Romania on a Polish Licence — No IDP, but Mind the Rovinieta

For a Polish driver, Romania is a comfortable neighbour to drive in. Your Polish licence is fully valid and no International Driving Permit is required — both countries are in the EU, so your licence is recognised exactly as issued. Carry it with your passport and the rental paperwork and you’re set.

Romania drives on the right, as Poland does, so there’s no side switch to relearn. But two differences from home are worth fixing in your mind before you go.

The first is alcohol. Romania runs zero tolerance, 0.0 BAC — stricter than Poland’s already-low 0.02. The Polish habit gives you a tiny margin; Romania gives you none. If you’re driving, don’t drink at all.

The second is the rovinieta. Like Poland’s e-toll arrangements, Romania charges for its national roads electronically — but the system is a flat-period vignette you buy online or at a petrol station before joining a main road, with cameras checking it by plate. A rental often includes it, so ask the desk; if you drive in from Poland in your own car, buy it before you reach the first national road.

The other thing to expect is the road network. Romania’s motorways are still limited, so most driving happens on two-lane national roads where surfaces vary and you’ll meet horse-drawn carts, slow trucks and unlit vehicles after dark — more of this than you’d see at home. The 130 km/h motorway limit (lower than Poland’s 140) is the exception; rural roads are 90, towns 50. Overtake patiently and drive to the road.

Fuel is cheap at around $1.42 per litre. Winter tyres are required in cold conditions — check the rental if you travel roughly November to March. A minor speeding fine is RON 290-725 (about EUR 60-150). The emergency number is 112.

Read the full Romania driving guide, confirm details with the Driving Permit Checker, and compare the rovinieta with neighbouring systems in our guide to vignette countries.