Conditions Business visitors for establishment purposes (BVEPs) & short-term business visitors (STBVs)Categories of visa, permits or any similar type of authorisation regarding entry and temporary stayVisa-free system or Schengen visa (marked with the C symbol) – issued when the planned stay in an EU country within the Schengen area does not exceed 90 days within a 180-day period.Work permit requirementsInternational agreements allow exceptions from work permit requirements including in Poland, even if the agreement itself does not confer rights on private individuals.The following are instances where no such exceptions apply.Business visitors for establishment purposes (BVEPs)Depending on how long you are staying and the activities you are carrying out, you may require one of the following types of work permit.Type B– related to: carrying out a function as part of the management board, either for a company registered in the Register of Entrepreneurs or a company that is part of a larger organisation, orcarrying out a function as part of a limited partnership or limited joint-stock partnership as a general partner, or acting as proxy.You need this type of permit if you are carrying out these activities in Poland for a period longer than 6 months within 12 consecutive months.Type ERelated to a non-EU national working for a non-EU employer, who is posted to Poland for a period of over 30 days within 6 consecutive months for purposes other than those indicated in types B, C and D.A work permit is issued for a minimum period of 3 years, which can be extended.If a non-EU national works for the management board of a company employing over 25 people at the time they submitted their application, the governmental province authority (voivode) can issue a work permit for a minimum period of 5 years.Short-term business visitors (STBVs)Depending on how long you are staying and the activities you carry out, you need a type E permit – see description above.Also, Polish rules on cases where a non-EU national can work in the country without needing a work permit apply to those non-EU nationals who:have a role in EU or international assistance programmes, also those based on loans taken by the Polish government. These roles include conducting training courses, taking part in professional internships, carrying out advisory or supervisory roles, or doing work requiring specific qualifications and skillswork as foreign language teachers in kindergartens, schools, education institutions/centres or teacher training facilities – bodies listed in the legislation on education instituteswork as researchers in bodies listed in legislation on research institutesprovide artistic services individually or in teams, for up to 30 days in a calendar yeargive occasional lectures, papers or presentations of special scientific or artistic value (up to 30 days in a calendar year)have been posted to Poland by a non-EU national employer (albeit keeping their place of permanent residence abroad), for no more than 3 months in a calendar year, to:perform assembly, maintenance or repair work, and/or deliver technologically complete devices, buildings, machines or other equipment – if the non-EU employer has produced theseaccept ordered devices, machines and other equipment or parts made by Polish companiestrain employees of the Polish employer who receive buildings, machines or other equipment referred to above, in terms of their operation or useassemble and disassemble exhibition stands as well as maintain them, if the exhibitor is a non-EU national employer who posts non-EU staff to carry out these tasks. Documentation required and conditions to be metVisa-free regimeYou should meet the following conditions.You must have a valid travel document entitling you to cross the EU border and which satisfies the following criteria:it must be valid at least 3 months after the date you intend to leave the EU country;it must have been issued within the previous 10 years.You must be able to justify the purpose and conditions of your planned stay.You must have sufficient means of subsistence to cover your stay in Poland and for the return to their country of origin or transit to a third country into which you are certain to be admitted. If you do not have these funds, you must be able to acquire them lawfully. For all amounts below, the equivalent in foreign currency is acceptable.Any non-EU national coming to Poland must have funds of at least PLN 300, if they plan to stay for no longer than 4 days, or PLN 75 for each day if they plan to stay longer.A non-EU national who has the cost of their stay in Poland paid (proof of payment covering at least accommodation and meals) must have at least PLN 20 for each day of their stay, and no less than PLN 100 in total.Also, a non-EU national must have additional means to cover the costs of their return journey to their country of origin or residence as well as costs of their transit to another non‑EU country that will grant them entry.The minimum amount (separately per applicant and per family member) is PLN 200.If they came from a country that neighbours Poland, this amount is PLN 500.If they came from an EU country other than countries bordering Poland, it is PLN 2,500. A return ticket entitling you to travel to that country may serve as evidence of having the needed funds.A non-EU national can use the following documents to confirm they have the above‑mentioned financial means:i) traveller's checkii) certificate showing their credit card limit, from the issuing bankiii) a certificate showing they have this amount in a bank or similar institution that has its registered office in Poland or another EU country. The certificates must be issued not more than 1 month before you cross the border.You cannot have one of these statuses:an alert has been issued in the Schengen Information System to refuse your entry.you are considered a threat to an EU country’s public policy, internal security, public health or international relations (especially where no alert has been issued in their national databases to refuse your entry on these grounds).Schengen visa To meet the conditions applied, you should:submit a completed and signed visa application formpresent a valid travel document satisfying certain criteria: i) it must be valid for at least 3 months after the visa you are applying for expires; ii) it contains at least 2 blank pages; and iii) has been issued in the past 10 yearspresent a biometric photographallow your fingerprints to be collectedpay the visa feeprovide supporting documents confirming:the purpose of your visit, including documents proving you belong to the category of BVEPs or STBVs according to the definition and requirements set out in the trade agreement concernedaccommodation, or sufficient funds to cover accommodation costssufficient funds to cover the cost of entry, stay and departure from Poland or other Schengen country, or that you can acquire these funds lawfully means lawfully (amounts as in point concerning visa- free regime)your willingness to leave Poland (or the other Schengen country) before your visa expiresproduce proof that you have adequate and valid travel medical insurance – worth at least €30,000, valid in the entire Schengen area. This is to cover any expenses which might arise related to repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention and/or emergency hospital treatment or death, during your stay(s).Also, you cannot have one of these statuses:an alert has been issued in the Schengen Information System to refuse your entryyou are considered a threat to a Schengen country’s public policy, internal security, public health or international relations, especially if an alert has been issued in the Schengen countries’ national databases to refuse your entry on these same grounds.See a non-exhaustive list of supporting documents.The types and number of supplementary documents may differ depending on the consular office. You should contact the relevant consulate to get the full information about the documents you need when submitting a visa application.Where and how to file an application You can complete the visa application online and print it. However, it is not possible to apply for the visa online. The only part of the visa application procedure that you can do online is reserving the date and time of your meeting in the consulate and registering your application via the e-Konsulat portal. You should submit the printed and signed application to the consular office.For some locations (Belarus, China, India, the Philippines, Türkiye and Ukraine), you can submit applications via an external service provider, where you can ask the provider’s staff to help you fill in the application. Application fees and indicative processing timeApplicants must pay a visa fee of €80.Applications must be decided 15 calendar days after they are lodged, if they are admissible. This period may be extended up to a maximum of 45 calendar days in individual cases, especially if the application needs further scrutiny. The maximum period of stay under each type of authorisationVisa-free regime or Schengen visa – stays up to 90 days in any 180-day period within the whole Schengen area.Conditions for any available extensions or renewalExtending a Schengen visa issued for a stay shorter than 90 days is possible in the following situations.The responsible authority in the Schengen country deems that a visa holder has provided proof of force majeure or humanitarian reasons preventing them from leaving the area before the visa expires. Such an extension must be granted free of charge.The visa holder provides proof of serious personal reasons that justify extending the visa’s period of validity or duration of stay. A fee in PLN equivalent to €30 will be charged for such an extension.The governmental province authority (voivode) responsible with respect to the place of stay of a non-EU national while in Poland.Rules regarding accompanying dependentsGeneral rules apply. Family members can accompany dependents under the visa-free system or with a visa issued on a discretionary basis.Available review and/or appeal proceduresA non-EU national who receives a negative decision can – within 14 days – submit a request for their application to be re-examined. This must be made in person, to a consulate. If a Schengen visa is refused, a further appeal can be brought before the administrative court.Relevant laws of general application pertaining to the entry and temporary stay of natural personsRegulation (EU) 2016/399 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 – on a Union Code for the rules governing the movement of persons across borders (Schengen Borders Code)Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 – EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code)Act of 12 December 2013 on Foreigners (OJ of 2023 item 519, as amended)Contractual service suppliers (CSSs)Please check information under independent professionals, below.Independent professionals This section also includes information on Contractual service suppliers (CSSs) and Investors. Categories of visa, permits or any similar type of authorisation regarding entry and temporary stayFor stays of up to 90 days in 180 days (services contract up to 90 days):Visa-free regime or Schengen visa (marked with the C symbol) issued when the planned stay in the Schengen country does not exceed 90 days within each 180-day period.For stays exceeding 90 days in 180 days (services contract exceeding 90 days):National visa (i.e. long-term – marked with the D symbol) entitles you to enter and continuously stay in Poland or to stay on several consecutive occasions which together last longer than 90 days. A national visa cannot be valid for more than 1 year.Work permit requirementsFor CSSs, depending on how long you stay and the type of activities you conduct, the following type of work permits may be required: Type D – for a non-EU national working for a non-EU employer without a branch, plant or other form of organised activity in Poland, who is posted to Poland to provide services which are temporary and occasional (export of services).If a non-EU national is posted by a non-EU employer to provide an export service, a voivode issues a work permit covering the period of posting.For Independent Professionals, depending on how long they stay and the type of activities they conduct, the following type of work permits may be required:Type A – for a non-EU national working in Poland through a contract with a business whose registered office or place of residence or branch, plant or other form of organised activity is located in Poland.A work permit is issued for a definite period of time, not longer than 3 years, and can be extended.Also, the exemptions indicated in the STBV category may be applied here.For Investors, depending on how long they stay and the type of activities they conduct, the following type of work permits may be required:Type B – related to carrying out a function as part of the management board of a company on the Register of Entrepreneurs or a larger company in the organisation, or in connection with the conduct of a limited partnership or limited joint-stock partnership as a general partner, or in connection with the granting of a proxy (a proxy issued by a company). This type of work permit is required in case investors need to stay in Poland for a period longer than 6 months jointly in 12 consecutive months to carry out the activities mentioned above.Documentation required and conditions to be metVisa-free system – see the information provided in the BVEP and STBV sections.Schengen visa – see the information provided in the BVEP and STBV sections. You should attach supporting documents to your visa application confirming the purpose of your visit, including documents proving you are in the category of CSS, Independent Professionals or Investors, according to the definitions and requirements set out in the trade agreement concerned.National (long-stay) visa (type D)To meet the conditions applied, you should:submit a completed and signed visa application formpresent a valid travel document satisfying specified criteria: i) valid for at least 3 months after the visa you are applying for expires, (ii) contains at least 2 blank pages and (iii) issued in the past 10 yearspresent a biometric photographpay the visa feeprovide supporting documents confirming:the purpose of the visit including documents proving you belong to the category of CSS, Independent Professional or Investor, according to the definition and requirements set out in the trade agreement concerned. This can be documents related to i) previous employment/experience; ii) university degree or qualification; iii) professional qualifications when required to exercise an activity according to the laws and regulations; iv) service contract; and v) a sector covered by relevant trade commitmentsyou have accommodation or sufficient means to cover these costsyou have sufficient means to cover the cost of entering, staying in and leaving Poland or that you can lawfully acquire such funds (amounts as in the point about visa-free regime)the credibility of your declared intention to leave Poland before the visa expiry dateproduce proof that you have: i) appropriate public health insurance or travel medical insurance, e.g. a document certifying that you are covered by health insurance as laid down by the law on healthcare services financed from public funds (Dz. U. of 2022, item 2561 with amendments), or ii) travel medical insurance for a minimum of €30,000, valid for the duration of your stay in Poland.The latter should cover any possible expenses related to i) repatriation for medical reasons; ii) urgent medical attention; iii) emergency hospital treatment or death, whereby the insurer agrees to pay the costs for services, provided to you directly, to the healthcare provider. Insurers and insurance that meet these requirements.Furthermore, you cannot have one of these statuses:an alert has been issued for you in the Schengen Information System, to refuse your entry to the EUyour data has been entered into the register of non-EU nationals and your stay in Poland is undesirableyou are considered a threat to Poland’s national defence or security, its protection of public safety and order or its interests.The types and number of supplementary documents may differ depending on the consular office. So, when submitting a visa application, you should contact the relevant consulate to get the full information on the documents needed.Where and how to file an application You can complete the visa application online and print it. However, it is not possible to apply for the visa online. The only part of the visa application procedure that you can do online is reserving the date and time of your meeting in the consulate and registering your application via the e-Konsulat portal.You should submit the printed and signed application to the consular office.In some locations (Belarus, China, India, Philippines, Türkiye and Ukraine), you can submit applications via an external service provider, i.e. you can ask the provider’s staff to help you fill in an application. Application fees & processing timeSchengen visaApplicants must pay a visa fee of €80.Applications must be decided on within 15 calendar days of the date they are sent.This period may be extended up to a maximum of 45 calendar days in individual cases, especially if the application needs further scrutiny. National (long-term) visaApplicants must pay a visa fee of €80.Admissible applications must be decided on within 15 calendar days of the date they are lodged.That period may be extended up to a maximum of 30 calendar days in individual cases, especially if the application needs further scrutiny. Maximum period of stay under each type of authorisationVisa-free system or Schengen visa – stays up to 90 days in any 180-day period within the whole Schengen area.National (long-term) visa – entitles you to enter and continuously stay in Poland or to make several consecutive stays which together last longer than 90 days. A national visa cannot be valid for more than 1 year.Conditions for any available extensions or renewalExtension of stay in visa-free traffic:refers to a non-EU national’s period of residence in Poland based on a bilateral agreement on cancelling visa requirements or for whom partial or complete elimination of visa requirement obligation would applycan be prolonged by 90 days in justified cases, if this is envisaged in the agreement on cancelling visa requirements (this possibility is stipulated in the bilateral agreements with Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Uruguay, concluded by Poland before accession to the EU)must be granted free of charge.You can find more information in the following website: MOS - Extension of the period of authorised stay in visa-free travel.A Schengen visa issued for a stay below 90 days can be extended (up to 90 days) in the following situations.The responsible authority in a Schengen country deems that a visa holder has provided proof of force majeure or humanitarian reasons preventing them from leaving the Schengen area before the visa or the duration of stay authorised by the visa expires. Such an extension must be granted free of charge.The visa holder provides proof of serious personal reasons that justify extending the visa’s period of validity or the duration of stay. A fee in PLN equivalent to €30 will be charged for such an extension. Competent authority: governmental province authority (voivode) responsible with respect to the place of stay of the third-country national. For more details, see: submitting the application for extending your visa and the application itself. A national visa issued for a stay shorter than 1 year can be extended in the following situations.A non-EU national residing in Poland can extend the validity of the national visa (with symbol D) is valid for or the period of stay covered by this visa, if the following conditions are all met:it is in their professional or personal interest, or due to humanitarian reasons, that they cannot leave Poland before the national visa expires or before the end of the period of stay covered by this visaevents that become the reason behind applying for an extension of the national visa are independent of the non-EU national’s intentions for coming to Poland and were not foreseen when they submitted their application for the national visacircumstances of the case do not indicate that the purpose for a non-EU national’s stay in Poland would changethere are no circumstances to refuse the issue of a national visa.A national visa may be extended once.The length of stay in Poland based on an extended national visa must not exceed that envisaged for a normal national visa, i.e. 1 year (including the length of stay based on a visa to be extended).A fee of PLN 406 will be charged for extending a national visa.ExceptionsA non-EU national staying in hospital whose health status prevents them leaving Poland, whose national visa or the residence period covered by this visa is extended to the date when their health status will allow them to leave Poland. Competent authority: governmental province authority (voivode) competent with respect to the place of stay of a third-country national.For more details, see: submitting the application for extending your visa and the application itself.To apply for a temporary residence permit if your intended stays exceed 90 days:A fee of either PLN 340 or PLN 440 for a temporary residence permit and PLN 100 for a residence card will be charged.Competent authority: governmental province authority (voivode) competent with respect to the place of stay of a non-EU national.However, the time it takes to grant a temporary residence permit in Poland should be taken into account, due to the constantly increasing migration pressure and the need for the applicant to wait for the scheduled time to go to the voivode office to submit an application in person.Considering the above and the relatively short period of maximum stays for people in the categories of CSS, Independent Professional or Investor (up to 12 months in total), we recommend that you get a national visa before entering Poland, in case your intended stay exceeds 90 days.More information including information on the purpose of performing work by the third-country national delegated by a third-country employer within the territory of Poland are available in the following websites:MOS - Temporary residence permit for the purpose of performing work by a foreigner delegated by a foreign employer to the territory of the Republic of PolandMOS - Conducting a business activityMOS - Temporary residence permit due to other circumstances (purposes of stay other than those indicated in the MOS)Non-EU nationals staying in Poland on the basis of obligations set out in the international agreement regarding the facilitation of entry and temporary stay of certain categories of individuals involved in trade or investment cannot apply for a temporary residence and work permit or for a temporary residence permit to work in a profession requiring high qualifications (the EU Blue Card). Rules regarding accompanying dependentsGeneral rules apply. Family members can accompany dependents under the visa-free system or with a visa issued on discretionary basis.Available review and/or appeal proceduresA non-EU national who receives a negative decision on issuing a visa may – within 14 days and in person – submit a request to a consulate for the application to be re-examined. If a Schengen visa is refused, a further appeal can be brought before the administrative court.A non-EU national not satisfied with a decision on extending a visa or granting temporary residence permit has the right to appeal, within 14 days from the date of delivery of the decision, to the Head of the Office for Foreigners. Also, further complaints about a decision from the Head of the Office for Foreigners can be submitted to the Voivode Administrative Court.Relevant laws of general application pertaining to the entry and temporary stay of natural personsRegulation 2016/399 – Schengen Borders CodeRegulation 810/2009 – EU Visa CodeAct of 12 December 2013 on Foreigners (OJ of 2023 item 519, as amended).InvestorsPlease check the independent professionals section.
