Driving in the UK on a Polish Licence — Keep Left, and 140 km/h Becomes 70 mph
Poland
United Kingdom
No IDP: a Polish licence covers 12 months from entry to Great Britain. Traffic keeps left, motorways stop at 70 mph (113 km/h, not 140), and speeding starts at GBP 100 plus 3 points.
Two things change for a Polish driver in Britain, and the paperwork is not one of them. The side of the road is, and so is the speedometer you read.
Licence
GOV.UK lets a visitor drive in Great Britain on a full, valid EU licence for 12 months from the date of last entry, so a Polish card needs no IDP and no translation. Carry it with your passport or ID card. The Driving Permit Checker confirms other cases.
Right to left
Poland drives on the right; the UK drives on the left. In a right-hand-drive car you change gear with your left hand, and the reflexes built at home point the wrong way exactly when it matters: joining a roundabout, pulling out of a junction or a petrol station. British roundabouts run clockwise and you give way to traffic from the right; pick your exit before you enter and hold your lane. Rural lanes are often single-track with passing places. Give the first hour to quiet roads.
Miles per hour
Limits are posted in mph. Polish motorways allow 140 km/h; British motorways and dual carriageways stop at 70 mph (113 km/h). Single carriageways are 60 mph, built-up areas 30 mph in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and 20 mph by default in Wales. Cameras are fixed, mobile and average-speed, and the minimum speeding penalty is GBP 100 plus 3 points. The Speeding Fine Calculator runs other cases.
Alcohol
England, Wales and Northern Ireland allow 80 mg per 100 ml of blood, four times Poland’s 0.2 per mille; Scotland allows 50 mg. Neither is a reason to drink: stay at zero.
In an emergency call 999. The United Kingdom driving guide has the full rulebook.
Sources
- GOV.UK, driving in Great Britain on a non-GB licence (EU/EEA visitor: 12 months from entry): gov.uk
- GOV.UK, speed limits (30/60/70 mph; 20 mph default in Wales): gov.uk
- GOV.UK, drink-drive limits (80 mg in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; 50 mg in Scotland): gov.uk
- GOV.UK, speeding penalties (minimum GBP 100 and 3 points): gov.uk
- GOV.UK, Highway Code rule 185 (roundabouts: give way to traffic from the right): gov.uk
- WHO Global status report on road safety 2023, Poland profile (140 km/h motorway; 0.02 g/dl): who.int
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Frequently Asked Questions
No. GOV.UK lets a visitor drive in Great Britain on a full, valid EU licence for 12 months from the date of last entry, with no International Driving Permit. Carry the licence with your passport or ID card.
The left, the opposite of Poland. Roundabouts run clockwise and give way to traffic from the right, and the first junctions are where the wrong-way glance happens, so start on quiet roads.
80 mg per 100 ml of blood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, four times Poland's 0.2 per mille, and 50 mg in Scotland. The British figure is not a margin to use; stay at zero.