🇵🇱 Poland — HGV driving bans 2026
In Poland, HGV restrictions mainly revolve around public holidays and their eves, with a noticeable tightening during the summer period that adds extra time slots at weekends. On top of this, city-specific bans apply in the major urban areas. Here are the details, slot by slot.
1. General rule
The basic ban applies to HGVs whose GVW exceeds 12 tonnes:
🚫Public holidays. Driving banned from 08:00 to 22:00 on public holidays (list in section 6).
🌙Eves of public holidays. Ban also applies on the eve, from 18:00 to 22:00.
2. Summer restrictions
In summer, additional time slots are added to the general rule. This period runs from the last Friday in June to the last Sunday before the start of the school year. During this window, the ban (GVW > 12 t) also applies:
📅On Friday, from 18:00 to 22:00.
📅On Saturday, from 08:00 to 14:00.
📅On Sunday, from 08:00 to 22:00.
3. Exemptions
The following are exempt from these bans, in particular:
- Transport of humanitarian aid, and vehicles involved in the construction or maintenance of roads and bridges.
- Transport of live animals and perishable goods, where they make up a significant proportion of the cargo or available loading space.
- Transport of equipment for an event (fair, show).
- Bunkering of vessels with fuel and drinking water.
- Transport of newspapers making up a significant proportion of the cargo or available space.
- Transport of medicines and medical supplies.
- Transport of mail making up a significant proportion of the cargo or available space.
- Vehicles maintaining a production cycle or supplying a continuously operating business.
- Transport of concrete or concrete pumping equipment.
- Transport of municipal waste and liquid waste.
- Transport of goods unloaded from a train, within a 50 km radius of the station.
- Combined transport.
- Slow agricultural vehicles and agricultural tractors.
- Vehicles returning from abroad to complete a road transport operation, or heading to a recipient located in Poland.
- Vehicles that entered Polish territory outside the restriction dates or times, within a 50 km radius of the border crossing point; and vehicles awaiting departure at the border.
These exemptions also apply to unladen vehicles associated with one of these cargo categories.
4. Dangerous goods (ADR)
☣️The transport of dangerous goods in quantities requiring the orange panel is among the transports exempt from weekend and public holiday bans. In other words, an ADR transport displaying the orange plate may operate during time slots normally closed to HGVs over 12 t.
5. Local bans by city
Beyond national rules, several major cities impose their own access restrictions, often by time slot. Click on a city to expand the details:
Warsaw ▾
Transit by HGVs over 16 t GVW is banned in the city every day from 07:00 to 10:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00, except for those delivering to Warsaw or its surroundings.
Transit vehicles must use the bypass via roads No. 50, 60 and 62.
Vehicles holding a C16 card are exempt from this ban.
Poznań ▾
In the "B-5" zone of the city centre, vehicles over 16 t are banned every day from 07:00 to 09:00 and from 14:00 to 18:00.
Permanent ban for over 10 t: from the Rataje roundabout to the junction of Bolesława Krzywoustego with Chartowo and Żegrze streets, and on Józefa Piłsudskiego and Inflancka streets.
Permanent ban for over 16 t: on Arcybiskupa Antoniego Baraniaka, Arcybiskupa Walentego Dymka, Chartowo streets, and on part of Szwajcarska, Żegrze and Hetmańska streets (from Żegrze street to the Starołęka roundabout).
Access permitted for over 10 t: from motorway A2 to the Krzesiny junction (coming from Warsaw, Świecko and Berlin) and from expressway S11 (coming from Katowice), via the toll-free A2 and via the Dębina and Komorniki junctions.
Wrocław ▾
HGVs over 18 t may only enter the city in three time slots: 04:00–06:00, 09:00–11:00 and 20:00–22:00.
The affected entry points are located on Karkonoska, Opolska, Żmigrodzka, Średzka streets, and Jana III Sobieskiego and Brücknera roads.
For a destination in the "B-5" zone of the centre, the city engineering department can issue a permit: Room 405, 2/4 Zapolska Street, 50-032 Wrocław, tel. 71 777 77 94, or via its website.
Toruń ▾
HGVs over 18 t cannot enter the city from 06:00 to 09:00 and from 13:00 to 19:00.
The restricted zone covers: Szosa Bydgoska (before the Castorama shopping centre), Szosa Chełmińska (at Pawia street), Grudziądzka street (at Celnicza street), Olsztyńska street (at Ceramiczna street), Szosa Lubicka (at Odległa street), Turystyczna street (at the bus terminus), Łódzka street (at Andersa street), and Andersa street (from Poznańska street to Łódzka street).
For a destination in the "B-5" zone of the centre, the municipal road administration can issue a permit. It is located at 159 Grudziądzka street, open Monday to Friday from 07:00 to 15:00.
Gliwice ▾
HGVs over 12 t cannot enter the city in three time slots: 00:00–04:00, 06:00–10:00 and 14:00–18:00.
The restricted zone covers Toszecka, Piwna, Zabrska, Feliksa Orlickiego, Kujawska, Pszczyńska, Lotników, Rybnicka, Ignacego Daszyńskiego, Józefa Sowińskiego, Władysława Andersa, Królewskiej Tamy, Błogosławionego Czesława and Warszawska streets.
For a destination in this zone, the municipal road administration can issue a permit: 2b Bolesława Śmiałego Street, 44-121 Gliwice (room 05), or via its website.
Nowa Sól ▾
HGVs over 15 t cannot enter the zone bounded by Staszica, Wojska Polskiego, Chrobrego, Wrocławska, Przyszłości and Sienkiewicza streets, and Wolności road.
This ban does not apply to vehicles that must access a factory, business or shop located in this "B-5" zone.
6. Public holidays 2026
On the dates below, the ban from 08:00 to 22:00 applies (and from 18:00 to 22:00 on the eve).
1st January — New Year's Day
6 January — Epiphany
5 April — Easter
6 April — Easter Monday
1st May — Labour Day
3 May — National Day
9 May — Europe Day
24 May — Whit Sunday
4 June — Corpus Christi
15 August — Assumption
1st November — All Saints' Day
11 November — Independence Day
25 December — Christmas Day
26 December — St Stephen's Day
7. Good to know
📋C16 card: In Warsaw, this document exempts the HGV from the transit ban during peak hours — make sure you have it if you regularly cross the capital.
🏙️"B-5" zones: Several cities (Poznań, Wrocław, Toruń, Nowa Sól) protect their centre with a "B-5" zone. For a delivery inside, apply for a permit from the municipal road administration before your arrival.
🚛Warsaw transit: For pure transit, plan the bypass via roads No. 50, 60 and 62 rather than driving through the urban area.
📞Useful numbers: 112 (European emergency number), 997 (police), 999 (medical emergencies), 998 (fire brigade).
🛠 Drive with peace of mind, wherever you are in Europe
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