Krakow has long been famous for its beautiful old town, unique city spirit, architecture, museums, parks, so it is no surprise that it is often on the list of “what to see” for many Lithuanians.
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That is why in her post, the author of the blog “Why Poland,” Jolita Gražulienė, shared what you should know if you are traveling to Krakow.
As Jolita writes, most of Krakow belongs to the Clean Transport Zone (SCT), so before entering the city, the car must be registered in the SCT system and provide the vehicle’s license plate number; registration certificate data; the car’s Euro emission class.
If the car meets SCT requirements (i.e., the set minimum Euro emission class (or year of manufacture)), entering the zone is possible without an additional fee;
If the car does not meet the requirements, from 2026 to 2028 it will still be possible to enter by paying the specified fee through the SCT system.
The website krakow.pl states that from January 1, 2026, Krakow will introduce a low emission zone (LEZ / SCT), setting new rules for entering part of the city area. It will cover about 60% of Krakow’s area.
In most cases, this change will not affect the daily life of city residents and visitors, but it is worth knowing what requirements will actually be enforced and to whom they will apply.
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First, you should check whether your car meets the established emission standards. Most cars – even 8 out of 10 – can already meet LEZ (low emission zone) requirements. If cars are registered in Poland, their owners will not need to do anything extra.
Petrol cars (including those running on LPG) will be able to enter the zone freely if they meet the Euro 4 standard or were manufactured in 2005 or later.
Diesel cars will be subject to slightly stricter requirements. Passenger cars up to 3.5 tons will need to meet the Euro 6 standard or be manufactured in 2014 or later – meaning diesel cars up to 12 years old will be accepted.
For people from outside Krakow who have vehicles that do not meet LEZ requirements and do not have the right to an exemption, a three-year transition period (2026–2028) is set. During this time, it will be possible to enter the zone by paying the corresponding fee.
The tax system is designed flexibly:
- Hourly fee – if you need to enter Krakow only occasionally, the fee will be 2.50 PLN per hour.
- Daily fee – in 2026, paying the fee for two consecutive hours will be equivalent to a permit to drive in the LEZ zone until the end of that day. In 2027, such a daily fee will be 15 PLN (fee for 6 consecutive hours).
After December 31, 2028, the possibility to enter by paying a fee will no longer apply. From then on, only vehicles that meet the established emission standards will be allowed to enter the zone from outside (unless they fall under the previously mentioned exemptions, such as special vehicles, etc.).
Entry into the zone will first be controlled automatically – by cameras that will read vehicle license plates and compare them with the LEZ system database. Therefore, it is very important to ensure that your car is properly registered in the system before entering the zone for the first time.
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