Poland Tourist Visa for Indians

Officially known as the Republic of Poland, Poland is considered as one of the most developed countries in Central Europe. A part of the Schengen Area, the country is famous for its diverse landscape, magnificent castles, gorgeous cities, and of course, Pope John Paul II. As holders of the Indian passport, you need to obtain a Poland Tourist Visa in order to visit the country.

Depending on your purpose of visit, you can choose between a short stay visa (single, double, and multiple entry), airport transit visa, and a long-term visa (1 year, 3 years, and 5 years).

In this post, I would mainly discuss the process and requirements for applying and obtaining single and multiple Poland Visa for Indians.

As an Indian, all of us require the above-mentioned visa to visit the country for tourism purposes or to visit friends and family in Poland.

Is the Poland Tourist Visa and Schengen Tourist Visa the same?

Well, yes. The Poland Schengen Visa and Tourist Visa are the same visas. It all depends on what you like to call it. Nonetheless, this is the visa you'll need if you plan to visit Poland for tourism purposes.

After reading through this guide, you'll be able to easily apply for your next Poland Tourist Visa.

Here's what I'll cover in the post:

• General Information About Poland Schengen Visa
• What Are The Required Documents For Poland Schengen Visa?
• How To Apply For Poland Schengen Visa?
• How To Get Poland Schengen Visa Without Effort?

Before jumping into the visa application and its requirements, let us address some of the most popular queries most travelers traveling to Poland tend to enquire for before applying for a Poland Schengen Visa.

• What Is The Poland Schengen Visa?
• Do I Need A Poland Schengen Visa?
• How Long Can I Stay In Poland With A Schengen Visa?
• Where Can I Apply For The Poland Schengen Visa?
• What Is The Poland Schengen Visa Processing Time?
• When Must I Apply For My Poland Schengen Visa?
• How Much Is The Poland Visa Fees For Indians?
• What Are The Minimum Financial Requirements To Visit Poland?
• Can I Travel To Other Schengen Countries With The Poland Schengen Visa?

If you already have a general understanding of the Poland Schengen Visa, feel free to skip to the required documents or the visa application process.

What Is The Poland Schengen Visa?

The Poland Schengen Visa, also known as the Tourist Visa, allows you to enter Poland for tourism purposes. Such purposes include vacation, site seeing, leisure, and so on.

Short business trips are also allowed under the Poland Schengen Visa. However, you can't work in the country. Acceptable business purposes include attending meetings, functions, meeting clients, etc.

If your trip to Poland does not include tourism or business, you need to apply for another type of visa.

Quick note: Some travelers refer to the Poland Schengen Visa as the Poland Tourist Visa and short-stay visa. These terms refer to a visa that allows you to enter the country (the only difference being the name). In this post, I'll use both these terms.

Do I Need A Poland Schengen Visa?

Yes. As a citizen of the Indian subcontinent, all of us require to obtain a Tourist Visa before entering Poland.

How Long Can I Stay In Poland With A Schengen Visa?

The single-entry Schengen Visa allows you to visit Poland for a maximum of 90 days within every 180-day period. To calculate your stay in Schengen, you can use the Schengen Visa Calculator . Please note that you are not allowed to take up residence or work on a Schengen visa.

In some cases, you may only stay in Poland for the duration you specified in your visa application form. Therefore, always check the validity period on your visa sticker before traveling.

Remember:

Overstaying your welcome in Poland can lead to heavy fines, jail time, and even a ban.

Where Can I Apply For Poland Schengen Visa?

You can book an appointment at the closest VFS Application Center by registering online with VFS.

I have explained more on this below so you can directly jump to the section of How To Apply For The Poland Schengen Visa?

What Is The Poland Schengen Visa Processing Time?

Please note as per the instructions received from Embassy minimum processing time is 14 Calendar days (It may further get delayed depending on the case). In some exceptional cases the processing time can be prolonged up to 30 days.

Kindly note if an application is submitted in the Satellite center, it may take up to 48-72 hours in transit to New Delhi. All the applications received from Satellite centers will be sent to the Embassy on the next working day.

Processing time will start including the date of submission of application at VFS.

When Must I Apply For My Poland Schengen Visa?

At the latest, you can start your visa application 15 days before your planned trip. Sometimes it can take up to 60 days in case it is necessary to make a more detailed exam of the application.

The earliest you can apply is 3 months before your trip. I recommend starting your application as soon as you can so you have enough time should something unexpected happen (like a longer visa processing time).

How Much Is The Poland Visa Fees for Indians?

You can expect to pay the following fees for your Iceland Schengen Visa:

• For adults: INR 6700 | EUR 80
• For children 6 - 11 years: INR 3400 | EUR 40
• For children under 6 years: Free

Note: An important thing to know here is that holders of diplomatic and service passports as well as students and researchers traveling for research or educational training do not need to pay for the visa fee (to be evaluated case per case). The same also applies to representatives of non-profit organizations, aged 25 years or less participating in seminars, conferences, sports, cultural or educational events by non-profit organizations.

What Are The Minimum Financial Requirements To Visit Iceland?

You'll find that all Schengen Member States have their own minimum financial requirements when visiting. This requirement has been implemented to ensure that visitors have the financial means to support themselves during their stay.

According to the information provided by the European Commission, under the Regulation of the Minister for Internal Affairs and Administration of 22 December 2008 a foreign national seeking to enter the territory of the Republic of Poland needs to attest owning the following amount of the means of subsistence, while applying for a Poland Visa to the Poland Embassy or Consulate:

For stays up to 3 Days - The overall amount is 300 PLN or 67.76€ For stays exceeding 3 Days - The daily amount is 100 PLN or 22.59€

If the accommodation costs are covered by a third party or prior to travel, the daily amount reduces to 20 PLN or 4.52€

Remember, this is only the minimum amount. Your visa application will look much more compelling if you prove you have more finances. Anything within the ballpark of INR 8 to 10 lacs should solidify your application even further.

Can I Travel To Other Schengen Countries With Poland Schengen Visa?

You're allowed to travel to any Schengen States with your Poland Schengen Visa. Nonetheless, you need to clearly state that you plan to travel to other countries in your application.

You can visit the following Schengen Member States with your Poland Tourist Visa: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Now that you have a general understanding of the Poland Schengen Visa, we can look at its requirements and application process.

One of the first things you would need to do before you begin the application process is to ensure that you have all the necessary documents ready to be presented at the visa center. The VFS Poland Visa Application Center provides a Document checklist for Schengen Tourist Visa

Here are the documents you'll need to submit at the Embassy:

• A duly completed Poland Visa Application form to be filled online, downloaded, filled, printed and signed. Note that handwritten forms are not acceptable.
• One passport photo of yourself. It must meet the requirements set out by Poland.
• A valid passport or travel document with at least two blank pages. It must be valid for 3 months after the end of your trip and be issued no later than 10 years ago.
• Schengen Travel Insurance/Medical Insurance that provides a minimum coverage of EUR 30,000 and is valid for the entire duration of travel. The insurance must cover the entire Schengen area and not just Poland. Also, the Travel insurance must cover all COVID-19 related health emergencies.
• Proof of accommodation. This can be private accommodation, a rental agreement, hotel reservations, etc. but it has to cover the duration of the whole stay and all the Schengen countries you plan to visit other than Poland. If you have booked a packaged tour, attach a detailed travel itinerary.
• Proof of financial funds. This includes a cover letter as well as bank statement of the last 3 months, stamped and signed by your bank manager, copy of income Tax Department Return + ITR V acknowledgment of the previous financial year, and a signed and stamped leave permission from your employer.
• Proof of employment/studies on official letterhead, stamped and dated; containing contact information (address, email, telephone number) as well as name, position and signature of the countersigning officer. The letter must state the name and position of the applicant, salary, years of employment/studies and approval of absence/position after leave. For unemployment: unemployment certificate and proof of income, if any (married: employment certificate of spouse, document of the income of the spouse and a marriage certificate).
• A return flight ticket that proves you plan to return to your home country.
• A cover letter explaining the purpose of your trip, what you plan to do, and when you'll return home. Basically, it just proves the purpose of your trip.
• Your employment status.

Document Requirements Depending On Employment Status

• If you are self-employed, you need to present a copy of your business license in India, company income tax returns for the past two years, and a copy of the company’s bank statement for the past 3 months, signed and stamped by the bank manager.
• If you own a business in India, you need to present the certificate of registration of the company (Form B, rule 5(1) or Form ST3, rule 11)
• If you are a student, you have to present a copy of the enrolment paper that serves as a proof that the applicant has planned to study in that school/university and a copy of No Objection Certificate from the respective school or university.
• If you are salaried, proof of employment/studies on official letterhead, stamped and dated; containing contact information (address, email, telephone number) as well as name, position and signature of the countersigning officer. The letter must state the name and position of the applicant, salary, years of employment/studies and approval of absence/position after leave.
• If unemployed, unemployment certificate and proof of income, if any (married: employment certificate of spouse, document of the income of the spouse and a marriage certificate).

What Are The COVID-19 Required Documents?

Covid requirements and protocols can change without notice. For this reason, I can't specify the exact documents you require as they might have already changed.

One thing I can include is that you must have fully recovered from COVID-19 in the past 6 months or be fully vaccinated against the virus. Keep in mind that only approved vaccinations will allow entry into Iceland.

You won't be able to visit Poland with only a negative COVID-19 test result.

You now know the documents you need to submit for a successful Schengen Visa application. Next, I'll walk you through the steps you need to take when you start your application.

• Step 1 - Collect The Required Documents
• Step 2 - Fill In Your Schengen Visa Application Form
• Step 3 - Find Where You Need To Apply At
• Step 4 - Schedule Your Visa Appointment
• Step 5 - Attend Your Visa Appointment
• Step 6 - Receive Feedback From The Embassy

Step 1 - Collect The Required Documents

Start collecting the required documents first.

Why?

It's the most time-consuming part of the process. Doing this first will allow you to leave enough time for unexpected delays, such as collecting an incorrect document, finding accommodation, and so on.

When gathering all your required documents, make a list of what you need to get. It's the easiest way to keep track of the documents you've collected.

Step 2 - Fill In Your Schengen Visa Application Form

Ok, so you've got all the required documents.

Now, fill the Poland Tourist Visa Application Form.

Remember, all the information you provide must be correct and accurate.

The form is self-explanatory, but ensure that you fill in all the details carefully. Once done, download, print and sign the form.

Quick tip: Keep your passport close when filling out your visa application form. Always refer to your passport when entering your personal details.

Did you know:

Most visa applications get denied due to incorrect information on a visa application form. Here's a guide highlighting the mistakes you should avoid when applying for your Schengen Visa.

Step 3 - Find Where You Need To Apply At

As I mentioned, not all countries have a local Poland representative. Therefore, you should always check where you need to apply before submitting your application.

Step 4 - Schedule Your Visa Appointment

After you've determined where you need to apply, you must schedule a visa appointment .

Be mindful that you might not find an appointment time suitable to your needs. As a result, you may have to keep your schedule open for the next few weeks, or at least until you find an appointment. This is another reason why you should start your visa application procedure at the earliest so as to receive your visa in time for your travel.

Step 5 - Attend Your Visa Appointment

On the day of your appointment, visit the visa application center at the scheduled time. Arrive at least half an hour early in case there is a rush at the center and make sure you carry all the documents with you.

Once the visa officer checks your document, they might interview you for a short while but there is nothing to be nervous about. Answer each question truthfully and it should be okay.

Quick tip: You can use your required documents to support your answers. For example, should they ask where you plan to stay in Poland, you can present your proof of accommodation.

After attending your interview and submitting your documents, you'll be requested to submit your biometric information.

What's that?

It's just your fingerprints and a digital photo of yourself. This is not required if you've been to the Schengen Area in the last 59 months for some countries, but it will always best to check with the application center in advance.

Step 6 - Receive Feedback From The Embassy

After completing steps 1 - 5, you're basically done. The only thing left is to wait for your visa to be processed. As mentioned, this can take between 15 - 30 days.

After it's processed, you'll receive feedback from the visa application center via email, a call, SMS, or your preferred contact method. You can Track Your Application here.

If your visa is approved, you can travel back to the visa application center to collect your passport. Attached inside, you'll find your brand new Poland Schengen Visa.

Now, if you are someone who values your time and energy, we've got some great news for you! You don't need to read through this entire guide on getting the Poland Schengen Visa. Instead, all you need to do is download Atlys and use it to complete your application for you.

With Atlys, you can immediately start your next Poland Tourist Visa application. A benefit of Atlys is that you don't need to stress about the visa application process and everything it entails. All you need to do is select a destination, travel date, and enter your relevant details. Afterward, Atlys will do all the tedious paperwork for you. With Atlys, you can receive your next Tourist Visa in no time!

Now you know how to apply for your Poland Tourist Visa!

Ensure that you follow my exact steps, and you'll have your visa in no time. The final step is to make some unforgettable memories in Poland!

Enjoy.