Alcohol rules in Poland: public drinking ban and 2027 night-sales bill
Short answer: Alcohol can't be sold to under-18s, and drinking in public places is banned (PLN 100 ticket). A bill passed by the Sejm on 8 Oct 2026 would ban takeaway sales 22:00-6:00 from 1 Jan 2027, but is not law yet.
Buying a bottle of wine at a Polish shop is simple. But the rules around where you can drink it, whether the shop will ask for ID, and soon when you can buy it at all are worth knowing. This guide covers the rules in force as of 17 October 2026 and a bill that could change them from 1 January 2027. The bill is not law yet.
Buying alcohol
Police information from the Łódź city police (undated), which summarises the Act on Upbringing in Sobriety and Counteracting Alcoholism, says it is forbidden to sell or serve alcohol:
- to people who appear intoxicated;
- to people under 18;
- on credit or against a pledge.
If the seller doubts that a buyer is an adult, the seller may ask for a document showing age. An alcoholic drink, for the purposes of the Act, is one with more than 0.5 per cent alcohol by volume.
Carry an ID card or passport if you might be taken for under 18, since the seller is entitled to ask for it.
Where you may not drink or sell alcohol
The same Łódź page lists places covered by the ban on selling, serving and drinking under Article 14 of the Act. They include:
- schools and other educational and care facilities, and student dormitories;
- workplaces and places where employees are fed;
- mass gatherings, during the event;
- public transport vehicles and facilities, with exceptions. Dining cars and buffets on domestic trains may serve drinks up to 4.5 per cent alcohol and beer, and international trains have wider exceptions;
- international airports and aircraft on international flights, ships and seaports, which the page lists as exceptions to the transport ban;
- military and interior-ministry facilities.
Outdoor events and stadiums may serve drinks above 4.5 per cent only with a permit and in designated places. A municipal council can also introduce a temporary or permanent ban on selling, serving, drinking and bringing in alcohol in other places in its area.
Drinking in public
Article 14(2a) forbids drinking alcohol in a public place, except in places meant for drinking on the spot, such as the sales point's own venue. The Mrągowo police page explains that the ground for a ticket is Article 43(1) of the Act. Restaurant gardens and pub or club premises are outside the ban. Municipal councils can allow drinking in specific public places by resolution (Article 14(2b)), so a park or square can differ from town to town.
A public place is, according to the Łódź police page citing a Constitutional Tribunal judgment of 21 September 2015, a space accessible to an indefinite number of people, even if nobody else is there at the time. Ownership does not matter.
The penalty:
- A police officer can use an educational measure, give a PLN 100 fine by ticket, or send the case to the district court.
- The Mrągowo page says you have the right to refuse the ticket, in which case the matter goes to court.
- The Act also allows forfeiture of the drinks.
What the Sejm passed on 8 October 2026
On 8 October 2026 the Sejm adopted an amendment to the Act on Upbringing in Sobriety. Rzeczpospolita reports 400 votes for, 9 against and 4 abstentions. The Senate's website shows the Act was passed to the Senate on 9 October 2026. The next steps, a Senate vote and the President's signature, had not been reported as of 17 October 2026, so the content may still change.
According to Rzeczpospolita and Business Insider Polska, the bill provides for:
- A nationwide ban on selling alcohol between 22:00 and 6:00. The ban applies to takeaway sales, that is shops and petrol stations. Restaurants, bars, pubs, hotels and airports are excluded.
- A power for municipalities to add restrictions between 21:00 and 22:00 or between 6:00 and 9:00.
- A total ban on advertising and promotion of alcoholic drinks, including beer, with a fine of PLN 30,000 to 1 million or restriction of liberty.
- A duty for sellers with doubts about age to check ID, and no sale if the buyer refuses to show it.
- Packaging up to 300 ml only in glass or metal, with health warnings.
- Higher permit fees: for drinks up to 18 per cent from PLN 525 to 1,050, and for stronger alcohol from PLN 2,100 to 4,200.
- Amendments that allow distance sales of wine.
Both outlets say the planned start date is 1 January 2027. Business Insider also notes that night bans already apply in Kraków, Tarnów, Gdańsk, Wrocław and Warsaw, introduced by those cities' councils.
What this means for you
- Today, check your own municipality's rules on night sales, because they differ.
- Do not drink in a park or on the street unless your council allows it for that spot.
- Take an ID when buying.
- If the bill becomes law, buy takeaway alcohol before 22:00 from 2027. Restaurants and bars would not be affected, according to the reports.
- Re-check the status of the bill before relying on it.
* Photos: Sejm buildings in Warsaw, January 2007, Wikimedia Commons (public domain). Illustrative.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drink alcohol in a park in Poland?
Generally no. The Act forbids drinking in public places, except on licensed premises, and the police can issue a PLN 100 ticket. A municipal council can allow exceptions for specific places.
How old do you have to be to buy alcohol in Poland?
18. Sellers may ask for ID if they doubt your age, according to the Łódź police summary of the Act.
Is there a nationwide ban on night alcohol sales?
Not yet. The Sejm passed a bill on 8 October 2026 for a ban from 22:00 to 6:00 on takeaway sales, planned from 1 January 2027, but it still has to pass the Senate and be signed.
Will bars and restaurants be affected?
According to the reports, no. The night ban would apply to sales for drinking off the premises.
