Driving test in Polish? Minister: We will provide such an option

“I see the situation in such a way that the driving test in Polish in Regitra will be available. If everything is prepared by January 1, 2026, it will be good news both for Poles living in Lithuania and for citizens of neighbouring countries,” stated Władysław Kondratowicz, Minister of the Interior.

After the Minister of Internal Affairs, Władysław Kondratowicz halted the decision stating that starting in January, driving tests in Lithuania could only be taken in Lithuanian or other official languages of the European Union (EU), he assured that the step taken by his predecessor, Agnė Bilotaitė, had not been properly coordinated with the relevant authorities.

“Starting in 2026, the theoretical part of the driving test will be conducted exclusively in Lithuanian or another official language of the European Union (EU). For the practical part, individuals who do not know the language will be able to participate with the assistance of a translator, who will translate to or from an official EU language,” the minister told journalists on Monday.

The exception would apply only to Ukrainians.

“Naturally, in this case, we had to provide an exception. A good example here is Poland, which also introduced similar changes, allowing the driving test to be taken in Ukrainian,” he stated in an interview with LRT.lt.

The procedure to phase out the use of the Russian language was initiated by the former leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and was set to take effect next year. However, Kondratowicz decided to postpone the changes until 2026, as he believes the institutions lacked sufficient time for proper preparations. “We believe that the decision made by the previous minister was not fully thought through or discussed. The decision itself was not fully coordinated with other institutions, particularly the Ministry of Communications, which shapes policy in the transportation sector,” he stated.

He added that so-called social partners and trade unions had approached the ministry, pointing out that they lacked sufficient time for proper preparations. “The decision of the previous minister caused concern. Employees of the Migration Department also emphasized that postponing the amendments could facilitate faster integration of individuals arriving from non-EU countries into the labour market. If they are not given the opportunity to obtain a driving license, they will be sidelined. A transitional year would be a compromise for all parties. In this way, citizens arriving in Lithuania would be immediately prepared for the fact that they will need to take the exam in Lithuanian or another official EU language,” Kondratowicz explained.

“I try not to criticize the actions of the previous ministry team. However, I believe that tackling risks can be done through various means. It doesn’t have to be solely through bans and restrictions. There are other ways, which we will discuss. We emphasize that knowledge of the state language is essential, and we will continue moving in this direction. However, if we notice legal loopholes in the migration process being exploited by individuals posing a threat to the country’s security, we will act in cooperation with the appropriate institutions,” the minister stressed.

The minister emphasized, however, that the “political direction” remains the same—the Ministry of Internal Affairs agrees that exams should be conducted exclusively in Lithuanian or other EU languages.

“During the transitional year, we will modernize the Regitra system. We will introduce a new one that will allow for efficient changes to the database. I have been informed that the current system is very static, and it is difficult to make any changes to it. We will also have discussions with partners about the threats they observe. We will talk about how to integrate newcomers into the labour market: how to conduct Lithuanian language courses and ensure equal opportunities,” emphasized the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

According to Kondratowicz, the changes would make it possible to take the exam in Polish as well. “I see the situation in such a way that the exam in Polish will be available. If everything is prepared by January 1, 2026, it will be good news for Poles living in Lithuania and citizens of neighbouring countries. This option could be used, among others, by Belarusians, as many of them have Polish roots and hold a Polish Card. Of course, we couldn’t overlook the needs of the Polish national minority,” he informed.

On the other hand, Vaidas Dominauskas, the general director of Regitra, said that driving schools need time to adapt, and some people have already registered for exams in Russian.

According to him, currently, 88% of applicants take the theoretical exam in Lithuanian, 9% in Russian, and 3% in English.