero
11. CarAudit Italia — Home
12. CarAudit Italia — Contatti