Tesla is pressuring Poland regarding FSD. New documents reveal the behind-the-scenes discussions with TDT
Tesla has been trying for several months to secure recognition in Poland for the temporary FSD Supervised homologation issued by the Dutch RDW. The leaked correspondence indicates that the matter is much further along than it might seem. There was a meeting at the Ministry of Infrastructure, detailed questions from TDT, responses from Tesla, and in September the manufacturer continued to submit additional arguments to Polish officials.
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The FSD Supervised case in Poland officially began on April 14, 2026. It was then that Tesla approached Polish authorities to have the temporary EU type-approval certificate issued by the Dutch RDW recognized. The document had been issued a few days earlier, on April 10, and Tesla cited Article 39(5) of EU Regulation 2018/858 in its request. This is a procedure that allows a member state to recognize temporary homologation issued by an approval authority in another EU country.
In Poland, the Transportowy Dozór Techniczny is handling this matter. As the documents show, no time was wasted waiting for a response. Correspondence was exchanged in the following months, and on July 14, a meeting focused specifically on FSD Supervised was held at the Ministry of Infrastructure. Participants included representatives from Tesla, TDT, the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Institute of Road Transport, BOSMAL, and the Łukasiewicz-PIMOT Research Network. The agenda indicated that the discussion covered not only the certification documents but also how FSD functions and its compliance with UN Regulation No. 171.
TDT had several very specific questions for Tesla
Following the July meeting, TDT sent a series of questions to Tesla. It is here that the correspondence becomes particularly interesting, as it relates to matters that could have a direct impact on system safety from the perspective of the Polish authority.
One of the questions concerned vehicle modifications. TDT wanted to know what would happen to FSD in vehicles that had undergone structural changes and whether such modifications could affect the system’s safety performance. Tesla replied that FSD Supervised was designed and validated for vehicles with appropriate homologation and a configuration consistent with the production specifications. The manufacturer does not, however, validate the system in vehicles with unauthorized modifications. If a change in the vehicle’s configuration affects the system’s operation, FSD may be restricted or completely disabled.
The other topic was speed. TDT pointed out the possibility for drivers to set the system’s maximum speed and a feature known as speed offset. The question was whether such a setup could lead to situations where FSD would consistently travel faster than the applicable speed limit.
Tesla responded by emphasizing that FSD Supervised is not a regular speed control system, and that the method for setting the maximum speed was designed in accordance with UN Regulation No. 171. This aspect is likely to be one of the most important points in the entire European discussion regarding the system.
TDT also wanted to know what would happen when crossing the border into a country where FSD has not been approved. Tesla stated that the system uses geographical restrictions and should not function in countries where it has not obtained proper approval. In practice, this means crossing into a country without FSD approval should result in the system being disabled.
POLAND JUST SENT MORE TESLA FSD / RDW FILES — AND THEY ARE NOW QUESTIONING AFTERMARKET MODS, WHICH IS VERY INTERESTING GIVEN THE RECENT FSD HACKS IN POLAND . Thread (1/4)
Tesla formally asked Poland on 14 April 2026 to recognize RDW’s temporary Article 39 FSD approval. Then… https://t.co/bAQDZ2NAoL pic.twitter.com/bB7c2u4ktA
— FSD in Denmark (@FSDEurope) September 28, 2026
Which Teslas will be able to use FSD?
The issue of hardware was also of interest. TDT asked why homologation applies only to specific vehicle configurations and what criteria Tesla uses for vehicles that received homologation several years earlier.
Tesla pointed primarily to AI4, the latest generation of computer and camera system used by the platform. According to information provided to the Polish site, AI4 began being installed in Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in 2023, later appearing in subsequent models.
This is important information for owners of older vehicles, although the documents do not indicate that all Teslas equipped with older hardware will be permanently deprived of FSD. It is known, however, that the current homologation procedure is tied to a specific vehicle hardware configuration.
Why wasn’t FSD tested in Poland?
The more interesting part is the excerpt from the correspondence regarding tests. Tesla informed the Polish outlet that FSD Supervised had not been formally tested in Poland due to bureaucratic reasons. At the same time, the company offered the possibility of conducting a practical demonstration of the system. However, it specified Berlin as the location for such a demonstration.
It is this excerpt that raises one of the biggest questions about the entire matter today. The documents made public do not clearly indicate whether Tesla attempted to organize FSD tests on Polish roads and encountered bureaucratic obstacles, or whether it did not request such tests to be conducted in Poland at all.
There is also no document indicating that TDT or the Ministry of Infrastructure denied Tesla the opportunity to conduct test drives. We do know, however, that Tesla had the chance to demonstrate the system to Polish representatives but proposed Berlin as the location for the demonstration.
This may also be significant in the context of the FSD validation map, where Poland stands out clearly compared to other parts of Europe. Tesla also had data related to Polish roads. In materials submitted to TDT, it stated that over two years it collected data from 3.36 million kilometers of manual driving in Europe, of which 105,000 kilometers were in Poland. These were not kilometers driven using FSD; they came from normal driving of Tesla vehicles.
Tesla began persuading Poland with data from other countries
In September, Tesla also significantly increased its emphasis on arguments based on experiences from other countries.
In an email dated September 21, the manufacturer informed TDT that customers in Europe had already traveled 140 million kilometers using FSD Supervised in countries where the system is approved. Tesla stated that vehicles equipped with FSD were involved in 4.1 times fewer collisions than Teslas driven without FSD Supervised.
It must be clearly noted that these are figures presented by Tesla. This is not an independent safety audit, so in the context of Poland’s procedures, they should be viewed as arguments presented by the manufacturer to officials. Previous materials submitted to TDT mentioned 2.27 million kilometers of FSD Supervised validation conducted in Europe.
Tesla also began listing other countries that had decided to accept the system for Poland. The correspondence included information regarding Slovenia and the Czech Republic, among others. The manufacturer shared with Polish officials details of decisions made by other countries, thereby showing that recognizing RDW homologation was no longer solely a Dutch issue.
Tesla also cites Sweden
A very interesting email dates from September 2. In it, Tesla provided TDT with information about Sweden’s stance and the broader process related to future EU approval of advanced driver assistance systems.
The manufacturer pointed, among others, to the position of Sweden’s Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Andreas Carlson, who was said to be in favor of obtaining EU approval for systems like FSD Supervised. Tesla also informed the Polish side that the minister attended a demonstration of FSD’s functionality in Sweden.
This shows that Tesla’s arguments to Poland have begun to go beyond merely the issue of recognizing Dutch homologation. The company presented a broader picture of the situation in Europe, where various countries are making their own decisions, while discussions continue regarding the future approach of the entire European Union toward systems such as FSD.
Poland is still analyzing the matter
Here too, it’s worth distinguishing between what we know and what is merely speculation.
Based on the documents released, it cannot be said that Poland refused to recognize Tesla’s homologation. There is also no document confirming that Polish authorities “blocked” FSD. It is known, however, that Tesla submitted a formal request, met with Polish authorities, responded to detailed questions from TDT, and continued to provide additional information in September to support the homologation process.
At the same time, we still do not know the full details of the July meeting. TDT has not made its summary available, stating that the document may contain information considered a trade secret. It is likely there that additional details regarding Tesla’s discussions with Polish authorities can be found.
This is probably the most interesting part of the entire story at the moment. We know that Tesla wanted FSD to be recognized in Poland. We know that Polish authorities had specific questions about the system. We know that Tesla responded to them and later continued sending TDT updates on further approvals in Europe. What we don’t know exactly is what the discussions regarding tests on Polish roads looked like, nor what all the arguments presented during the July meeting were.
FSD in Poland Still Without a Decision
As of now, the situation is fairly clear, though far from resolved. Tesla wants Poland to recognize the temporary homologation for FSD Supervised issued by the Dutch RDW. TDT is reviewing the matter, while the manufacturer consistently provides additional arguments and data.
It is still unknown when a decision will be made. It is also unclear whether Poland will decide to recognize the Dutch homologation before any final decision is reached at the level of the entire European Union.
One thing is certain, however: the story of FSD in Poland did not begin with these recent reports. Tesla has been in talks with Polish authorities since at least April, an official meeting took place in July, and in September the company continued to try to persuade TDT to recognize the homologation.
And that’s exactly why the subsequent documents might be even more interesting. It would be particularly intriguing to obtain a full summary of the July meeting as well as the correspondence regarding any attempts to conduct FSD tests on Polish roads. For now, these elements are missing, so there’s no basis to determine why Poland wasn’t included in the FSD validation map in the same way as some other European countries.
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