Passport and visa regulations

Nationalities

	Passport required	visa required	Return ticket required
Switzerland	no	no	no
Austria	no	no	no
Germany	no	no	no
Turkey	Yes	2	Yes
Other EU countries	No/1	no	no

ID cards/identity cards

i.a. Citizens of the following countries listed in the table above can enter with a valid ID card: EU countries and Switzerland ([1] Exceptions: Citizens of Denmark, Great Britain and Ireland (Rep.) require a passport).

Passport information

Generally required, must be valid for at least 3 months beyond the visa if the traveler is not an EU citizen. Passports of EU citizens must be valid during the stay.

Note on the passport

Poland is a signatory and user of EU legal acts (Schengen Agreement).

Note on the endorsement in the passport

Important: Persons requiring a visa must carry a passport or another recognized travel document and the Schengen visa with them during their stay in the Schengen area.

Visa information

A visa is generally required except for citizens of the following countries listed in the table above for stays of up to 90 days within a 180 day period: (a) EU countries and Switzerland. (b) [2] Turkish nationals holding a valid residence permit for a Schengen country or Monaco.

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Costs

Schengen visa: Airport transit visa: €80.00 Short stay visa, less than 90 days: €80.00 Children over six and under twelve years of age: €40.00 Citizens of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia: €35.00

Visa types and costs

Entry visa (short and long term), transit and airport transit visa.

Validity

6 months from date of issue. Entry visa: up to 90 days stay. Transit visa: 5 days stay.

Transit

Travelers who otherwise require a visa and who fly on from a non-Schengen country to another non-Schengen country with the next connection, do not leave the transit area and have all the necessary onward travel documents do not require a transit visa. In person at the competent consular representation in the applicant’s country of residence (see contact addresses). Prior online registration is required to apply for a Schengen visa or a national long-term visa.

Application required

Varies depending on nationality, reason and length of stay. The responsible consular representations provide further information. (see contact addresses). Schengen visa: (a) Travel document (e.g. passport) valid for at least 3 months beyond the visa expiry date, has at least 2 blank pages and was issued within the last 10 years and copies of the first 4 pages of the passport. (b) If applicable, all original documents that state the purpose (e.g. invitation from private individuals or companies, medical certificate and appointment with the treating doctor or in a hospital) and the conditions or the purpose of the planned stay (e.g. Hotel reservation) justify or prove. (c) documents, which prove that the (invited) foreigner has sufficient funds to cover the costs of the stay and return journey as well as any costs for his medical care, if necessary in the form of an obligation to assume the costs. (d) Document proving that the alien is the holder, on an individual or collective basis, of valid international travel health insurance covering the cost of repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical treatment and/or hospital care. In principle, the applicant must take out insurance in the country of residence. If the host takes out insurance for the applicant, they must do so in their own country of residence. The insurance taken out must be valid for the entire territory of the Schengen countries and for the entire duration of the stay. The insurance must have a minimum coverage of €30,000. (e) Visa fee in cash when applying at the consulate. (f) 2 biometric color passport photos (3.5 x 4.5 cm). (g) 1 completed application form on secure.e-konsulat.gov.pl/.

Schengen visas

Before entering the Schengen area, nationals of visa-required countries must apply for a Schengen visa for the country they enter first when transiting through the Schengen area. This is only issued by the competent consular representation of the country in which the person has their permanent residence.

Processing time

Up to 14 working days, in some cases longer.

Proof of sufficient funds

Travelers must have sufficient financial resources for the duration of their stay. As a confirmation of the amount of financial resources available to cover entry and accommodation costs (e.g. for tourists PLN 100 per day for stays longer than 3 days; for a stay of up to 3 days at least PLN 300, with paid stay, eg hotel reservation 20 PLN per day, but not less than 100 PLN) cash, traveller’s cheques, a certificate from a financial institution or an invitation registered in Poland at the Provincial Office are valid.

Legally Required Registration

Foreigners visiting Poland must register at the local registration office (Urzad Meldunkowy) within four days of arrival. When staying in a hotel, this takes care of the formalities; when staying with private individuals, the guest and host must go to the registration office and complete the registration there. Foreigners (including EU citizens) are obliged to register their stay at the competent provincial office of the Department for Legalization of Residence if the stay lasts longer than 3 months.

Documents required upon entry

Sufficient Funds.

Extension of stay

EU citizens and Swiss citizens who want to stay in Poland for more than 3 months must register their stay in person with the competent administrative authority before the 3 months have expired. A passport may be required for this.

Entry with children

Germans: Children’s passport or your own passport or identity card Austrians: Your own passport or identity card. Swiss: Own passport or identity card. Turks: Own passport. Note: The same visa regulations apply to children as to their parents. Note: Unaccompanied minors are recommended to carry a written travel permit from their legal guardians/parents with them. Since June 27, 2012, children need their own travel document (passport / children’s passport) for trips abroad (also within the EU). Entries of children in the parental passport are no longer possible.

Entry with pets

The import of parrots is prohibited. In special cases, a special permit can be requested from the Ministry of Agriculture. Birds from countries where avian influenza has occurred may not be imported. Dogs, cats and ferrets from EU countries and non-rabies-free third countries require an EU pet passport (pet pass) or a national pet passport, which can only be issued by authorized veterinarians, and must have an implanted microchip on their neck as an identifier. The pet passport must show that the animal has had a valid rabies vaccination and, if necessary, a valid booster vaccination against rabies. The import is limited to 5 animals. Pets under 4 months of age are exempt from the compulsory vaccination against rabies. The following additional regulation applies to dogs, cats and ferrets as well as to birds and small animals from non-rabies-free third countries: A health certificate is required for each animal. For entry into the EU area, a test for the presence of vaccinal antibodies must be carried out on pets 3 months before entry. Exception: The 3-month period does not apply to pets whose EU pet passport shows that the blood was taken before this animal left the territory of the Community and that the blood analysis showed sufficient antibodies to rabies. For dogs, cats and ferrets from rabies-free third countries (e.g. Switzerland, Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway).