What is a community transport license? In order to commercially engage in international road transport of goods, one must possess a community license and a specific entry for each vehicle. This license is granted to entrepreneurs who have permission to work as road carriers. The community license is an administrative decision issued by the Chief Road Transport Inspectorate (GITD), authorizing the undertaking and execution of economic activities in the field of commercial road transport. Additionally, it is not issued to the transport company or driver but to each individual vehicle.
The community license allows for the commercial operation of delivery vehicles with a permissible total mass ranging form 2.5 to 3.5 tons. For international transport by vehicles exceeding 3.5 tons, a separate international license is required, distinct from the community license. In the case of domestic transport by vehicles with a total mass exceeding 3.5 tons, it is mandatory to have permit to work as a road carrier.
What is a permit to work as a road carrier? A permit to work as a road carrier is an administrative decision that authorizes an entrepreneur to engage in road transport in Poland. Entrepreneurs intending to conduct business based on paid transport of goods with vehicles exceeding 3.5 tons or people (vehicles designed for the transport of more than 9 people, incl. the driver)are obliged to have a permit to work as a road carrier. Obtaining this permit requires meeting several criteria and submitting appropriate documents with the application.
Who is exempt from requiring a transport license? Not every delivery vehicle is subject to the requirement of having a transport license. Exempt from this obligation are carriers engaged in :
- International transport of groups of people
- International transport of goods for personal use (non-profit)
- Domestic transport of goods
How is passenger transport regulated in domestic transport? For passenger transport in Poland, a license for transporting people by bus must be obtained. A bus colloquially referred to as a vehicle designed for the transport of more than 7 but not more than 9 people, including the driver. The full name of this license to carry pout domestic road transport for the carriage of people by a motor vehicle designed structurally to carry more than 7 but not more than 9 people, including the driver. It is important to note that this license authorizes transport within Poland. For international transport of people, a community license for international bus and coach transport is required, as a reminder, the community transport license pertains to international transport of goods, not people.
Where to apply for a license? Main Road Transport Inspectorate Office for International Transport Al. Jerozolimskie 94, 00-807 Warsaw.
How to obtain a community transport license? The first step is to submit an application for a community license, indicating the desired validity period ( up to a maximum of 10 years) the number of requested entries, and the number of reported vehicles. This application is labeled as “LR1 application”. The application must be accompanied by
- Permit to work as a road carrier or a license for national road transport of goods
- Permit to work as a road carrier or a license for national road transport of goods
- Certificate issued by the authority that issued the permit to work as a road carrier, indicating the number of vehicles for which the financial capacity requirement has been documented – this document is related to meeting the financial capacity requirement established in Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009
- Information from the National Criminal Register – in the case of granting the permit to work as a road carrier by GITD
According to Article 7a (2) of the Road Transport Act, the application for a community license includes:
- Identification of the entrepreneur, their address, and registered office specified in the National Court register (KRS) or, for entrepreneurs who are natural persons, the permanent place of business specified in the Central Register and Information on Economic Activity (CEIDG)
- Information about entry in the Central Register and Information on Economic Activity (CEIDG) or the number in the National Court Register (KRS), is required
- Tax identification number (NIP)
- Definition of the type of road transport
- Specification of the type and number of motor vehicles that the entrepreneur will use for road transport
- Full name, address, and certificate number of the person managing the transport (the person managing the transport is a designated individual appointed by the entrepreneur engaged in the profession of road carrier)
- Specification of the number of extracts from the permit to work as a road carrier or from the community license
- In the case of a community license – specification of the period for which is to be granted
After verifying the documents, the Chief Road Transport Inspectorate issues a community license for international commercial transport of goods and an extract from the community license for each vehicle. You will generally wait for the DITD decision for no longer than a month, although the deadline may potentially extend to 2 months. If the GITD refuses to issue the license or extracts, you have the right to submit a request for reconsideration of the case – the application must be submitted to the GITD within 14 days from the date of receiving the refusal.
The cost of the transport license depends on the period for witch it is issued. For a period of up to 5 years, the amount is 4000 PLN, and 440 PLN for each extract, while for a period from 5 to 10 years, it is 8000 PLN and 880 PLN for each extract. The fee must be paid to the bank account number provided on the website of the Chief Road Transport Inspectorate, and the transfer title must include your tax identification number (NIP).
Responsibilities of a company holding a license. A road carrier is obliged to notify, in writing or electronically, any changes in data no later than 28 days from the date of their occurrence to the authority that granted the permit to work as a road carrier or the community license.
Hen conducting business in the field of road transport, and the legal form of the company is a civil partnership, all partners are then obliged to have the appropriate authorizations (licenses or permits) to conduct such activities.
Summary obtaining a community transport license requires meeting several formal requirements. When submitting the application, special attention must be paid to elements that must be included in the document to meet legal requirements and be accepted for consideration. The applicant has the right to submit a request for reconsideration in case of, among other things, rejection of the application. Consulting with a lawyer before submitting such a form is the step to streamline the process of applying for a license and ensure compliance with formal requirements.
In addition to serving transport companies, our law firm supports entrepreneurs in obtaining a community transport license and permits to work as a driver- also for citizens from third countries – we cordially invite you to contact us by a phone or email!
