Who needs a visa to enter Poland?

Who needs a visa for Poland? Who is required to have a visa for Poland? In this article, you will find out about the purposes for which national visas and Schengen visas are issued…

Visas for Poland — who needs one and what are the options?

Belarusians, as well as any other foreign nationals wishing to stay in Poland legally, require a special document for this purpose.

This document may be a visa, including:

• A type C visa, i.e. a Schengen visa,
• A Type D visa, i.e. a national visa,
• A D21 visa, i.e. a humanitarian visa, which is issued on humanitarian grounds, in the national interest or due to international obligations.

Visas for Poland – who are they for? Purposes for issuing visas

We now know the reasons for issuing humanitarian visas to Poland.

However, the purposes for issuing national visas and Schengen visas are different. These are set out in Article 60 of the Act of 12 December 2013 on Foreigners.

So who needs a visa for Poland, and for whom are visas for Poland intended? Here is a list of the purposes for which national visas and Schengen visas are issued:

• Tourist purposes,
• Visiting family or friends,
• Participation in sporting events,
• Conducting business activities,
• Work,
• Cultural activities,
• Attending conferences,
• Carrying out official duties by representatives of a foreign state or an international organisation,
• Undertaking studies (first-cycle studies, second-cycle studies or integrated master’s degree programmes),
• Pursuing doctoral studies,
• Vocational training,
• Education or training in another form,
• Educational purposes,
• Conducting scientific research or development work,
• Undertaking an internship,
• Participation in the European Voluntary Service programme,
• Transit (including air transit),
• Medical treatment,
• Joining or staying with an EU citizen, an EFTA member state citizen, or a citizen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,
• Taking part in a cultural or educational exchange programme, a humanitarian aid programme or a summer work programme,
• Entry into Polish territory as a close family member of a repatriate,
• Entering Polish territory as a close family member of a person residing in Poland on the basis of a permanent residence permit obtained under the Polish Card scheme,
• Exercising the rights arising from holding a Polish Card,
• Repatriation,
• Benefiting from temporary protection,
• Entry on humanitarian grounds, in the national interest or due to international obligations,
• Exercising a temporary residence permit for the purpose of family reunification,
• Implementation of a temporary residence permit for the purpose of working as part of an intra-corporate transfer,
• Implementation of a temporary residence permit for a family member of a Polish citizen or a citizen of an EU Member State,
• Other purposes not listed above.

Do you need a visa for Poland and are looking for help with this?

Are you a foreign national who needs a visa for Poland? Or perhaps you need to extend your visa in Poland? The Firma Dla Każdego Foundation could be your lifeline.

The ‘Firma Dla Każdego’ Foundation provides assistance with administrative procedures relating to the legalisation of foreign nationals’ residence in Poland.

You can find more information on this topic at: https://firmadlakazdego.pl/cudzoziemcy/.

 Sources:

• Act of 12 December 2013 on Foreigners (consolidated text: Journal of Laws of 2023, item 519, as amended)
• https://www.gov.pl/web/dyplomacja/wizy
• https://firmadlakazdego.pl/wizy-dla-bialorusinow-do-polski-2024/