Obtaining Visa
Obtaining Visa
Two main documents that are required when entering Poland by the non-EU citizens are a valid travel document (passport) and a visa.
As a general rule, you would need a visa to enter Poland. However, foreigners from a number of countries are exempted from a visa requirement when entering Schengen Area for the periods not exceeding 90 days within a 180-day period: One can check the list of the countries ie here: https://udsc.gov.pl/en/cudzoziemcy/obywatele-panstw-trzecich/chce-przyjechac-do-polski/czy-potrzebuje-wizy/
Poland is a part of the Schengen Area, so you can apply for a Polish visa and travel all around Europe (excluding the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and states outside of the EU).
There are several types of visas to choose from:
“A” type – an airport transit Schengen visa, so it cannot be used by a student coming to Poland
“C” type – a short-term Schengen visa allowing the holder to stay in the Schengen territory for up to 90 days in 180 days period
“D” type – a long-term national visa issued for up to one year allowing travel around the Schengen area for up to 90 days in a 180 days period A visa can only be extended in exceptional situations. Should you need to stay in Poland longer than specified in your visa please do apply for the temporary residence permit.
5 easy steps to get a visa
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Find a Polish Consulate / consular section of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland that can process your application.
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Read carefully ALL the information concerning visa application on the consulate’s website and follow ALL the instructions. Depending on the country of origin the requirements might be different.
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Set a visa appointment with the consulate. In most cases, you will have to register through the website: https://secure.e-konsulat.gov.pl/
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Prepare the necessary documents, including application form, travel document (passport), biometric photo, health insurance, sufficient means to support yourself, documents confirming the purpose of your stay. The specifics of the required documentation may vary among consulates, so confirm them with the consulate’s website.
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Submit all the documents including a printed and signed application form and the visa fee. Your visa application is complete. It should take up to 15 days for it to be reviewed. It might also take even 30 working days.
Early submission of visa documents is advisable as in some cases procedure may take a considerable amount of time.
*** You may also be required to provide a Secondary School Leaving Certificate recognition document.
In order to initiate the recognition procedure, the following paperwork must be submitted to Kuratorium Oświaty. Please see: Secondary School Leaving Certificate recognition
Citizens of countries that are not member states of the European Union or EFTA enter the Polish territory on the basis of an obtained visa. After arrival they are obliged to register their short-term stay as well as long-term stay if it exceeds the visa period. Please see: Registering your stay in Poland.
