Christmas Eve Becomes a Public Holiday, but Without Truck Driving Bans. Ministry Confirms

Starting in 2025, 24 December will officially become a statutory public holiday. This is the first time such a provision has been introduced in Poland. However, as confirmed by the Ministry of Infrastructure in a statement provided to our editorial team, this change will not result in the introduction of truck driving bans on Christmas Eve.

The currently applicable regulations regarding restrictions on the movement of heavy vehicles stem from the Regulation of the Minister of Transport on periodic restrictions and bans on the movement of certain types of vehicles on roads. This regulation includes only the specific public holidays listed therein, such as 25 and 26 December. It does not include either 24 December or Epiphany (6 January), even though both days are statutory holidays.

The Ministry clearly states that 24 December is not included in the list of days subject to bans on the movement of vehicles and vehicle combinations with a gross vehicle weight exceeding 12 tonnes. Therefore, truck transport may take place without restrictions on Christmas Eve. The same applies to 6 January, for which no driving bans are in force. Meanwhile, the regulations for 25 and 26 December remain unchanged, meaning the restrictions will apply from 8:00 to 22:00. Importantly, the Ministry of Infrastructure reported that no legislative work is currently underway to amend the regulation, despite the fact that Christmas Eve has been designated as a public holiday.