New rules at the border with Poland: what you will have to pay more than UAH 230 for

Official Warsaw plans to introduce paid electronic queue booking for freight transport at certain road checkpoints on the European Union’s external border.  UNN reports this, citing a draft by Poland’s Ministry of Finance.

The innovation concerns commercial freight transport specifically and does not involve a fee of 20 zlotys (UAH 237.3) for passengers, car drivers, or pedestrians.

Details 

The changes concern Polish customs legislation and provide for the introduction of a mandatory electronic system for reserving a place and time to cross the border for road freight transport leaving Poland via the EU’s external border. Therefore,  the new rules could also apply to the Polish-Ukrainian border.

What will change for those wishing to cross the Polish border

Under the draft, one reservation will cost 20 zlotys. The fee may be paid only electronically. If the vehicle does not arrive at the checkpoint at the designated time, the money will not be refunded. Reservations are planned to be made through Poland’s PUESC Electronic Tax and Customs Services Platform or via a mobile application.

The draft provides for several reservation modes. The standard mode will allow the driver or carrier to choose the checkpoint, date, and time of border crossing independently. A separate priority mode is предусмотрен for transport carrying live animals, perishable products, dangerous goods, humanitarian aid, and blood.

In addition, it will be possible to join the electronic queue without choosing a specific time. In that case, the system will automatically determine the estimated time of the truck’s arrival at the checkpoint.

From when will payment be required when crossing the border 

The legislative changes are expected, if adopted, to enter into force on February 1, 2027, while the mandatory electronic reservation system itself is expected to become operational on March 1, 2027.

Where will the new system operate 

At the same time, the final list of checkpoints where the new system will operate has not yet been determined. It is to be approved by a separate regulatory act.

Why Warsaw introduced an additional fee

Poland’s Finance Ministry explains that the introduction of the fee is intended, in particular, to reduce the number of fictitious reservations and streamline truck traffic at the busiest checkpoints. The ministry also notes that the problem of hours-long and days-long queues of freight transport is particularly acute on the border with Ukraine because of the significant volume of cargo transportation.

We remind you

Poland is strengthening its border with Ukraine and building new fortifications because of the Russian threat.