UK citizens in Poland after Brexit: your Withdrawal Agreement rights, explained

Why UK citizens aren't simply "another non-EU nationality"

After Brexit, it would be easy to assume British citizens in Poland are now treated exactly like any other third-country national. That's not quite right. If you were already lawfully resident in Poland before the end of the Brexit transition period, you are a beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement — a specific legal status that gives you a distinct, generally more favourable pathway than someone applying as a "regular" non-EU citizen for the first time today.

If you're moving to Poland for the first time now, after the transition period, this special status does not apply to you — you fall under the standard non-EU rules instead (see our residence and work permit articles for that process).

The documents that apply to Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries

Depending on your exact situation, the relevant documents can include:

• A certificate confirming an application has been submitted, valid for around 1 year while your case is processed.
• A certificate of registered residence.
• A document confirming the right of permanent residence, if you qualify.
• A residence card / permanent residence card issued specifically on the Withdrawal Agreement basis.

Unlike the standard non-EU karta pobytu process, these documents are issued by the Voivodeship Office free of charge for Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries.

Driving licences: a related, separate issue

If your UK licence was issued on or before 31 December 2020, gov.pl says you do not have to exchange it at all — it stays valid in Poland for the period it was issued for. A licence issued on or after 1 January 2021 is treated differently: you can drive on it in Poland for 6 months only, and you need to apply for the exchange before those 6 months run out. Either way, you cannot renew or replace a UK licence while you are living in Poland, so an expiring licence eventually has to be exchanged for a Polish one. There is still a practical wrinkle if you do want to exchange it: if you hold an older paper (non-photocard) UK licence, you may first need to exchange it for a DVLA photocard licence in the UK before Poland will exchange it for a Polish one. This two-step requirement catches people out, so check this specifically rather than assuming your existing licence can be swapped directly.

If you're not sure which category you're in

Because the Withdrawal Agreement only applies if your residence in Poland already existed before the relevant cut-off, and because everyone's paperwork history is different, this is a case where checking your specific situation with the Voivodeship Office (or the UK government's own guidance) is worth doing directly rather than assuming.

This is general information, not legal advice

Withdrawal Agreement rights depend on your specific residence history in Poland. This article explains the general framework — for a decision on your individual case, check with the relevant Urząd Wojewódzki or official UK government guidance.