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Poland

Poland visa

Europe · Eastern Europe

In Poland, visas are issued by consuls: the ministry of foreign affairs publishes the Schengen visa of symbol C, the national visa of symbol D, valid for one year at most, and the airport transit visa of symbol A. The application is completed on the state's e-konsulat platform and then filed with the competent consular post, with a passport valid for three months beyond the departure and travel insurance of at least 30,000 €. The Office for Foreigners, for its part, handles residence permits.

Updated on 7 October 2026 · Official sources consulted on 18 September 2026

At a glance

Authority
Ministerstwo Spraw Zagranicznych — Polish ministry of foreign affairs, for the visas issued by consuls; Urząd do Spraw Cudzoziemców — Office for Foreigners, ul. Koszykowa 16, 00-564 Warsaw, for residence
Submission channel
Form completed on the e-konsulat platform of the Polish state, then appointment and filing with the competent consular post; for a residence permit, the case handling module of the Office for Foreigners
Competent consulate
The consul of the Schengen state that is the main destination of the trip or, if it is not determined, that of the state of the longest stay
Electronic visa
Not stated on the portal consulted: the form is completed online, but the filing takes place with the consular post
Passport validity required
At least three months beyond the date of departure, at least two blank pages, document issued within the previous ten years
Insurance required
Travel medical insurance of at least 30,000 €, covering the whole Schengen territory, medical repatriation, urgent care, hospitalization and death
Duties published by the Office for Foreigners
17 PLN for a certificate or a power of attorney, 5 PLN per page for the certification of a copy; residence card 100 PLN, 200 PLN for a replacement, 300 PLN from the second one onward
Portal language
Polish, with versions in other languages on the gov.pl portal

Do you need a visa?

Nicaragua passport: no visa needed for up to 90 days for a short tourist stay.

For a short tourist stay with an ordinary passport. To work, study or stay longer, the rules are different: check your situation.

Good to know

90 days per 180-day period (Annex II to Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, consolidated version of 30.12.2025).

Official source: EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, Annexes I and II (consolidated version of 30.12.2025)EUR-Lex — Règlement (UE) 2018/1806, annexes I et II (version consolidée du 30.12.2025) (new tab) Verified on 24 September 2026

All destinations for this nationality

VisaGuideline helps you prepare your application. The decision belongs to the country’s authority: check the official page before paying or applying.

Poland visa: who needs one?

Based on the verified entry rules, for a short tourist stay with an ordinary passport.

Visa exemption 60

List of nationalities

Visa required 104

List of nationalities

Information not available 7

List of nationalities

A nationality missing from this list does not establish a visa exemption. Consult the official authority.

Documented visa types

"Wiza Schengen" (symbol C) — uniform Schengen visa
Valid across the whole Schengen area, for a stay of 90 days at most in any 180-day period. Official page (new tab)
"Wiza Schengen" with limited territorial validity
Valid in one or more Schengen states, but not in all of them, for a stay of 90 days at most in any 180-day period. Official page (new tab)
"Wiza krajowa" (symbol D) — national visa
Authorizes entry and a continuous stay in Poland, or several successive stays with a cumulative duration of more than 90 days; its validity may not exceed one year. It also allows travel in the other Schengen states for up to 90 days in any 180-day period during its validity. Official page (new tab)
Airport transit visa (symbol A)
Valid only for transit through the international transit zones of airports; it does not authorize entry into the Schengen area. Official page (new tab)

Where and how to apply

Polish visas are issued by a consul of Poland outside Polish territory, whether it is a Schengen visa or a national visa. The competent consul is that of the Schengen state that is the main destination of the trip or, if it is not determined, that of the state of the longest stay.

The ministry of foreign affairs refers to the e-konsulat platform of the Polish state for completing the application. The form is completed there after choosing the city, the visa type and the appointment date, then printed before filing at the consular post.

The site of the Office for Foreigners, for its part, deals with residence in Poland: residence permits, international protection, asylum, temporary protection, social and medical assistance for foreign nationals. It refers to an online case handling module, which could not be reached on 18 September 2026.

The period of validity of the visa is determined individually for each visa issued, according to the page of the ministry of foreign affairs. The precise additional supporting documents are published by the consular post seized.

Steps in the procedure

  1. Determine the applicable visa: Schengen of symbol C for 90 days at most in any 180-day period, national of symbol D beyond that, airport transit of symbol A for transit only.
  2. Identify the competent consulate: that of the Schengen state that is the main destination of the trip or, failing that, that of the state of the longest stay.
  3. Complete the application form on the e-konsulat platform of the Polish state, choosing there the city, the visa type and the appointment date, then print the form.
  4. Check the travel document: valid for at least three months beyond the date of departure, containing at least two blank pages and issued within the previous ten years.
  5. Take out travel medical insurance of at least 30,000 €, covering the whole Schengen territory, medical repatriation, urgent care, hospitalization and death.
  6. Gather the additional supporting documents: purpose of travel, means of subsistence and costs of return or transit, accommodation, and proof of departure from the Schengen area before the visa expires.
  7. Pay the visa duties and attach the proof of payment.
  8. File the application at the appointment set, then await the consul's decision.

Documents mentioned by the authority

The exact list depends on the visa type, on the purpose and on the consular post seized; only the official page is authoritative.

Stated fees and processing times

According to the portal consulted on 18 September 2026: the visa page of the ministry of foreign affairs gives no figure for the visa duties; it asks only that the proof of their payment be attached.

According to the portal consulted on 18 September 2026: the Office for Foreigners publishes stamp duties of 17 PLN for the issue of a certificate and for a power of attorney, and of 5 PLN per page for certifying a copy as a true copy.

According to the portal consulted on 18 September 2026: the residence card issued by the Office for Foreigners costs 100 PLN on first issue, 200 PLN for a replacement in the event of loss or damage and 300 PLN from the second replacement onward; reductions are provided for on proof of social assistance, student status or minority.

According to the portal consulted on 18 September 2026: the visa page of the Office for Foreigners mentions a period of seven days for the consul's examination of a request for reconsideration.

According to the portal consulted on 18 September 2026: the period of validity of the visa is determined individually for each visa issued.

After the decision

The decision rests with the consul seized. The visa page of the Office for Foreigners mentions a request for reconsideration, examined by the consul within a period of seven days.

The national visa of symbol D also allows travel in the territory of the other states of the Schengen area, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period during its period of validity.

The airport transit visa of symbol A is valid only for transit through the international transit zones of airports: it does not authorize entry into the Schengen area.

To extend a stay beyond the visa, the site of the Office for Foreigners refers to the case handling module devoted to residence permits. That module could not be reached on 18 September 2026.

Prepare your application

Frequently asked questions

Who issues Polish visas and where is the application filed?

Visas are issued by a consul of Poland outside Polish territory. The form is completed on the state's e-konsulat platform, then the application is filed at the appointment set with the competent consular post — that of the Schengen state that is the main destination of the trip, or that of the state of the longest stay.

What is the difference between the C, D and A visas?

The Schengen visa of symbol C covers a stay of 90 days at most in any 180-day period, across the whole Schengen area or, with limited territorial validity, over only part of it. The national visa of symbol D authorizes a stay exceeding 90 days in Poland, for a validity of one year at most. The visa of symbol A is valid only for airport transit.

What documents must be provided?

A travel document valid for at least three months beyond the departure, with two blank pages and issued within the previous ten years, a completed and signed form, a photograph, the proof of payment of the duties, travel medical insurance of at least 30,000 €, then proof of the purpose of travel, of the financial means, of the accommodation and of the departure from the Schengen area.

What are the fees and the processing times?

The Office for Foreigners, on the other hand, publishes stamp duties of 17 PLN and 5 PLN per page, and residence card fees of 100 to 300 PLN.

Is there an electronic visa?

Not stated on the portal consulted: the form is completed online on the e-konsulat platform, but the filing takes place with the competent consular post, at the appointment set.

Points to check with the authority

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