What is the przegląd techniczny?
The przegląd techniczny - literally "technical inspection" - is Poland's mandatory vehicle roadworthiness check, broadly equivalent to the UK's MOT, Germany's TÜV or France's contrôle technique. Every vehicle driven on Polish public roads must hold a valid inspection certificate, and driving without one can result in a fine and your insurance policy being considered void in the event of an accident.
The inspection is carried out at authorised stations called Stacje Kontroli Pojazdów (SKP). These are privately operated but regulated by the state transport authority (Transportowy Dozór Techniczny, or TDT) and must follow a standardised inspection protocol.
How often does the inspection need to happen?
The frequency depends on the type and age of your vehicle:
- New cars (first registration): first inspection after 3 years
- Cars under 4 years old: every 2 years
- Cars over 4 years old: every year
- Taxis, vehicles used for commercial passenger transport: every 6 months
- LPG-equipped vehicles: annual inspection required regardless of vehicle age, with a separate gas installation check
The expiry date is printed on your dowód rejestracyjny (vehicle registration certificate) in the field marked "data następnego badania technicznego". It is also stamped on a round sticker that Polish SKP stations place on the windscreen - though this sticker is advisory and the registration document is the legally binding record.
What does the inspection cover?
Polish SKP inspections follow EU Directive 2014/45/EU and cover all the major vehicle systems. The examiner checks:
Brakes
Both the foot brake and handbrake are tested on a roller brake tester. This measures braking force at each wheel and checks for imbalance between sides. Worn brake pads, seized callipers or degraded discs will typically fail at this stage.
Lights and electrics
All exterior lights are checked for operation and correct alignment, including headlights, brake lights, indicators, reverse lights and fog lights. Headlight beam alignment is measured on a dedicated gauge - many vehicles fail here, often because headlights have been adjusted after repairs or because bulbs have been replaced with non-approved LED units.
Steering and suspension
The examiner checks for play in the steering, worn ball joints, damaged CV joints, leaking shock absorbers and worn bushes. The car is typically placed over a shaker plate that simulates road movement to reveal suspension looseness that would not be obvious from a static inspection.
Tyres
Tread depth must meet legal minimums (1.6mm in Poland, the EU standard). The examiner also checks for uneven wear, sidewall damage and that all four tyres match in terms of construction type (you cannot mix radial and cross-ply tyres on the same axle).
Emissions
Petrol engines are checked for CO and HC output. Diesel engines are tested for exhaust opacity (smoke density). Vehicles with active DPF problems or a disconnected catalytic converter will fail here.
Body and chassis
The underside is inspected for structural rust, damage to the chassis, exhaust system condition and any fuel or fluid leaks. Significant corrosion to structural members or floor panels is a fail.
Other items
The windscreen must be free of cracks in the driver's field of vision. Wipers must work properly. The horn must function. The VIN number on the body must match the registration documents. Seat belts are checked for condition and locking function.
What happens if you fail?
If your vehicle fails the inspection, you receive a list of the specific defects. Minor defects may result in a conditional pass (the car can be driven but must be repaired and re-inspected within a set period). Major or dangerous defects result in a straight fail - you cannot legally drive the car until the issues are corrected and a re-inspection confirms this.
Re-inspections for the same defects found at the original inspection are typically done at a reduced fee within a defined time window (usually 14 days to one month depending on the defect category).
How much does the przegląd techniczny cost?
Fees at authorised SKP stations are regulated by the Polish Ministry of Transport and set nationally. For standard passenger cars (category M1), the periodic technical inspection costs 98 PLN. Additional checks (gas installation, trailer coupling, etc.) attract separate fees defined in the same regulation.
This fee is the same at every authorised SKP - price shopping for the cheapest inspection is not possible and any station charging significantly more than this should be questioned.
How to prepare your car for the inspection
The most common reasons cars fail their przegląd are all entirely preventable with a pre-inspection check. Brake wear, light faults and tyre condition account for the large majority of failures.
Before your inspection date, it is worth having your car looked over by a workshop that can identify anything likely to cause a fail. At MASTERMOTORS on ul. Jasnogórska 135A in Kraków, we regularly do pre-inspection checks for customers - we go through the same systems an SKP examiner will look at and fix anything that needs attention. It costs much less to catch a problem in the workshop than to pay for a failed inspection, have the car repaired under time pressure and then pay for a re-inspection.
Things you can check yourself before going: make sure all your lights work (walk around the car with the ignition on and check every light function), check tyre tread depth with a 1-PLN coin or a tread depth gauge, look at the windscreen for any cracks in the driver's line of sight, and make sure your horn works.
Finding an SKP in Kraków
There are numerous authorised SKP stations across Kraków. You can find the nearest one using the TDT's online search at www.tdt.gov.pl. Most stations allow you to book an appointment online or by phone, and the inspection itself typically takes 30-45 minutes for a standard passenger car.
Remember that your registration documents, current OC insurance certificate and a valid ID must be presented at the inspection. Without all of these, the examiner cannot complete the process.
What happens if your car fails
A failed przegląd does not mean the car is permanently grounded. You will receive a written list of the specific defects found. Minor defects receive a conditional result - you can continue driving to have the issues repaired, then return for a partial re-inspection covering only the failed items. Major or safety-critical defects result in a straight fail, and the car should not be driven further until the problems are corrected and a re-inspection confirms this.
Re-inspections for defects found at the original inspection are typically done at a reduced fee at the same SKP station within a defined period - usually 14 days for major defects and up to 30 days for minor ones. If you take the car elsewhere for the re-inspection, or if you exceed the time limit, the full inspection fee applies again.
The most common reasons for failing the przegląd techniczny in Poland are worn brake components, lighting faults, tyre tread below legal minimum, and windscreen damage in the driver's field of vision. All of these are identifiable and fixable before the inspection if you have the car checked beforehand. At MASTERMOTORS on ul. Jasnogórska 135A we carry out pre-inspection checks that go through exactly the same checklist an SKP examiner uses. If something needs fixing, we can do it the same visit - significantly cheaper than a failed inspection, repair under time pressure and a re-inspection fee.
LPG vehicles: additional requirements
If your car has been converted to run on LPG, it requires an annual technical inspection regardless of the vehicle's age, plus a separate inspection of the gas installation itself by a specialist. The gas installation certificate must be presented at the SKP alongside the standard documents. LPG installation inspections are carried out at authorised LPG service centres rather than standard SKP stations. This additional requirement catches many LPG-car owners off guard, so if your vehicle has an LPG system, confirm with the SKP in advance what additional documentation they require.