Visas are issued by Polish embassies or consulates located in various countries around the world and take the form of a visa sticker affixed to the foreigner’s passport. To obtain a visa, first locate the nearest Polish diplomatic mission in your country of residence and obtain a list of required documents. Then, register your visa application and schedule a visa appointment through the Remote Registration System (e-konsulat.gov.pl) – the system is available in several languages.
There are two main types of visas – Schengen visas and national visas, which are issued for various purposes of stay in Poland (one of the purposes is education at a doctoral school). Furthermore, the visa can be single-entry or multiple-entry, depending on what the foreigner specifies in the application. A multiple-entry visa allows for multiple crossings of Poland’s borders, which is important for things like business trips or visiting one’s home country.
A national visa also entitles you to travel within the territory of other Schengen Area countries for up to 90 days within the 180-day period of the visa’s validity.
More information about visas (in English):
- UDSC- Visas
- https://www.euraxess.pl/poland/entry-conditions-information-non-eu-citizens
- Poland’s missions abroad: https://www.gov.pl/web/diplomacy/polands-missions-abroad
- https://visaguide.world/europe/poland-visa/how-to-apply-for-visa/
- https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/poland/visa/
Foreigners can legally stay in Poland until the last day of the visa’s validity. If a longer stay is planned, it must be legalized.