Visa Requirements for Polish Citizens
Visa requirements for Polish citizens are pre-established guidelines that need to be followed when crossing the border with a selected foreign country.
Traveling abroad is always associated with obtaining certain documents and confirming the reason for travel. Some countries have stricter entry regulations than others.
However, we can distinguish four main types of visa requirements that are of interest to Polish citizens.
All Polish passport holders will need a visa obtained from the embassy, an eVisa obtained online, a visa obtained on arrival or no visa at all to travel abroad.
Of course, it all depends on the country you want to visit and the individual rules and conditions you must follow. There are around 30 countries that still require Polish citizens to present a valid embassy visa upon arrival. However, there are over a hundred destinations that allow Poles to travel without a visa.
To this end, dozens of countries have adopted electronic visa systems that include Polish passport holders or allow them to obtain visas on arrival.
Regardless of whether you need to apply for a visa or not, the length of stay allowed always varies depending on the chosen destination. The most popular options are one-month, three-month or six-month stays. In general, embassy visas are frequently used for both short-term and long-term visits abroad. This visa type can be used for recreational, professional or transit reasons.
However, it is most often used when you want to live abroad for a longer period of time to study, work or join your relatives living abroad. On the other hand, electronic visas and visas on arrival are issued for all short-term stays related to leisure, business or transit.
These types of travel permits are much easier to obtain than regular embassy visas because they do not require any visit to an official institution. If you are a Polish citizen, keep reading to learn everything about the international strength of your passport and the specific visa requirements that apply to you when traveling abroad!
Electronic visa
Let's start with the most accessible travel permit: the eVisa.
Recently, more and more countries have adopted electronic visa systems. Electronic visas work just like regular visas; The only difference between the two is the application process.
The e-visa can be obtained entirely online and once approved will be sent to the applicant's email address as a PDF file.
List of countries allowing Polish citizens to use eVisas
- American Samoa
- Anguilla
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Australia
- Bahrain
- Benin
- Canada
- Djibouti
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Guinea
- India
- Ivory Coast
- Kenya
- Kyrgyzstan
- Hong Kong
- Lesotho
- Myanmar
- New Zealand
- Oman
- Papua New Guinea
- The Philippines
- Qatar
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Saint Helena
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Saudi Arabia
- Tajikistan
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- USA
- The United States Virgin Islands
- Uzbekistan
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
More than forty countries, all listed above, have included Poland in their list of eligible countries for their online visa system. Travel to any of the listed destinations with an available eVisa for a hassle-free travel experience!
Polish citizens using eVisa can stay abroad from two weeks to even six months. Authorized length of stay varies depending on different destinations. Check the regulatory conditions before registering online.
As mentioned, applying for an eVisa is not just simple. All you have to do is follow the quick and intuitive online registration process that includes three simple steps. The approved document will then arrive to you via email as a PDF file. Print your approved eVisa and take any short-term trips involving entertainment, work or public transportation. You can go on vacation, visit friends and family living abroad, travel for business, or simply transit through a particular country to reach a different final destination.
Visa on Arrival
Visa on arrival for Polish citizens is a travel permit which, unlike other documents, can be issued upon your arrival at your chosen destination.
It's easier to get an embassy visa; however, it is a little more difficult to obtain than an eVisa.
List of countries that offer a Visa on Arrival for Polish citizens
- Angola
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Burkina Faso
- Cambodia
- Comoros
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Crimea
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Guinea-Bissau
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Iraqi Kurdistan
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Kuwait
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- The Maldives
- Mauritania
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nepal
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Papua New Guinea
- Puerto Rico
- Rwanda
- Saudi Arabia
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- Somaliland
- Sri Lanka
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Once again, more than 40 different countries offer a visa-on-arrival option that all Polish passport holders can use.
So, as long as you are a Polish citizen, you can visit any of the countries listed above without having to apply for a visa before departure! To obtain a visa on arrival, first check the visa requirements currently in effect for the selected destination. This step must be completed prior to arrival as some required documents may take some time to be issued. Pack your bags and upon arrival, go straight to any border checkpoint and ask to complete a visa application form at the border.
Fill in the form with valid data and submit it to the customs officer along with all necessary documents confirming the reason for your stay. If necessary, pay the visa fee and wait for approval.
Please note!
Most countries that offer a Visa on Arrival option also have an eVisa option. So if your chosen destination has an eVisa option, consider applying for one instead. This makes you feel much safer when traveling abroad than waiting until the last moment to get the necessary visa. Online eVisa application can be done even on your phone. Simply fill out the application form with some personal and basic travel-related information, pay the fee using any online payment method, and wait for the approved documents to be emailed to you.
Embassy Visa
An embassy visa is simply a regular visa that can be issued upon visiting an appropriate official institution.
Regular visas are usually suitable for people who intend to live abroad for longer periods of time to work, study or join their partner abroad.
In addition, sometimes even for short-term visits, Polish citizens must apply for an embassy visa.
This happens when you travel to countries that do not offer electronic visas or visas on arrival.
List of countries that require Polish citizens to present an Embassy visa upon arrival
- Abkhazia
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- Belarus
- Bhutan
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- The Central African Republic
- Chad
- China
- The Republic of Congo
- Cuba
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Ghana
- Guyana
- North Korea
- Liberia
- Libya
- Mali
- Mongolia
- The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
- Nauru
- Niger
- North Korea outside Pyongyang
- Sudan
- Syria
- Tokelau
- Turkmenistan
- United States Minor Outlying Islands
- Yemen
Only 31 countries and territories still require visitors from Poland to present a valid embassy visa upon arrival.
If you plan to visit any of the destinations listed above, you will need to apply for a traditional visa a few weeks before your planned departure date. To apply for an embassy visa, make sure to first review current visa requirements and gather the necessary documents.
Some countries require you to attach official documents to your application, which may even take several weeks to be issued. Once you have all the necessary documents, submit everything to the embassy and, if necessary, cover the costs.
Please note!
It may take some time for the visa to be issued to the embassy; Therefore, it is important that you begin preparing for the registration process at least several weeks before your planned trip.
Visa-free countries
Finally, let's move on to the better part, namely visa-free countries for Polish citizens.
Visa-free travel means you do not need to apply for a visa.
Additionally, Poland has free movement agreements with many countries, meaning that a valid ID is enough to cross the border. Other countries only require a valid passport.
List of visa-free countries for Polish citizens
- Albania
- Andorra
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Aruba
- Austria
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belgium
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Bolivia
- Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brest and Grodno
- The British Virgin Islands
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Cape Verde
- The Cayman Islands
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Curacao
- Cyprus
- The Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Dominica
- The Dominican Republic
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Eswatini
- The Faroe Islands
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- The Gambia
- Georgia
- Germany
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guernsey
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Indonesia
- Iraqi Kurdistan
- Ireland
- Isle of Man
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jersey
- Kazakhstan
- Kiribati
- The Kish Island
- Kosovo
- Kyrgyzstan
- Hong Kong
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macao
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mayotte
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- The Netherlands
- Nicaragua
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Palau
- Palestine
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- The Philippines
- Phu Quoc
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Reunion
- Romania
- Sabah and Sarawak
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- The Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- South Korea
- South Ossetia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Tonga
- Transnistria
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
- Tuvalu
- Ukraine
- The United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City
- Venezuela
More than 150 countries and territories allow Polish tourists to travel with only a valid passport or identification documents only (to certain destinations).
Check which documents you will need and travel visa-free to any of the countries listed above. Simply choose the destination you want to visit, get a valid passport or ID (depending on the country you choose) and go ahead and cross the border! Be sure to check whether the country you’re visiting requires you to confirm the purpose of your trip in any way.
You can enjoy all your leisure, leisure, work or transit travel without having to apply for a visa!
Enjoy a relaxing holiday, visit for business reasons or simply transit through one of the visa-free countries to another destination of your choice.
