Poland requires Covid tests from HGV drivers

The requirement was introduced by the ordinance of the Council of Ministers issued on December 14.

According to the ordinance, until January 31, 2022, anyone crossing the border of the Republic of Poland, constituting an external border in the sense of Art. 2 point 2 of Regulation (EU) 2016/399 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on the EU code of rules governing the movement of persons across borders (Schengen Borders Code), is obliged to present a negative result of the SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic test to a Border Guard officer in Polish or in English, performed before crossing the border (not earlier than 24 hours counting from the moment the result was received).

The requirement applies to all HGV drivers entering Poland from Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. This means that if a driver does not present a negative test result, they will be subjected to a 14-day quarantine, counting from the day following the border crossing. According to information on the website of the Association of International Road Carriers in Poland (ZMPD), its president has already taken steps to make sure that HGV drivers are exempt from this requirement.