Poland is located quite close to Russia, and the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation even borders on it. In this regard, tourist trips to Poland by car are very popular, and an increasing number of Russian citizens need a Polish visa. They receive it according to the standard procedure: Poland has been a Schengen member since 2004, so you can't do without a visa for a tourist trip.
For a long time, all the states of the Schengen area, including the Republic of Poland, entrusted the work on registration to special intermediaries - visa centers. Therefore, obtaining a visa to Poland is possible through these organizations, as well as through the country's diplomatic missions in the Russian Federation - the Embassy and Consulates General in Moscow or other cities.
For those who decide to apply for a visa without refusals, quickly and inexpensively, we recommend the Online Visa Center.
A Polish visa will be more difficult to obtain than a Schengen visa in another country.
Do I need a visa
If there are any doubts whether a visa to Poland is needed for Russians, then it is better to immediately understand that it is necessary for all guests of this country. You cannot get there without special permission, so a visa must be done without fail. If the purpose of the visit is, for example, tourism, visiting your close relatives, a business trip or an official visit, then you need a document called a Schengen visa to Poland. If you need to stay in Poland for a long time and get a residence permit in the future, then they already apply for a national visa, not a Schengen one.
Entry with a visa of another country
If the passport already contains a valid Schengen visa stamp of any of the 26 states of this zone, then Russians do not need a separate visa to Poland, but this situation also has its own limitations. The visa must be opened in the country that issued it, and a greater amount of time must be spent there, and you can come to Poland afterwards.
Types of visas
A visa to Poland is Schengen. Now there is only one type of such a visa - category C. It is issued to all tourists, Russian citizens who have invitations and go to visit, business travelers, employees whose activities are related to periodic working visits to Poland, for short studies, and so on.
Photo of a Polish visa
But there is another type of Polish entry permit - this is the national D visa. Such a visa to Poland is no longer Schengen... It has an extended period of validity and duration of stay in Poland, and it is possible to obtain a residence permit in this state using it. Issued in cases where a Russian has plans to study / work in Poland, live with a spouse who is a Pole, and so on.
Tourist visa to Poland
It is worthwhile to dwell separately on a tourist visa to Poland, since most of our citizens still go to Poland for tourist purposes. This country really has something to visit - medieval cities, mountains, health resorts, which attract with their low price and European quality. A tourist visa to Poland is the same Schengen visa C. It must be issued according to the general rules for these categories of entry documents. Tourist entry permit is the most frequently required document.
Transit visa to Poland
The topic of tourist transit through the territory of Poland is very relevant for many Russians, because many people use a car to travel further to Western Europe. Transit through Poland without a separate registration of the Polish Schengen is quite possible if you have a visa of the state of destination. That is, the traveler will be allowed through the territory of Poland with a visa from France, Italy, Germany, and so on.
If in Poland it is necessary to make a transfer from plane to plane, then provided that the international zone of the airport is not left, the Polish Schengen is also not needed. If you still need to leave the international zone of the Polish airport, then you cannot do without a transit visa. These points must be taken into account in order to properly plan your trip.
Entry for residents of Kaliningrad and the region
There is a special visa to Poland for those Russians who live in Kaliningrad and the region. It is called the WFP map for residents of areas on the border. It can be obtained by a simplified version, providing evidence that in the last three years the applicant really lives in Kaliningrad or the region, registration takes several days.
Such a visa to Poland for Russians has restrictions on the geography of visit. With it, access is open only to certain cities and areas bordering the Kaliningrad region: Gdansk, Elblag, Gdynia, Puck and so on.
Required documents
A visa to Poland for Russians in 2019 is issued after the submission of a regulated list of mandatory documents. It is quite standard and practically does not differ from the list for other Schengen states. So, opening a visa to Poland is possible with the provision of the following papers:
- A completed application for a visa to Poland, the form must be filled out in Latin letters or in Polish (in this case, it is better to immediately fill out the application in Polish), the application must be signed in the right places;
- Original valid passport issued in the last 10 years in the name of the applicant. The passport must be valid for another 90 days after leaving the Schengen territory and have at least 2 blank pages;
- Two photographs 3.5 × 4.5 cm .;
- A photocopy of the passport: those pages where there is a photograph and personal data of the applicant;
- If there is, then other / old passports and their copies;
- A photocopy of an internal Russian passport in the name of the applicant (not blank pages);
- Medical insurance that meets the requirements: the amount of insurance is 30,000 €, the territory of the policy is the entire Schengen area;
- Financial guarantees of the trip, confirming the solvency, availability of funds:
- Bank account statement;
- Account statement credit card from the bank;
- Certificate from work, where both the position and salary are indicated;
- IP certificate;
- Sponsorship letter from a sponsor who is a close relative. This sponsorship letter must be accompanied by financial guarantees from the sponsor himself, confirming a satisfactory financial position / availability of funds.
A minimum of PLN 100 per person per day of stay is required.
The validity period of financial documents is limited to one month, bank statements must show the movement of money in bank accounts for three months, translation into Polish / English is not required.
The listed documents for a Polish visa are basic and obligatory for everyone. They are served by tourists, business travelers, and guests.
Additional documents for a tourist visa to Poland:
- Confirmation of the route: tickets for transport / booking tickets for transport;
- Booking a hotel / hotel or other place to stay. The reservation must be paid at least 50%, the confirmation must contain: the address and telephone number of the hotel / hotel, the names and surnames of the tourists, the dates of the trip. The booking confirmation must be stamped (faxed copies will also work).
Additional documents for a Schengen visa to Poland by invitation from a private person:
- A notarized letter of invitation containing: names, surnames, addresses, phone numbers of the guest and the inviting party, the invitee's passport number, dates and purposes of the trip;
- Proof of legal residence in Poland of the inviter;
- A copy of the first page of the inviting person's passport;
- If the inviting party is not a relative, then you need the original and a copy of the invitation, which are registered in the Voivodeship at the place of residence.
Additional documents for opening a visa to Poland by invitation from an organization or company:
- An invitation from a partner / company in Poland on company letterhead with a seal, necessary signatures, dates, purposes of travel, names and surnames, drawn up / certified in the Voivodeship.
Additional documents for opening a Polish visa for short study:
- Certificate of enrollment in the list of students / certificate of enrollment in an educational institution / student card - both original and copy are required.
If a Russian citizen travels to Poland by invitation, it does not matter - from a private or official person, then the invitation must indicate who will bear the costs and where the invited person will live, appropriate guarantees must be attached. If this information is not available, then the invitee provides financial documents from item 8 of the main list.
Filling out the application form
The central place in the preparation of a visa application to Poland for Russians is the questionnaire. Much depends on the correctness of its filling. It is good that the questionnaire itself is in Russian and the questions are very clear: if difficulties arise, you can look at the sample. This sample is also available at the visa center itself.
The application form is downloaded to a computer from the website of the visa center and printed; for convenience, it can be filled out at home. You need to adhere to simple filling rules:
- Fill out the questionnaire in Latin letters;
- Write neatly;
- Enter reliable information;
- Sign in the right places;
- Avoid blots.
Photo requirements
A photo for obtaining a visa to Poland must also meet the established parameters:
- Size 3.5 × 4.5 cm, face centered;
- The height of the head in the photo is about 30 mm, the head occupies 70-80% of the entire photo;
- Without edging and on a light background;
- The photo must be no older than six months;
- No hats, even for religious reasons;
- The glasses in the photo are only allowed for medical reasons;
- A full-face photo, preferably with open ears.
Traveling with children
No less relevant is the question of how to make a visa to Poland for children. A full package of documents is submitted for any minor together with adults. For a child, you must submit:
- Birth certificate - copy plus original;
- Consent / power of attorney to leave if the child travels alone, with one parent or with third parties. The consent or power of attorney must be certified by a notary, this will give the child the right to travel alone or with a parent;
- If consent / power of attorney for the right to leave the minor cannot be obtained, then papers are needed to explain this circumstance;
- Copies of Schengen visas and passport pages with parental details, if the child visa is made separately.
To open a visa to Poland for a child, you need to take into account that his visa stamp will be pasted into the parent's passport if his passport is not yet available.
Self-registration
Many tourists ask themselves how to apply for a visa to Poland. With the growing popularity of travel without travel agencies, this issue is the first on the agenda. Independent registration of a Polish visa is carried out either through the visa centers of this state, or through its Consulates General located in several constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
The most widespread and popular way is to use the services of visa centers, they are available in many cities. Applying for a visa to Poland through the Consulate is possible if, for example, a refusal was received, or you need a national visa, not a Schengen one.
All travelers who apply for a visa to Poland on their own need to know that a new procedure has been in effect since September 2015. This is the submission of biometric data when submitting a visa application. At the Visa Application Center or Consulate, you will need to be fingerprinted and photographed. Registration of a Polish visa is now possible only after this procedure. The data will be stored for five whole years, then it will be necessary to submit it again. Children under 12 years old do not hand over prints.
Registration through the visa center
A visa to Poland is made through the visa center in Moscow and through its offices in other Russian cities. There are a lot of them, a complete list can be found on the website of the visa center. To submit an application, you must follow an algorithm consisting of several simple points:
- Determine the purpose of the trip and the required type of entry permit;
- Collect documents;
- Download to your computer and fill out the form;
- Bring a package of papers to the visa center (preliminary registration and registration is required, there is an electronic queue);
- Pay consular and service fees for services, receive a check and attach it to the package of papers;
- Submit the documents and receive an individual number to track the status of the application.
Obtaining a visa to Poland through the Moscow Visa Application Center and its regional offices is a smooth, fast and not at all difficult procedure. Before submitting papers, you can go to the CC website and read the instructions in order to be completely sure of the correctness of your actions.
At the visa center, you can make insurance (medical policy), take pictures, and also order photocopies of documents, if all this has not been done in advance.
Some are interested in how to get a visa to Poland on their own through the Consulate at the Embassy. As well as through the Visa Application Center. Registration and registration for an appointment is required, since the Consulate works to receive and issue only at certain hours of the working day. There is no electronic queue at the Consulate, you can only sign up by phone.
Polish visa yourself: reviews of 2019
It should be additionally noted that Poland is not the most loyal country to Russians in visa matters (and not only in them). Despite the formally simple list of necessary papers, there are also strange requirements - the obligatory stamp of the hotel in the reservation, 50% payment for accommodation. And, of course, according to reviews about obtaining a Polish visa on their own, the statistics of negative decisions among Poles is higher than among the French, and even more so for the Spaniards.
According to reviews of independent travelers, the Polish Consulate often finds fault with shortcomings in papers, may require additional confirmation or financial guarantees. That is, according to the reviews, one might get the impression that it is not easy to get a visa to Poland on your own. But this is no more difficult than applying for a visa to Estonia or, for example, to Latvia. It so happened historically that these countries are less loyal to Russia, therefore, the collection and submission of documents must be taken seriously and everything must be done carefully, without mistakes.
Visa to Poland on your own: travel by car
A large number of Russian citizens travel to Poland by car, because it is not far away, you can go around more sights. Also, the shortest transit route further to Europe is possible only through the territory of Poland.
A trip by car can be planned safely, since in this case there are no special features, a Polish visa on your own for traveling by car is the same Schengen type C as for other trips. It must be drawn up according to general rules.
A transit route through Poland by car is also possible with a visa from another country of the Schengen area. The border guards, of course, can find fault with something, but this is more likely due to the general situation in relations between the countries.
When crossing the Polish border, a car is stamped in the passport with a picture of the car, which indicates that a foreigner has arrived by land, and not in another way.
Registration cost
In the question of how much a visa to Poland costs for Russians, one must first of all understand what kind of visa is required. If this is Schengen, then one price, if national - another. The price of a visa to Poland consists of two components: a consular fee and a visa center fee for service and services. The actual cost is shown in the table below.
In addition to the cost of a visa to Poland, you must also pay the cost of the service fee of the visa center. It is not the same for different cities, there are two prices. For Moscow, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Samara, Smolensk, Yekaterinburg and Voronezh, the visa center service fee is 19.5 euros. For Saratov, Novorossiysk, Krasnodar, Perm and Ufa - 23 euros.
It should be emphasized that the price of a Polish type C visa does not depend on how long the document is valid.
Dates of validity
In the visa issue, it is important not only how much a Polish visa costs for Russians, but also what is its validity period. Based on EU standards, for a C visa, the period is limited to six months, and for a D visa - one year. Number of days of stay: for C - 3 months, for D - 6 months.
In fact, documents may be issued with completely different terms. For the first trip, the validity limit will be limited only by the dates of the trip and the visa will be single entry, then you can count on a multi-month Schengen multivisa, which is multiple.
Long-term Polish multivisa
The rule is that if the applicant already has at least two Schengens in his passport, no matter which state, then he can be approved for a multiple-entry visa to Poland for 2 years. But with such a visa, it will still be possible to spend in Poland / another Schengen country no more than 3 months every six months. A Polish visa for 2 years provides ample opportunities for traveling in Europe.
This rule is optional, so you need to be prepared for what a one-time document can give.
Photo of a national visa to Poland
Terms of registration
Since the Republic of Poland has long been a member of Schengen, there are special documents that regulate the timing of the issuance of an entry Schengen visa. According to official papers, the period during which a Schengen document is issued is 10 or 14 days, a national D visa is issued a little longer. In practice, the period for issuing the Polish Schengen type C may be limited to a period of 5 or 10 days. If you need to get a visa to Poland quickly in three days, then it is enough to pay 70 euros, and the application will be considered out of turn.
In some cases, a visa is issued for a longer time. What is the reason for this is not entirely clear, but such situations are still rare.
Refusal to receive
Russians need a visa to Poland, so there are many people in its visa centers who want to apply for an entry permit. However, practice says that a refusal can be received and the chances of getting it are not equal to zero.
On the territory of Poland, the bus network of the Polski Bus carrier is well developed, with the help of which you can get to every point of our route. And what is important for your budget, the cost of the trip will not exceed € 5-6, and if you plan everything in advance, then there are almost always tickets for the price of € 1.
Accommodation prices in all cities of the route are approximately the same:
- bed in a hostel - from € 5
- hotel room 3 * - from € 20 for two
- hotel room 5 * - from € 70 for two
The easiest way to get to Poland from Ukraine is by plane. Wizz Air has cheap flights to various Polish cities, including Katowice, a city that is close to Krakow, where our route can be conveniently started from.
There are also direct bus routes and trains from Kiev and Lviv, or you can make the most budgetary route with several transfers and cross the border on foot.
Krakow
Just a few hours and you will find yourself in a medieval - cultural capital Poland. His heart is Old city(included in the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List) with a spacious Market Square, the Church of St. Mary and the Wawel Castle. For a long time, Krakow was the place of coronation of Polish monarchs, although the capital of the country was located in Warsaw - you can learn more about this on the excursion "
Well, in my opinion, it's time to plan a winter, maybe even a New Year's trip to some pleasant and suitable place for this. Those who can hardly endure the winter and cold are probably already packing their bags in the warm countries of Southeast Asia or Latin America. Others eagerly await the opportunity to see European cities turning into a fairytale during the Christmas holidays or to uncover their skis on one of the ski resorts... And I propose to combine the last two wishes and do it in Poland.
Last time we put it on the shelves: looking for answers to the main questions related to tickets, hotels and other preliminary actions that are taken when planning independent travel... Today we will do the same with Poland and try to find answers to specific questions:
1. Why Poland?
2. How to get to it?
3. Where to stay?
4. How to get a visa?
5. How much will the trip cost?
Let's get started (=
1. Where exactly in Poland and why?
I suggest Krakow + Zakopane. And not only in winter, but also in summer. Because Krakow is the most majestic and worthy city in Poland with a rich historical and cultural heritage, and Zakopane is the Polish ski capital, and in the warm season it is just a wonderful spiritual place, because the mountains are magnificent in any season. This does not mean that other cities are not worthy of attention, I am still extremely interested in the northern Polish Tricity (Gdynia, Gdansk and Sopot), but in winter it is not very comfortable there, besides, it is far away, Krakow and Zakopane are the very south of the country. Well, if you ask yourself why Poland? Yes, simply because at least once in this country you must definitely visit. I am sure she will not disappoint you.
2. How to get there?
Most choose to travel by plane. You can fly to Krakow (with a transfer) or to the capital of Poland. Distance Warsaw - Krakow 300 km. It can be overcome by train or bus. It is also convenient to get from Krakow to Zakopane by bus or train, the travel time is from two to three hours.
If you are a fan of traveling by private car, great! From Moscow to Krakow, you need to cover a distance of only 1,500 km. Then, to calculate the cost of the road, you will need information about the cost of gasoline in the countries through which the road lies and the cost of vehicle insurance.
If you prefer a train, it will be the Polonez, the signature train of Russian railways, following the route Moscow-Warsaw. The ride is not very long, only 18 hours. Departure daily at 17:21.
3. Krakow and Zakopane hotels
Depending on your preference, the number of nights in one and the other city may vary. If you have never been to Krakow and you are more interested in sightseeing holidays, then you can only take a ride in Zakopane for a couple of days. If the main purpose of your visit is skiing, you can accordingly keep your stay in Krakow to a minimum. In Zakopane, it is great to stay in a private mini-hotel, where it will be cozy to spend evenings at home.
4. Visa issues.
I never tire of repeating that applying for a visa on your own is not at all difficult and not costly, either in terms of material or in terms of time resources. Of course, things get complicated if you live far from Moscow or other large centers where embassies and visa centers may be present. In this case, the cost of visa processing services becomes more expensive.
So, if you have carefully studied the official website of the Polish Embassy in Russia (http://wiza.polska.ru) and carefully collected the necessary package of documents, then you do not have to worry about an entry permit, you will most likely receive a visa. At least in the case of the countries of Eastern Europe, which belong to Russian tourists still loyal enough.
5. How much does it all cost?
Your budget for such a trip can consist of the following figures:
- train tickets - from 230.6 euros
Moscow-Warsaw-Moscow, in the second grade.
(current rates on the website rzd.ru)
- - from 8,000 rubles
Moscow-Warsaw-Moscow, economy class.
- overnight at a hotel in Krakow - from RUB 1,800 / night
the price of a standard double room in a hotel *** within walking distance of the city center.
- night at a hotel in Krakow min - from 1,000 rubles / night
minimum price for a double room in any type of hotel within the relative accessibility of the center (on foot / public transport).
- overnight at a hotel in Zakopane - from 2,000 rubles / night
price of a double standard room in a hotel ***
- consular fee - 35 euros
per person.
- equipment rental - from PLN 20 per day
set (skis, boots and poles)
- a liter of gasoline in Poland - from PLN 5
Why exactly this Poland? First, it is located fairly close to the main part of the Russian Federation. We are separated by only 270 km of Belarusian and 700 km of Ukrainian territory, which is not a problem to cross. By the way, the Polish Republic has a common cordon with Russia, as much as 206 km. This refers to the Kaliningrad region, but only a small percentage of our fellow citizens live in it.
Secondly, this country looks completely European. She is as clean, "licked" and washed as Austria or Belgium. But the prices will turn out to be a pleasant surprise for those who did come to the homeland of Adam Mickiewicz or Chopin. The level of prices for the main groups of goods, namely food and clothing, is not higher than the national average, and even lower for some items. And certainly lower than those to which the inhabitants of both capitals, both Moscow and St. Petersburg, are accustomed.
Thirdly, Rzeczpospolita Polska has an enormous supply of historical, cultural and culinary treasures, which she is ready to demonstrate to everyone who is interested in them. Poles are very sensitive to their history, and if guests show interest in it, they are ready to turn themselves inside out in order to demonstrate it in the best possible way.
Exactly because of this reason it is much more interesting to go to Poland or fly on your own... It's one thing to walk around the Maryatsky Church, Auschwitz or Wawel in an organized crowd, not seeing anything but the backs of compatriots and feeling only the fumes of fellow tourists who have escaped to Europe. And it is quite another matter, having previously studied the local sights, set off on an autonomous voyage. Every second Pole will gladly tell the guests of his country where to find the desired object. And sometimes he will also take you there, telling a couple of legends on the way or the history of the founding of the city-castle-museum. A small note for our citizens, corrupted by the Egyptian "service". All this is free.
Traveling on your own, you can stay at any object, at the shipyard in Gdynia, on the beach in Sopot or at the icon of Matka-Boska Czestochowa as long as you need for a thoughtful acquaintance with Polish shrines or sights. And no one will, like a herd of lambs, drive you onto a bus to transport you to a new facility that is included in the paid tourist minimum.
The road to Poland is simple and straightforward. You can get there by car through Belarus or Ukraine, or by train. There is a direct train: Moscow-Warsaw. But the most pleasant option is the plane. Air transport from Russia is received by the airfields of Warsaw and Lublin, Wroclaw, Krakow and Gdansk, that is, those cities that are literally "stuffed" with historical treasures and entertainment for tourists. If you buy air tickets ahead of time, then you will reduce the cost of the ticket by 30%, compared to those that are bought 2-3 weeks before the intended trip. And if you take a travel document for air Transport of a low-cost airline, then for 70-80 euros you will get to the Promised Poland, saving your finances and travel time. The only caveat, do not plan your trip for Catholic Easter and Christmas. Here, although it is very beautiful at this time, no one and nothing is working.
The main route that attracts tourists to this country is the Golden Triangle: Krakow, Warsaw and Gdansk. Such a route satisfies men and women, reconciles different generations, provides a seaside vacation, shopping in Warsaw and does not deprive the pleasure of seeing or even skiing down the slopes of the Carpathians. With an amount equivalent to 500 euros per person, you will get acquainted with the best of what Poland is rich with in chic, splendor and comfort.
When planning your trip, of course, you will be interested in the issue of accommodation or overnight stay. There are two ways to solve the problem. The first option is to independently book a room in a hotel or several hotels along the entire proposed route, using the search service for the most interesting offers, we use the hotelscombined website.
Another option is to go to Poland on a whim. The whole country is literally strewn with glowing signs about renting out beds in hostels, rooms in family boarding houses, rooms in hotels. In the north, in Sopot, you can find apartments, but in the rest of the country this offer is not popular. However, remember that going to the country without knowing where you will be staying is rather risky.
If your trip does not coincide with some grandiose event, such as Euro-football, which fortunately has already passed, then finding a place for a decent overnight stay in this country is much easier than buying bread or ice cream from us.
There are only two peculiarities of traveling to Poland:
1. Do not take euros to this country. Stock up on local money while still at home. Poles love their zlotys. In shops, ticket offices and even in souvenir shops, they pay exclusively in national currency. Points that change currency, even in large cities a little and they work only at a strictly fixed time.
2. The second feature is no language barrier... All Poles over 35 studied Russian at school. The older the person you consult with, the better he will tell you everything he knows about the matter. Young people are focused on English, but they know it in about the same way as our graduates of the secondary school.
Poland landmarks
Poland has a whole heap of attractions, but let's try to limit ourselves to the "golden triangle" - Gdansk, Warsaw and Krakow.
Gdansk, aka Danzig, is a city near the Baltic. It has merged into a single agglomeration with Gdynia and Sopot and has a splendid Old Town built by merchants who traded grain with Scandinavia. The most interesting museum is the Maritime Museum. The symbol of the city is the Crane, a giant harbor crane whose wheel was turned by prisoners running around like mice. Near Gdansk is Malbork Castle - a gigantic fortification complex that became the last refuge of the Knights Templar in Europe.
Three hundred kilometers separate Gdansk from Warsaw... This is the capital! There are granite benches on its streets. Sitting on any of them, you will hear the sound of Chopin's magic music. Real, not illusory! Warsaw has an excellent selection of lingerie and footwear stores, as well as a great variety of pastry shops and cafes, pleasantly shocking with their prices and level of service. Of particular interest for men is the Museum of Military Equipment, which contains samples of Soviet weapons that you will not see or find here.
Another three hundred kilometers south, and you find yourself in Krakow, the long-term residence of all Polish kings. Guests of the former capital are invited to explore the Wawel Castle, the Royal Castle, the Jagiellonian University, the Sukenice shopping arcade and the art collection collected by the Czartoryski magnates. Not far from Krakow there is the Auschwitz-Berkenau complex, which we know as the Auschwitz concentration camp.
Obtaining a visa to Poland on your own. Visa centers in Poland, what kind of visa is needed, how much it costs and how to apply. Visa-free entry or documents for obtaining a tourist visa.
- Last Minute Tours Worldwide
Citizens of Russia and the CIS countries will need a Schengen visa to visit ancient and charming Poland, which can be applied for at the consular department of the Polish Embassy in Moscow or through the VFS Global visa service in Russian cities. One of the peculiarities of the Polish Schengen is an online application form (printed ones are not accepted) and confirmation of a 50% payment for the hotel (in case of an independent trip). The rest of the requirements are standard: a 3-month supply of validity of the passport for the date of the end of the trip, air tickets booking, insurance and confirmation of financial solvency. A nice bonus is the possibility of obtaining a 6-month or one-year visa.
Tourist visa to Poland: general information
The cost of a regular visa
Express visa
Visa fees
19,5-23 EUR
Types of visas
In the Republic of Poland, visas of the following categories are in use:
- A: classic airport transit visa: needed for those for whom Poland is only a connecting point of two flights. Allows you to be exclusively in the transit area of the air harbor;
- C: the most common, there is a single entry and multiple entry (multivisa). Requested by tourists, businessmen, everyone who travels to relatives and for treatment. Limits the period of stay on Polish soil to 90 days within six months, allows you to freely enter the territory of other Schengen countries and stay there;
- D (national): for those who want to spend more than 90 days in Poland in six months, for example, for study or work, as well as for immigrants. With this visa, you can freely cross the borders of any states of the Schengen zone.
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Self-registration of a visa
Before submitting documents, you should decide on the required type of visa and the place of application: it can be a consulate (in this case, you will not have to pay a service fee) or visa centers. Reception points are located not only in the Central Federal District, but also in Murmansk, Novosibirsk, Khabarovsk, Kazan and other large cities. The amount of the visa fee is not the same for everyone.
Applying documents in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Rostov-on-Don, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Smolensk, Voronezh, Vologda, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk pay 19.5 EUR. In Krasnodar, Ufa, Perm, Novorossiysk, Saratov, Murmansk, Petrozavodsk, Veliky Novgorod, Pskov, Vyborg, Omsk, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk - 23 EUR. Prices on the page are for April 2019.
Applications for the issuance of a national visa are considered only by the consulates general of Poland in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad. You can make an appointment to apply to the consulate and visa centers in advance, but this is not necessary.
Documents for a visa to Poland
Required documents:
- passport (validity period - at least three months from the end of the trip);
- photocopy of the passport (page with photo);
- a photocopy of the pages of the used passport, if it contained Schengen or Polish visas;
- A completed application form . At the consulate, it is registered and completed online, and then printed and signed. In visa centers, the document is immediately filled out by hand;
- one color photograph 3.5 x 4.5 cm, which must be glued to the application form (see photo requirements below);
- a document confirming the purpose of the stay (voucher or confirmation of payment for the tour, an invitation from an organization or a private person);
- a certificate from the place of work on a letterhead with the details of the organization, indicating the position, length of service and the amount of wages;
- confirmation of the availability of funds: a bank statement, traveler's checks or a copy of a credit card (with a certificate from the bank about the availability of funds on it);
- a copy of electronic air or railway tickets in both directions or confirmation of ticket reservation;
- confirmation of booking and 50% payment of the hotel for the entire period of stay in the country, if the purpose of the trip is tourism;
- original and copy of health insurance, valid throughout the Schengen area and for the entire duration of the trip. The amount of insurance coverage is at least EUR 30,000;
- completed consent to the processing of personal data.
Individual entrepreneurs who travel for work, in order to confirm the purpose of their stay, provide an invitation from a Polish legal entity, company or the organizing committee of the event or an entrance ticket to this event (the “age” of the document is not more than 3 months), as well as confirmation of economic activity: certificate 2 -NDFL or 3-NDFL, an extract from the tax register, a certificate that the applicant is engaged in an independent business, or an extract from the bank for the last three months (not "older than" 1 month).
Schoolchildren and students in the main package of documents put a certificate from a Polish educational institution on the inclusion in the list of students either a student card, or a certificate of enrollment in courses plus documents confirming payment of tuition, if it is paid. Participants of international sports tournaments - written request from the host organization.
Those who go to visit relatives must submit to the visa center or consulate a notarized written application from the inviting person indicating his and the invited personal and contact information, confirmation of the legality of the inviting party's stay in Poland, and a copy of the first page of his passport.
If it is not possible to provide a certificate from work, another confirmation of financial solvency will do - a bank statement for the last 3 months, documents on ownership of real estate in the territory of the Russian Federation.
To obtain a visa for the purpose of treatment, you need original documents from a medical institution in Poland, confirming its necessity, and a guarantee of the availability of sufficient funds to cover the costs of living and treatment.
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National visa processing
The package of documents for a national visa is somewhat different. Photos must be attached two plus papers confirming the purpose of the trip: the original and a copy of the Pole's Card, or the original and a copy of the work permit in Poland, or the original and a copy of the admission document (students additionally provide a certificate of payment for their studies and confirmation of financial solvency: sponsorship letter or bank statement).
Visa for children
For every child entering Poland, a full-fledged visa is issued - even if he does not have his own foreign passport, his visa is glued into the parent's “foreign”. The standard package of documents must be accompanied by the original and photocopy of the birth certificate, copies of the parents' Schengen visas if they were made before the child's visa, a copy and the original of the permission to leave from one or both parents issued by a notary (if the child is traveling with only one parent or with a third face).
Photo requirements
Clear, contrasting, new - these are the main requirements for a photo for a Polish visa. You need to attach 3.5 x 4.5 cm photographs to the package of documents, taken from the front view against a white background a maximum of 6 months before the trip. Look straight into the frame, without smiling, mouth closed, ears and forehead, if possible, open. The face occupies 70-80% of the image, the neck and upper part of the shoulders are visible, there is no headdress, even for religious reasons. Glasses are allowed only for medical reasons, frames are simple, thin, do not cover the eyes, glasses are not darkened, do not create glare.
If a photo was taken on a foreign passport without glasses, a photo for a visa must also be taken without them.
Both adults and children should be filmed without foreign objects and people. You cannot retouch pictures.
Validity periods of visas
With a category C visa, you can stay on the territory of the state for no longer than 90 days in six months. The visa can be single or multiple (multivisa - up to two years). With "cartoon" you can freely visit other Schengen countries and stay there until the expiration of the visa, but no more than 90 days in six months.
A type D national visa is issued for a specific period (often for a year) and can be renewed. The rule "90 days in six months" does not apply to its owner.
Cost and terms of visa processing
Applying for any type of visa should be done at least two weeks before the trip. The authorized bodies will take a decision on extradition from 5 to 15 days. If they have any questions about the reliability of the information provided, this period can be increased to a month. The most unfavorable time to apply for a visa is the days of Russian holidays, when you need to add another 1 to 4 days to the standard waiting period.
An urgent visa can be made in 3-5 days, if it is documented that it is necessary.
The most expensive of all visas is express, for it they charge 70 EUR, for the national one - 60 EUR, the rest cost 35 EUR. When accepting documents at visa centers, an additional service fee is charged - from 19.5 to 23 EUR. At the consulate, payment is made in euros, at visa centers - in rubles at the current exchange rate.
The following are exempt from paying the visa fee:
- children under 6 years old;
- close relatives of Russian citizens legally residing in Poland;
- members of official delegations, national and regional governments and parliaments, Constitutional and Supreme Courts;
- schoolchildren, students, graduate students and their teachers who go to study or internship;
- disabled people and accompanying persons;
- persons traveling on an urgent humanitarian mission, to a funeral or on a visit to a seriously ill close relative;
- participants of youth international sports tournaments and their attendants;
- participants in scientific, cultural, creative and other exchange programs;
- scientific workers whose purpose of travel is scientific research;
- NGO representatives traveling to events of other NGOs in Poland.
