An EU/EEA citizen does not need a visa as s/he can enter Poland with his/her ID document (a valid travel document e.g. passport, or another document certifying his/her identity and citizenship).
A citizen of a third country (non-EU/EEA country) can enter the territory of Poland on the basis of a valid travel document (passport) and a visa obtained from the consulate of Poland in his/her country of residence before the entry. For study purposes a national visa type D multi is strongly recommended – it should cover the whole intended period of stay in Poland.
Please note that the prolongation of visa in Poland is possible only in case of a force majeure or situation impossible to foresee while applying for the visa in the consulate. The visa can be prolonged only once.
The two main documents you will to enter Poland if are not a EU citizen are a valid travel document (passport) and a visa (if required). As a general rule you need a visa to enter Poland. There are, however, a number of countries that are free of this requirement. You can check if your country is on the list www.msz.gov.pl and udsc.gov.pl/en.
Poland is a part of the Schengen zone, so you can apply for a Polish visa and travel all around Europe (excluding the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and states outside of the EU).
There are several types of visas to choose from:
- “A” type – an airport transit Schengen visa, so it cannot be used by a student coming to Poland
- “C” type – a short-term Schengen visa allowing the holder to stay in the Schengen territory for up to 90 days in 180 days period
- “D” type – a long-term national visa issued for up to one year allowing travel around the Schengen area for up to 90 days in a 180 days period A visa can only be extended in exceptional situations. Should you need to stay in Poland longer than specified in your visa please do apply for the temporary residence permit
If you are going to study in Poland for at least one semester, multiply “D” visa is strongly recommended.
