Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Schengen visa?

A Schengen visa is an authorization issued by a Schengen State for:

• A transit through or an intended stay in the territory of the Schengen States of a duration of no more than 90 days in any 180 days period ("short stay visa"),
• A transit through the international transit areas of airports of the Schengen States ("airport transit visa").

Generally, the visa issued allows you to visit any of the Schengen States during the same trip, within the validity of the visa.

A Schengen visa is not appropriate if you wish to remain in the Schengen area for longer than 90 days, take up employment or establish a business, trade or profession.

What types of Schengen visas exist?

Short Term Schengen Visa

A Schengen visa is issued to third-country nationals who, in accordance with the European Parliament and European Council (EU) Regulation 2018/1806 of November 14, 2018, should have a visa when crossing the external borders. Click here

This visa is issued to applicants who are planning to stay in the territory of Poland or Schengen countries (one or multiple entries) not more than 90 days in any 180-day period, which are calculated from the date of entry into the territory of the Schengen countries, or to transit through the Schengen territory countries (by train, car, plane).

A visa can be issued for one, two or multiple entries. The validity of the visa cannot exceed five years.

When calculating the period of stay in the territory of the Schengen countries, the periods of stay on the basis of a residence permit or a long-term (national) visa are not taken into account.

Limited Territorial Validity Schengen Visas (LTV)

Limited territorial validity Schengen visas (LTV) are issued as an exception, only in certain cases. It gives the right to be on the territory of the state that issued the visa.

It may be valid in the territory of several Schengen countries if each party has agreed to it.

Airport Transit Schengen Visa of Type "A"

Airport transit Schengen visa of type "A" is issued to persons traveling by plane to third countries if the flight connection involves an intermediate landing in Poland. The “A” category airport transit visa gives the right to enter and stay only in the transit zone of an international airport (the visa does not give the right to enter the territory of the Schengen countries or exit the airport's transit zone).

(List of states whose citizens need to have airport visas, please check here and here)

Do I need to have a visa to enter the Schengen zone?

To find out if you are a citizen of a country that must have a visa to enter the Schengen area, check the following reference to the European Commission website.

I am a family member of an EU citizen. Are the standard requirements applicable to me?

If you are an EU citizen’s family member, you are entitled to a privileged visa application procedure. Your application will be processed as quickly as possible, free of charge and on the basis of a minimum document set. Visa application form is processed free of charge. Persons wishing to obtain a visa are accepted without prior appointment as soon as possible. Kindly read the following information here.

Where can I submit my visa application?

The visa application form is considered, and an appropriate decision is made in:

• A country of the Schengen Agreement, the territory of which is the main destination. In case the visit consists of more than one destination, it has to be a country where an applicant intends to spend more time, or a country of the main purpose of a trip (if it is impossible to clearly define the purpose of the trip, the duration of stay should be the main factor on the basis of which it is identified the country where a visa application form should be submitted for a decision).
• If it is impossible to determine the main destination, the applicant should contact the consulate of the Schengen country whose external borders he will cross first when entering the Schengen area.
• In the case of transit through only one airport, the visa application form should be considered by the country in which the airport is located.
• In the case of transit through several airports, the visa application form should be considered by the country in whose territory the first transit airport is located.

As a general rule, you must apply for a visa at the Consulate with territorial competence for the country in which you legally reside.

You can submit a visa application form to the Consulate Office of the Republic of Poland in the Republic of Belarus directly at the Consulate or at the Visa Application Center with prior appointment only. The applicant has the right to choose.

Do I need to schedule an appointment to submit a visa application form?

Visa application forms can be submitted either directly to the consular office of the country of destination or to an external service provider. Applicants who wish to obtain a visa at Polish consular offices in the Republic of Belarus are required to schedule an appointment in order to submit an application form. The form is submitted in person.

If you want to schedule an appointment to submit a visa application to a consular office, click on the link.

If you want to schedule an appointment to submit a visa application form to one of the visa centers, click on the link.

What are the functions of visa application centers serving the Consular offices of the Republic of Poland in the Republic of Belarus?

Visa application centers have the right to:

• Provide general information about visa requirements and visa application forms;
• Inform applicants about the required documents;
• Accept data and application forms (along with biometric data), and transfer the application forms to the consulate;
• Collect visa fees;
• Schedule an appointment to the visa application center with the aim of submitting a visa application form;
• Collect passports (including with refusal notification) from the consulate and return them to applicants.

Only the consulate has the right to:

• Analyze visa documentation;
• Interview applicants in case of any doubts;
• Make decisions on visa applications (regardless of whether they were submitted at the visa center or directly at the consulate);
• Print and paste visas into passports;
• Access to the visa information system (VIS *) also has only authorized consular staff.

Can I cross the Schengen border of one country while the visa was issued by another Schengen country?

As a general rule, you may cross any Schengen border with a visa issued by any Schengen country. However, the short-stay visa does not automatically entitle you to enter the Schengen area.

How long can I stay in the Schengen area on the basis of my visa?

The Schengen visa is a short-stay visa and takes the form of a sticker affixed to the travel document. The definition of “short stay” is a stay of "90 days in any 180 days period". This means that the total duration of stays is a maximum of 90 days in any period of 180 days.

The precise length of your visa validity is indicated on the visa sticker under the heading “Duration of visit”.

With a single-entry visa, you can enter the Schengen area only once. This is indicated on the visa sticker under the heading "Number of entries" by "01". A two-entry or a multiple-entry visa allows for two or several entries during the validity of the visa. This is indicated on the visa sticker by "02" or "MULT" under the heading "Number of entries".

How long does the visa procedure take?

The consulate makes a decision on a visa application within 15 calendar days from the date of its submission. In some cases, the processing time may be extended up to 30 days if your application needs further scrutiny or if the opinion of the Schengen country member who is represented by this institution is required. In exceptional cases, when it is necessary to submit additional documents, the period may be extended up to 60 calendar days.

For citizens of countries with which the EU has signed visa facilitation agreements (see https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen-borders-and-visa/visa-policy_en), the processing period of a visa application may not exceed 10 days.

How long before the start of the intended visit should I apply for a visa?

You may submit your visa application form not earlier than 6 months and not later than 15 calendar days before the start of the intended visit. In justified individual cases of urgency, the consulate or the central authorities may allow the lodging of applications later than 15 calendar days before the start of the intended visit.

My passport expires in two months. Can I apply for a visa?

As a rule, you cannot. There is a requirement that the expiration date of your passport is 3 months after your return from the Schengen area. However, in justified cases of emergency, the Consulate may deviate from this rule.

I have a valid long-stay visa/residence permit for a country that is part of the Schengen area. Do I need another visa to travel to other Schengen States?

No. A long-stay visa or a residence permit issued by a Schengen State allows you to travel or stay in other Schengen States for the maximum duration of a “short stay” (a stay of "90 days in any 180 days period").

Do I have to present any other documents at the Schengen external borders apart from my travel document with the Schengen visa?

The short-stay visa does not automatically entitle you to enter the Schengen area. At the border (or during other controls), you may have to show the visa but also provide additional documentation, for example, information showing that you have sufficient means to cover the stay and the return from the trip. It is recommended to carry with you copies of the documents which you presented when applying for the visa (e.g., letters of invitation, travel confirmations, other documents stating the purpose of your stay).

I have two connecting flights, including a Schengen state airport. Do I have to apply for an airport transit visa or a short stay visa?

It is important to distinguish between two situations:

• Transit through the international transit area of an airport of a Schengen State (in case you do not leave the international transit area of the airport).
• Transit through the territory of a Schengen State despite the limitations in the airport (in case you leave the international transit area of the airport).

An airport transit visa (ATV) authorizes you to pass through the international transit zone at an airport of a Schengen State and to await there a connecting flight to a non-Schengen country. The ATV does not allow you to leave the international transit zone and to enter the Schengen territory (to stay at a hotel or to take an onward flight to another Schengen State, for example). Choose this type of visa if you plan only to transit through the international zone of an airport located in the Schengen zone and are traveling on the passport of one of the following countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka.

Traveling to a Schengen State through another Schengen State airport is not considered an airport transit, neither is traveling to a non-Schengen country through a Schengen State airport. All flights between two or more Schengen States are considered to be «domestic» flights. Depending on your nationality, you might need a short stay visa for entering the Schengen area – even if the stay lasts only a few hours and you remain in the airport (outside the international transit zone).

My visa has been refused. What can I do?

In case of a negative decision on your visa application, you receive a standard notification form handed out by the Member State’s consulate that refused the visa. The notification of the refusal must include the reasons for the refusal.

You are free to apply again for a Schengen visa if your application has been refused earlier. However, it is recommended to take note of the reasons for the earlier refusal before submitting a new application and make amendments where necessary.

The consular and service fees are not refunded if the visa is refused. The consular and service fees cover the cost of the examination of the visa application.

What is the appealing procedure in case of refusal in issuing a visa, suspension/deferment/cancellation of the visa?

Refusals to issue a Schengen or national visa, as well as suspension or cancellation of a Schengen or national visa, are given to an applicant in a standard form indicating the reasons for refusal, suspension or cancellation of a Schengen or national visa.

A person who is refused a Schengen or national visa, has had their visa suspended or canceled, and who disagrees with the consul’s decision, has the right to appeal. A written complaint together with a request for a retrial should be filed at the Consular Section of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland at the address: 91A Kropotkin str., Minsk, as per the Consulate’s working hours, within 14 days from the date of decision receipt.

An applicant (or their authorized representative) should sign and write the date of receipt of the negative decision (decision to suspend or cancel a visa). Consular fee for the application being processed for the second time is 90 Euro for Schengen Visa and 135 Euro for National Visa to Poland. The application is processed by the consul within 7 days.

The decision to suspend a visa, taken on the basis of the application of its owner, is not subjected to appeal.

To appeal a Schengen visa refusal, suspension, or cancellation, as well as actions of the consul in such cases, it is possible only if the citizen was denied a visa (his visa has been decided to suspend or cancel), or in case he applied to review his application once again, but the consul after processing the application has made the same decision again and the foreign citizen does not agree with it.

A foreign citizen may send a complaint to the consul to the administrative court within 30 days from the date of delivery of the decision taken after his application was processed for the second time. The body entitled to consider the repeated negative decision issued by the consul is the Regional Administrative Court in Warsaw. Lodging a complaint is free of charge.

Legal grounds:

• The Act of December 12, 2013 “On Foreign Citizens” (“Journal of Law”, 2018, art. 2094)
• The Act of August 30, 2002 "Code of Administrative Procedures" ("Journal of Law" 2002 No. 153, art. 1270 as amended)
• Regulation of the European Parliament and the European Council (WE) No. 810/2009 of July 13, 2009, approving the EU Visa Code (Visa Code) with Annex No. VI (EU Legislative Bulletin L, 2009, No. 243)

Sample Forms:

• Annex No. VI to the European Parliament and Council (WE) Decree No. 810/2009 of July 13, 2009, approving the EU Visa Code (Visa Code) (“Journal of Law of the EU. L” 2009, No. 243) - sample form of refusal, suspension, cancellation of a Schengen visa;
• Appendix No. 3 to the Decree of the Minister of MIA of February 6, 2018 “On Visas for Foreign Citizens” (“Journal of Law” 2018, Art. 343) is a sample of the form of refusal to issue a national visa;
• The decree of the Minister of MIA “On the cancellation and suspension of visas for foreign citizens” dated April 28, 2014 (“Journal of Law” 2014, Art. 560) is a sample of the suspension form / cancellation of a national visa.

Is there a separate category of citizens for whom consulates are required to give additional information before making a decision?

The list of states (and certain categories of foreign citizens) for which citizens additional consultations are necessary you can find here.

Does a visa guarantee entry to the destination country?

Having a visa does not guarantee entry into the country of destination. When crossing the border, the visa holder will be asked to show proof of compliance with the conditions of entry.

Where can I receive more information?

For any queries related to the process of appointment booking and submission of documents for a visa, you can contact us at the following phone numbers: +375 17 388 13 37, +375 17 388 02 46, or contact us by e-mail (more info see here) or receive a personal consultation at any of the Visa Application Centers. In each of the Visa Application Centers, you can use the info-kiosk service free of charge: a computer with Internet access.