Belarusian Driver Drove Europe Routes Without a Valid Polish Permit

A Belarusian truck driver says he worked international routes across Europe for four months while his Polish residence permit was still being processed, even though he was not legally permitted to leave Poland. The case highlights how long waits for a permit can leave foreign workers in Poland without a valid document for crossing borders.

The driver, identified as Andrei, has worked for the same Polish transport company for five years and first entered Poland on a work visa issued on his employer's invitation. His residence permit expired in December 2025.

Key facts

• He filed for a new residence permit in June 2025 in Łódź through intermediaries.
• A decision arrived only in April 2026, and he drove European routes throughout that period.
• A return order gives 8 to 30 days for voluntary departure.
• A ban on entering the Schengen area can last from six months to ten years.
• Appeals must go to the Chief Commander of the Polish Border Guard within seven days.

Why do drivers travel without valid documents?

Many Belarusian truck drivers come to Poland on work visas and then apply for a residence permit, known as a karta pobytu. Processing can take months or even years. When the visa expires, drivers may stay in Poland legally and keep the right to work, but they cannot take international routes.

Some travel home to obtain a new visa, but not everyone has that option. Others take leave, including unpaid leave, or try to drive only within Poland. Many continue on international routes without a permit at their own risk, so as not to lose their income.

What happened in this case?

Andrei applied early but decided against another visa, which he described as slow and costly, after the intermediaries assured him the permit would be ready soon. His employer warned him that he was being sent out under the driver's own responsibility and that deportation was possible. He continued because he has a wife and two small children in Belarus.

Nothing went wrong during the four months. European transport inspections that stop vehicles, he said, check the driving licence, Code 95 (the driver's professional competence certificate), vehicle documents and the CMR international consignment note — not passports. He also said a colleague lost his Belarusian passport and drove without it for about two months.

What are the possible consequences?

One possible result of breaking rules on a foreigner's stay in Poland is a decision obliging the person to return to their country of origin, called a decyzja o zobowiązaniu cudzoziemca do powrotu. Voluntary departure is allowed within 8 to 30 days. Leaving for another EU country does not count as fulfilling the decision, and the return can be carried out by force if the person is seen as likely to hide or evade it.

The foreigner may also be barred from entering the Schengen area for six months to ten years. The decision can be appealed to the Chief Commander of the Polish Border Guard within seven days of receipt, but lodging an appeal does not, by itself, suspend its execution.

Is the employer responsible?

According to legalization specialist Antanina P., an employer is not automatically responsible simply because a foreigner who worked legally broke border-crossing rules. That said, a separate inspection of the driver's documents and of compliance with transport rules can lead to a fine for the company.

The specialist added that Poland's State Labour Inspectorate (PIP) obliges employers to check the document confirming a foreigner's legal stay in Poland, but the law does not impose a separate duty to verify that the person is allowed to cross the border.

What this means for travellers

Foreign workers in Poland waiting for a residence permit should be aware that a legal stay and the right to work do not automatically permit travel outside Poland. Anyone considering international routes while an application is pending should check their own situation with Polish authorities before crossing a border.