Poland

Studying for up to 3 months

British students do not require visas or Residence Permits for study or research visits exceeding 90 days, within the 180 period. You can complete the following activities during this period without a visa:

• Tourism
• Visiting family or friends
• Attend business meetings, cultural or sports events
• Short-term studies or training

EU/EEA students do not need a visa or Residence Permit to study, work or reside in Poland. However, you should keep your passport or National ID card with you at all times.

Students from a non-visa waiver country will need to apply for a Schengen visa to stay in Poland for a duration of 90 days.

Depending on your length of stay and nationality, students from non-EU countries that are not visa-exempt will be required to apply for a Schengen visa.

For a duration of less than 90 days, students from non-EU countries will need to apply for a short-stay Schengen visa (visa type C).

Gather your documents

You will need the following documents printed out to complete your visa type C application:

• Visa application form, filled out via the e-konsulat system, printed and signed.
• 3.5 x 4.5cm colour photo
• Valid passport
• UK Residence Permit, valid for at least one month after the expiry date of your Schengen visa
• Healthcare insurance, valid throughout the territory of the Member States and covering the entire period of your intended stay for an amount no lower than EUR 30,000
• Proof of accommodation (e.g., confirmed hotel bookings, official invitations, or letters from your host with their full address and Polish contact number)
• Sufficient means to cover the costs of accommodation (may be given via proof of sponsorship or an official form)
• Nominative UK bank account statements, covering at least the last three months and showing the balance
• Recent, official and signed letter from your school, college or university in the UK
• Certificate of enrolment at an educational establishment (school, university, college, etc.)
• Proof of travel (e.g., reserved return ticket to the UK or onward travel proof)
• Proof of financial means (e.g., bank statements from the last 3 months or credit card statements displaying name, balance and monthly limits. If supported financially by others, provide, for spouses: marriage certificate, spouse's bank statement, and a support declaration, for parents: birth certificate, parents' bank statement, and a support declaration).

Your valid passport must:

• Have 2 blank pages to affix your visa
• Be less than 10 years old
• Have a validity of at least 3 months beyond the date you plan to leave Poland/the Schengen region

Please note, if you have another valid passport, you should attach this to the visa application form.

Your official and signed letter from your school, college or university must state the:

• Name of applicant
• Date of issue
• Type of studies
• Number of lessons per week (in hours)
• Attendance record

Additional documents may also be requested by the consul. Discover the full list of documents here.

How to apply

Students are encouraged to contact the Polish Consulate to check if they need a visa for less than 90 days.

You can book your appointment to apply for a visa via the e-konsulat system. The visa application form must be submitted in person.

Please note that, receiving a visa does not guarantee entry into the Schengen area. The final decision is made by the border authorities of the country where you intend to cross into the Schengen area. 

For further details or specific enquiries, consult the relevant sections.

Visa Information System (VIS): The Visa Information System (VIS) facilitates the exchange of visa application data and decisions between Member States. As VIS is now fully operational, foreign travel documents submitted for Schengen visa applications are no longer stamped to confirm application admissibility, as per Article 20 of Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 (Visa Code).

The visa fee is £75. 

Studying for more than 3 months

Non-EU/non-EEA/UK students studying for a duration of more than 90 days are required to apply for a national visa type D.

Gather your documents

You will need the following documents to complete your national visa type D application:

• Visa application form, filled out via the e-konsulat system, printed and signed.
• 3.5 x 4.5cm colour photo
• Valid passport
• UK Residence Permit (if your Residence Permit is in your expired passport, please bring your old passport together with the new one)
• Healthcare insurance, valid across the EU for an amount no lower than EUR 30,000
• Proof of means of subsistence in the form decided by the mission (e.g.: bank statements, pre-paid travel card)
• Proof of accommodation for the duration of the intended stay in Poland (e.g.: an official invitation, hotel booking or reservation)
• Documentation confirming the purpose of your stay in Poland
• Recent letter from your school or university addressed to the Visa Section of the Polish Embassy, including information about the type of study, attendance, intended period of leave, etc.
• Information on approved insurers and insurance plans 
• An original letter from the university in Poland (in the specified format)
• Confirmation of tuition payment (if required)

Your valid passport must:

• Have 2 blank pages to affix your visa
• Be less than 10 years old
• Have a validity of at least 3 months beyond the date you plan to leave Poland/the Schengen region

Please note, if you have another valid passport, you should attach this to the visa application form.

For a full list of documentation click here.

How to apply

To submit a visa application, you must make an appointment at the Consular Section in London by registering the application on the E-Konsulat website.

When booking your visa appointment, please select the appropriate category: 

• National Visa D – Study I Year – Beginning 
• National Visa D – Study II Year and Above 
• National Visa D – Study – Others 

Upon arrival

EU students enrolling in degree programmes who will be staying in Poland for more than 3 months do not need any visas/Residence Permits.

Those with EU citizenship are required to register their residence in Poland. The obligation to register residence does not apply to EU citizens who exercise their right of residence to seek employment.

Discover further information on the Right of Permanent Residence in Poland.

A foreigner planning to stay in Poland for more than 3 months may apply for a temporary residence permit. A temporary residence permit is issued for the maximum of 3 years. The period of validity of the permit may be shorter, however, if the basis for applying for this permit indicates that a shorter stay is justified.

Gather your documents

The documents needed to apply for a temporary residence permit are as follows:

• Application for a temporary residence permit completed in accordance with the instructions (depending on the voivodeship, one or two copies may be required)
• 4 recent colour photos (in accordance with the requirements)
• A valid travel document (2 photocopies of all pages with annotations, original available for inspection)
• A confirmation of payment of stamp duty
• Basic documents required for a given type of temporary residence permit (e.g., Appendix 1 in the case of a temporary residence and work permit)

Please note that all documents would 

Working for up to 3 months

EU citizens do not need any further documentation to work in Poland for less than 90 days.

Non-EU/Non-EEA students working in Poland for no more than 3 months can complete the following activities without the need for a visa, under the Schengen Waiver:

• Running or attending job interviews
• Going to court as witness
• Attending trade fairs
• Attending board meetings
• Meeting clients or customers (including entertainment, such as eating at a restaurant)
• Meeting colleagues, contractors or sellers
• Internal auditing
• Post-meeting productive work
• Providing legal advice to a client
• Fact-finding visits
• Negotiating, signing and executing deals or contracts
• Attending, speaking or presenting at a conference
• Supervising the work of a vendor or contractor
• Supervising and managing a team
• Taking part in team building activities
• Receiving classroom-based or on-the-job training
• Shadowing someone’s job

Non-EU/non-EEA students who wish to work for a duration of more than 30 days within a 180 day period will need to apply for a type C visa.

It may be possible to enter Poland without the need for a visa and work for up to 30 day. However, students are encouraged to contact their local consulate for the most up to date and accurate information.

How to apply

Apply for a type C work permit by following the below steps:

1. Your employer submits a Type C work permit application to the provincial office (local authority).
2. Once approved, you can apply for your visa at the Polish consulate in the UK (appointment required).

If you need to stay longer than the duration of your visa allows, you must apply for a temporary Residence Permit at the immigration office in Poland.

To work outside of the allowed activities outlined in the section above, non-UK/EU students will need to apply for a Schengen visa type C.

Gather your documents

Even though your employer applies for the work permit on your behalf, you will need to gather the following documents to apply for a Schengen visa type C:

• Completed visa application form
• 1 biometric photograph
• An invitation from your host in Poland, with a copy of their passport/ ID card
• Proof of travel medical insurance, valid throughout the territory of Member States and covering the entire period of your intended stay in Poland, for an amount no lower than EUR 30,000
• Recent letter from your employer, school or university addressed to the Visa Section of the Polish Embassy, including information about the type of study, attendance, intended period of leave, etc.
• Proof of sufficient financial means (e.g.: recent bank statements, a traveller’s cheque or prepaid travel card)

Please note:

• We do not accept cash or credit card/saver account statements as a proof of your financial means
• Additional documents may be requested at any stage of the process
• The Polish Embassy does not bear any responsibility for travel tickets bought before the receipt of your visa

View the full list of documentation.

Working for more than 3 months

UK Students will need to apply for a visa type D to work in Poland for over a duration of 90 days.

Long-term permits

You need to apply for a long-term permit if you're in Poland for one of the following reasons:

• Transferring from a UK-based company to a Polish branch
• Working for a company in Poland on a Polish contract
• Providing services to a client in Poland 
• Carrying out self-employed work 
• Conducting research work

Long-term permits are valid for up to 3 years depending on which one you need. There is 3 steps to the application process:

1. Your employer applies for a work permit 
2. You apply for a D visa at the Polish consulate in the UK 
3. You apply for a temporary residence work permit once in Poland if you need to stay longer than the duration of your visa

You can read here for more information.

Gather your documents

In order to apply for your visa type D, you must gather the following documents:

• Visa application form, filled out via the e-konsulat system, printed and signed.
• 3.5 x 4.5cm colour photo
• Valid passport
• UK Residence Permit (if your Residence Permit is in your expired passport, please bring your old passport together with the current one)
• Healthcare insurance, valid across the EU for an amount no lower than EUR 30,000
• Proof of means of subsistence in the form decided by the mission (e.g.: recent bank statements or pre-paid travel card)
• Proof of accommodation for the duration of your intended stay in Poland (for example, an official invitation, hotel booking or reservation)
• Documents confirming the purpose of your stay in Poland
• National visa to work in Poland (plus, the original form of the work permit issued by the local Municipal Office in Poland)

Your valid passport must:

• Have 2 blank pages to affix your visa
• Be less than 10 years old
• Have a validity of at least 3 months beyond the date you plan to leave Poland/the Schengen region

Discover the full list of documentation.

When booking your visa appointment, please select the appropriate category: 

• National Visa D – UK Nationals – Work 
• National Visa D – Others (for non-British citizens)

Temporary residence permit

You may need a temporary residence permit if you are a foreigner planning to stay in Poland for longer than 3 months. A temporary residence permit is issued for the maximum of 3 years. The period of validity of the permit may be shorter if the basis for applying for this permit indicates that a shorter stay is justified.

Gather your documents

You will need the following documents to apply for a temporary residence permit: 

• Completed temporary residence permit application (depending on the voivodeship, one or two copies may be required) 
• 4 recent colour photos (in accordance with the requirements) 
• A valid travel document (2 photocopies of all pages with annotations, original available for inspection) 
• A confirmation of payment of stamp duty 
• Basic documents required for a given type of temporary residence permit (e.g., Appendix 1 in the case of a temporary residence and work permit).

Discover full list of required documents here.

Please note that all documents need to be notarised.

Upon arrival

If you're staying in Poland for more than 30 days, you must register your address with the local town hall.