Poland tourist visa (Schengen type C): requirements and application

Citizens of countries on the EU visa list need a Schengen visa for tourist trips to Poland. Holders of a valid Schengen visa or residence permit issued by another Schengen state can travel to Poland on that document within its limits.

Apply to Poland when it is your main destination. If you will spend equal time in several countries, apply to the country you enter first.

Polish consulates ask tourists for the standard Schengen set: form, photo, passport, insurance, proof of legal residence if you are not a national of the country where you apply, proof of funds, transport and hotel bookings, plus papers showing your job or studies. The consulate for your country may add items to its checklist; the consul may ask for more or invite you to an interview.

Forged or altered documents can lead to a refusal and an entry ban for the whole Schengen area.

Poland sets its reference amounts in złoty: PLN 300 in total for a stay of up to 4 days, or PLN 75 for each day of a longer stay. On top of that you need money for the return journey, which is PLN 2,500 per person when you come from a non-EU country.

For a 10-day trip from outside the EU this means at least PLN 750 for the stay plus PLN 2,500 for the return, in cash, on cards or as a bank balance.

Apply at the Polish consulate responsible for your place of legal residence. Register and book the appointment in e-Konsulat; where the consulate works with an external service provider, the application may be lodged at its visa centre instead, for an extra service fee. Fingerprints are taken unless they were collected for a Schengen visa in the last 59 months.

Under the Visa Code you can apply up to 6 months before the trip and no later than 15 calendar days before it; apply early in busy seasons. The e-Konsulat system is the only official online registration channel of Polish consulates, so do not pay intermediaries for appointments.

The consul normally decides within 15 calendar days of the application date. In individual cases, for example when more documents are needed, this can be extended to a maximum of 45 days.

A refused applicant may ask the consul who decided to reconsider the case within 14 days of receiving the refusal. The request is lodged where the consulate directs and carries a reconsideration fee set by the consulate. Spouses, dependent children under 21 and dependent parents of the applicant or spouse, and spouses of Polish citizens, do not pay it.

After reconsideration, a complaint can be filed with the Voivodeship Administrative Court in Warsaw within 30 days, through the consul. The consul charges nothing for forwarding it, but court fees apply.