How to get a visa to Poland?
To apply for a visa to Poland, you will need the following documents: * A passport valid for at least 3 months after the expiration of the visa.
* Two photographs that meet the consulate's requirements.
* Proof of hotel reservation or an invitation from the host party.
* A copy of your internal passport.
* Health insurance covering the entire period of stay in Poland.
* Financial documents confirming the availability of funds for stay in Poland (bank statement, income certificate, etc.).

The process of submitting documents

Documents can be submitted in person at the consulate or visa center of Poland. It is also possible to submit documents through an accredited representative.

Visa regime with Poland

Citizens of many non-EU countries who wish to enter Poland must have a visa. A visa confirms the consent of the country's authorities to the entry and stay of a specific person on its territory.

Attention: the Border Guard may refuse entry to a foreigner with a valid visa and annul or cancel the visa at the border.

A visa is obtained before departure at the consular department of the state that is the destination of the trip. Anyone who is going to transit through Poland or stay in Poland for a certain period of time can apply for a visa.

Visas differ depending on the purpose and duration of stay in Poland:

• short-term (type C) — the most common type of visa. They can be tourist, business (business visas) and visitor visas — depending on the purpose of the trip;
• transit (type A and B);
• national Polish visa (type D).

In addition, visas can be either single-entry or multiple-entry — MULTI visas (allowing an unlimited number of entries into Poland within the validity of the visa).

Air transit (category A). This visa allows its holder to be in the airport transit zone while traveling to a third country. The list of states whose citizens are required to have an airport visa: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka.

Transit (category B). Such a visa gives its holder the right to enter Poland and make a transit journey to a third country. Visa category B is issued for a period of no more than 5 days.

Short-term (category C). Such a visa gives its holder the right to be on the territory of Poland for a longer period of time (up to 3 months in six months). Visas of category C are divided into single-entry and multiple-entry. We will consider their differences in more detail below.

Long-term (category D). A long-term or national Polish visa gives its holder the right to stay on the territory of Poland for more than 3 months in six months.

Types of short-term visas. What are the differences?

There are two types of short-term Polish visas for Belarusians: single-entry and multiple-entry. The names speak for themselves:

Single-entry Polish visa allows you to visit the Republic of Poland once during the period of validity of the visa. A single-entry visa is usually issued for a period of up to 15 days.

Multiple-entry Polish visa allows you to visit the Republic of Poland an unlimited number of times during the period of validity of the visa. The main thing is that the total number of days spent in the Schengen area does not exceed 90 days in six months. That is, for six months you can stay in Poland either in total or at a time for three months, no more!

It is much more profitable to open a multiple-entry visa than a single-entry one. A multiple-entry visa allows you to travel to all countries in the Schengen area.

National visa, designated by the symbol „D", gives the right to enter and stay continuously in Poland or several stays following one another, with a total duration of more than 3 months. The validity period of a national visa cannot exceed 1 year. The period of stay on the basis of a national visa is determined in accordance with the purpose of stay indicated by the foreigner, that is, if the purpose indicates that the foreigner will stay in Poland for less than a year, the visa is issued for a shorter period.
• If a foreigner wants to stay longer, after the expiration of this period, he must apply for a new visa from the Polish consul abroad.
• Only a national visa can be issued in the procedure for granting asylum, repatriation, exercising rights arising from the possession of the Card of the Pole.

Visas are issued by the consul of the Republic of Poland.

Attention: a foreigner must leave Poland before the expiration of the period of stay under the visa and before the expiration of the validity of the visa, unless he has another valid document allowing him to stay on this territory.

Purposes for issuing visas to Poland

Schengen and national visas are issued, in particular, for the purposes:

• tourist;
• guest;
• participation in sports events;
• engagement in entrepreneurial activities;
• work;
• working as a driver in international transportation;
• performing cultural activities or participating in conferences;
• fulfilling official duties;
• studying at universities and other educational purposes (for example, vocational training) and scientific purposes;
• transit;
• medical treatment;
• implementation of a residence permit for a certain period, a settlement permit, or a permit for the stay of an EU long-term resident;
• joining a citizen of a member state of the European Union (EU) or the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) − a party to the agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland;
• participation in a cultural or educational exchange program, humanitarian aid program, or holiday work program;
• participation in the asylum procedure;
• exercising rights derived from having a Polish Card;
• repatriation and resettlement as a family member of a repatriate;
• enjoying temporary protection;
• arrival for humanitarian reasons,
• state interest or international obligations.

The procedure for issuing a national and Schengen visa

The main package of documents required to obtain a visa:

• completed and signed visa application
Attention: some consular offices require registration of a visa application via http://www.e-konsulat.gov.pl/
• travel document (passport), in order for the consul to issue a visa, must:
- in the case of national visas - be valid at least 3 months before the expiration of the requested visa;
- in the case of a Schengen visa - be valid within 3 months after the предполагаемой date of departure from the territory of the member states or, in the case of multiple visits, after the scheduled date of the last departure from the EU. In justified urgent cases, this requirement may not be met;
- contain at least two blank pages;
- be issued within the last ten years;
• 1 photo;
• visa fee: the amount ranges from 0 to 70 euros depending on the type of visa and the citizenship of the person applying for the visa. The consular fee must be paid before submitting the visa application. This fee is not refundable in case of visa refusal;
• proof of having proper, valid health insurance for the duration of the trip - in the amount of at least 30,000 euros or, in the case of a national visa, other health insurance issued by the relevant institution in Poland (for example, confirmation of payment of health insurance in the NFZ - National Health Fund/NFZ-Narodowym Funduszu Zdrowia).
Attention: the requirement regarding the availability of health insurance when applying for both a national visa and a Schengen visa can be considered fulfilled if the foreigner has appropriate insurance issued in connection with work.
• in the case of a Schengen visa, the applicant's fingerprints may be taken;

additional documents confirming:
• the purpose of entry;
• availability of funds for entry, stay and departure from the Schengen area or Poland
• in the case of a Schengen visa, availability of accommodation;
• in the case of a Schengen visa, willingness to leave the Schengen area after the expiration of the visa
• other circumstances specified in the application.

The type and amount of additional documents may vary depending on the consular office; therefore, it is recommended to contact the relevant consulate directly to obtain complete information regarding additional documents required when submitting a visa application.

For a minor, a completed visa application is submitted by a parent or legal guardian.

Visa waiting time varies depending on the country whose citizens are applying for such a document. For example, in the case of Russia and Ukraine, which have signed an agreement with the EU, the visa waiting period is up to 5 days. There are also states where visa applications must be consulted with institutions of other states, and then such a procedure takes longer.

Work visas

If a foreigner applies for a visa (national or Schengen) to perform work, he must provide: a work permit in Poland. A work permit is a document that gives a foreigner the right to work legally in Poland, provided that the foreigner has a visa or residence permit for a certain period allowing work in Poland.

Foreigners staying in Poland on the basis of:

1) a visa issued for the purpose of: tourism, participation in asylum proceedings, the right to temporary protection, arrival for humanitarian purposes, in the interests of the state or international obligations;
2) a residence permit for a certain period issued to a foreigner who is staying illegally in the territory of Poland, cannot work in Poland, even if they have a work permit. To work in Poland, they must apply for a work visa.

The permit specifies the entity entrusting the foreigner with the performance of work, as well as the position and type of work that the foreigner must perform. It follows from this that work is considered legal only if the foreigner performs the work specified in the permit.
This means that if a foreigner wants to change jobs (for example, employer or/and position or/and industry), he must obtain a new permit. However, there are some circumstances in which the permit is valid despite changes in the conditions of its issuance.
The permit is valid for the period for which it was issued. The period of validity of the permit is indicated in the document.
A work permit is required both for employment on the basis of employment contracts and civil contracts.
An entity entrusting a foreigner with work applies for a work permit for a foreigner. In the following sections, the entity entrusting work to a foreigner is called "employer".
The permit is issued by the voivode at the location/place of residence of the employer.
Work visas are issued for the period of stay that corresponds to the period specified in the permit or application, but not exceeding the period provided for this type of visas. In the case of a work visa based on an application to entrust a foreigner with work, the period of stay for which the visa is issued cannot exceed 6 months within 12 months, starting from the date of the foreigner's first entry into Poland.

Refusal to issue a visa

The consul may refuse to issue a visa for a foreigner in the following cases:
- the foreigner does not have a valid travel document or other documents giving the right to cross the Schengen border;
- the foreigner's data is on the list of foreigners whose stay in Poland is undesirable;
- the foreigner's data is in the Schengen Information System (Schengen Information System/SIS) for the purpose of refusing entry;
- the foreigner is unable to present the purpose and conditions of the planned stay;
- the foreigner is recognized as a person who may pose a threat to public order, internal security, public health and international relations;
- there are concerns that the entry and stay of the foreigner could pose a threat to defense, security, public order or violate the interests of Poland;
- the foreigner, in the procedure for issuing a visa, lied or concealed important information or did not justify the purpose and conditions of the planned stay;
- the foreigner does not have proper health insurance.

In the case of applying for a Schengen visa, if the foreigner:
1. Does not have sufficient means of subsistence both for the period of stay and for returning to the country of origin or for transit to another country;
2. In the current period of six months has already stayed in the territory of the EU member states on the basis of a single or national visa;

In the case of applying for a national visa, if the foreigner:
1. Does not have sufficient means of subsistence for the period of stay in Poland and for returning to the country of origin or for residence or travel to a country other than the country of origin or residence;
2. The travel document (passport) expires before 3 months before the expiration of the requested visa.

Any foreigner who is refused/annulled/cancelled a visa must be issued a refusal document containing its justification. Such a decision of the consul can be revised by filing an application for review of the case with the same body, that is, the consul (there is no possibility to appeal to a higher authority). The application is submitted within 7 days from the date of issuance of the decision on refusal to issue/on annulment/on cancellation of a national or Schengen visa to the body that issued the decision.

Annulment of the visa

A national visa is annulled if at the time of issue circumstances occur that justify refusal to issue it.
A Schengen visa is annulled if it turns out that at the time of issue the conditions for its issue were not met, especially if there are serious grounds to suggest that the visa was obtained fraudulently.

The visa will be cancelled if:
- the foreigner's data is on the list of foreigners whose stay in Poland is undesirable
- the foreigner's entry into the territory of Poland could create a threat to security, public order or violate the interests of Poland;
- the foreigner's travel document expires before 3 months before the expiration of the current visa;
- the foreigner in the visa application or in a set of documents provided false information, testified untruthfully or provided fake documents;
- the foreigner did not provide sufficient documents confirming the purpose and conditions of the planned stay in Poland.

The decision to

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