Poland
Poland lies in central Europe, with Germany to the west, the Baltic Sea and Russia's Kaliningrad region to the north, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine to the east and the Czech Republic and Slovakia along its southern mountains, and Warsaw is its capital. Polish is the language, the złoty is the currency, and Poland is a member of the EU and the Schengen Area.
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Visa Requirements for Poland
Holders of American, British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand passports need no visa for Poland and may stay up to 90 days in any 180 across the Schengen Area, for tourism or business. Irish citizens move freely as citizens of the EU, and Indian and Nigerian travellers need a Schengen visa issued before the journey. Longer stays, for work, study or family, run through a national visa and a Polish residence card, and highly qualified workers through the EU Blue Card.
Before you travel
90 days in any 180
A visitor whose passport needs no visa may stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen Area, Poland included, for tourism or business, and may not work; the stay is recorded electronically at the border, and it cannot be extended by staying on.
The passport
The passport must have been issued within the last ten years and remain valid for three months beyond the departure from the Schengen Area; proof of accommodation, funds and a return ticket may be asked for.
Changing planes in Poland
Nigerian travellers changing planes at a Polish airport without entering the Schengen Area need an airport transit visa, unless a valid visa or residence permit of a country on the exemption list frees them from it.
Where to apply
A Schengen visa is applied for at the Polish consulate, or the visa centre that serves it, with the application form, passport, photograph, travel insurance at the Schengen minimum and proof of accommodation and funds.
Longer stays
Stays beyond 90 days need a Polish national visa (Type D) before arrival, for work, study or family, and a residence card (karta pobytu) from the voivode's office in Poland for anything longer.
Visa types
Visa-Free Entry (Schengen)
For tourism or business on a passport that needs no Schengen visa.
Free movement
For Irish citizens, who live, work and travel in Poland freely as citizens of the EU.
Schengen Visa (Type C)
For short stays on a passport that needs a Schengen visa, applied for at the Polish consulate or the visa centre that serves it.
National Visa (Type D)
For stays beyond 90 days for work, study, family reunification or residence, on the documents of the purpose: an employment contract, a university acceptance letter, proof of family ties or of financial independence, with the passport, insurance and a police certificate.
EU Blue Card
A residence and work permit for highly qualified professionals with a job offer in Poland: a university degree, a contract for a highly qualified post and a salary above the threshold the law sets.
Working Holiday
For young Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians, under bilateral agreements, to travel in Poland and work to fund the stay.
Guides
Poland gathers preserved and rebuilt old towns, memorial museums, primeval forest, mountain hiking, a hearty kitchen and vodka within a country easily crossed by train. Kraków anchors most first visits, with the Wieliczka Salt Mine and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial within a day trip, while Warsaw, Gdańsk on the Baltic and the Tatra Mountains each open a different side of the country. The bison forest of Białowieża, the Masurian lakes and the Bieszczady hills lie farther off, worth one harder leg in a trip.
Poland travel guide →
The Baltic coast, the Tatras, the bison forests, the western cities and the one-hard-leg route.
Money in Poland →
The złoty, the kantory, cards and phones almost everywhere, and tipping.
Eating in Poland →
What makes Polish vodka a legal term, bison grass and nalewka, and the dumplings of coal-country Silesia.
Getting around Poland →
The fast intercity trains, the rail triangle of the west, and the buses and cars the wild regions need.
Cities & planning
Plan your trip
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Regions
Embassies & missions
Asia · 2
Americas · 2
Africa · 1
Accredited missions for Poland
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa for Poland?
Not for a visit of up to 90 days in any 180 across the Schengen Area on a US, UK, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport; Irish citizens move freely as EU citizens. Indian and Nigerian travellers need a Schengen visa issued before the journey.
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Treat this Visaja page as your starting point: verify the current rules directly with the official source before you submit an application.