Poland Bans Entry of Vehicles with Russian Registration

Starting from Sunday, Poland will prohibit the entry of vehicles registered in the Russian Federation onto its territory. This restriction will come into effect at midnight on September 17th. It applies to all vehicles bearing Russian registration. The decision was announced by Mariusz Kaminski, Poland's Minister of Internal Affairs, on Saturday, as reported by the PAP news agency. This means that all EU countries bordering Russia have now imposed a ban on the entry of private vehicles from the aggressor nation.

"After the publication of the European Commission's directives on September 8th of this year regarding the entry ban of vehicles registered in Russia into the European Union, I want to inform you that this ban at the Polish border will take effect from tomorrow. It becomes effective as of midnight today," Kaminski stated.

The Minister explained that this entails a prohibition on entry into Polish territory for passenger vehicles registered in Russia. He emphasized, "Russian trucks were already subject to this ban, and now we are closing this matter. No Russian vehicle is allowed to enter Poland. Ladies and gentlemen, this applies to all vehicles, whether used for commercial purposes or privately owned, regardless of whether the driver or owner is a Russian citizen or a citizen of another country."

According to Kaminski, the rule is straightforward: "A vehicle registered in Russia has no right to enter Poland."

Vehicles registered in Russia and bearing Russian license plates that appear at Polish border crossings from Sunday, September 17th, will be turned back to the non-EU country they arrived from, regardless of whether it is Russia or another nation. This action will be taken even if the vehicle's driver is not a citizen of the Russian Federation.

He added that this is another element of sanctions imposed on Russia and its citizens due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, considering Russia's current threat to international security.

It's worth noting that several other European countries bordering Russia have also taken similar steps, including Finland and the Baltic states: Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Vehicles with Russian registration entering these countries may also be confiscated from their owners in accordance with long-standing restrictions on the import and export of goods to and from Russia imposed by the European Commission. It was clarified that these restrictions apply to vehicles and certain goods, regardless of whether they are personal belongings of travelers.