Visas are issued as Schengen or national visas by a Polish consul. In order to obtain a visa, the interested person should contact a proper Poland diplomatic post or consular office.

Schengen Visa (marked with C symbol) – is issued when the planned stay on the territory of the Member States of the Schengen area does not exceed 90 days within each 180-day period.

National visa (i.e. long-term – marked with D symbol) – entitles to entry and a continuous stay in the territory of Poland or to several consecutive stays which jointly last longer than 90 days, the period of validity of a national visa cannot exceed 1 year.

Territorial competence of a consul:

According to Article 6 of the Community Code on Visas the application for issuing a visa is discussed by a consulate of the competent Member State, in the area of which the person applying for a visa has been staying legally. A consulate of the competent Member State examines the application submitted by a third country national who has been staying legally, but not living in the area of the consulate’s competence, if the person applying for a visa justified the submission of the application in this consulate.

National visa for the purpose of work is issued by the consul competent with regard to the state of the foreigner’s permanent residence, and in the case of a foreigner staying legally on the territory of another Member State of the EU/EEA/Switzerland – the consul whose seat is located in the given state, unless a foreigner justified the submission of the application outside the state of permanent residence.

For more information or if you need help, call our office at 501-305-983