04 June 2026
Launching Verified Applicant Waiting List for Poland Visa Appointments from 8 June 2026
We are pleased to announce the launch of a Verified Applicant Waiting List for booking visa application appointments at the Poland Visa Application Centres.
Starting from 8 June, applicants who complete all required steps in the system will be added to a waiting list (queue) for appointment booking.
What remains unchanged?
The following steps of the process will remain exactly the same:
- Account creation and activation
- Selection of VAC, visa category and sub-category
- Passport photo upload and auto filling of applicant details
- Liveness (facial) verification process
Applicants must still complete all verification steps accurately to be eligible.
How the waiting list works
Once you successfully complete all required stages:
- Your application will be placed in the Verified Applicant Waiting List
- You will receive a confirmation email with your registration number
- When appointment slots become available, you will be notified via email
Booking window
Upon receiving a notification about available appointment slots:
- You will have *48 hours *to book your appointment (to select date and time)
- If no booking is made within this timeframe, your application will be removed from the waiting list
Important note
If your need for an appointment changes during the waiting period, you may cancel your request at any time through your VFS account.
16 May 2026
Email Domain Restrictions
To further strengthen the security and integrity of the appointment booking system, restrictions have been introduced on the email domains that may be used to create new accounts.
This measure is aimed at reducing automated activity, unauthorized access, and bot-driven registrations.
Accounts created with email addresses that do not meet the approved domain requirements may be removed from the system. Accounts with active confirmed appointments will remain valid until the scheduled appointment date. After the appointment date, such accounts may also be removed.
Applicants are kindly requested to use an eligible email address when creating a new account.
08 May 2026
New category in the Minsk consular district for registration of secondary school students.
Please be informed about the introduction of a new registration category in visa centers in Minsk, Gomel, Mogilev, and Vitebsk:
“National visas for secondary school students” (D- uczniowie szkół średnich).
Please note that this category applies exclusively to full-time secondary school students (including lyceums and technical schools) traveling to the Republic of Poland for education in secondary schools.
First-year full-time university students and preparatory course students (“zerówka”) may submit applications at visa centers in Minsk, Gomel, Mogilev, and Vitebsk without prior appointment.
Applications are accepted within established daily limits.
04 May 2026
Launch of the Mobile Application for Appointment Booking
We are pleased to inform you that as of May 2026, the Poland Visa Application Centres have launched a mobile application for booking of appointments.
The appointment booking process via the mobile application fully corresponds to the process available on the official VFS website.
In addition, the mobile application offers enhanced functionality for entering passport data.
Applicant details may be completed by scanning data from a passport photograph, as well as through direct reading of data from the chip of biometric passports using NFC technology on compatible mobile devices.
The mobile application is available for download from the App Store and Google Play for devices running iOS and Android, and is offered in three language versions.
Visa Application Centres assume no responsibility for the use of intermediaries, unofficial mobile applications or third‑party websites and strongly advise all applicants to use only the official VFS website and / or application.
01 May 2026
Information on the acceptance of visa documents from applicants aged 60 and over traveling to the Republic of Poland based on an invitation from citizens of the Republic of Poland (close relatives)
Applicants aged 60 and over invited to the Republic of Poland on the basis of an invitation registered with the Voivodeship Office by their children or grandchildren and spouses of their children or grandchildren citizens of the Republic of Poland, will be scheduled for an appointment based on requests sent by email.
To schedule an appointment for submitting visa documents, applicants must send a request for an appointment without prior registration to the email address of the Consular Section in Minsk: miń[email protected].
The subject line of the email must read: UW invitation 60+.
The email must include an attachment with a copy of the invitation registered with the Voivodeship Office, as well as the applicant’s full passport details, including a contact phone number.
Based on the email request, the applicant will be assigned a date and time for a visit to one of the visa application centers in Minsk, Gomel, Mogilev, or Vitebsk, depending on the applicant’s place of residence.
Attention!
Requests that do not contain the above-mentioned documents and information will not be considered.
If the applicant fails to appear at the time scheduled by the Consular Section to submit visa application, it will not be possible to assign another date.
15 April 2026
Important Notice: Beware of Intermediaries and Fraud
Dear applicants,
We kindly encourage you to remain vigilant and protect yourself against fraudulent activities connected with visa appointment bookings.
VFS Global is the sole officially authorized partner of the Diplomatic Mission of the Republic of Poland in the Republic of Belarus for visa application outsourcing.
Any individuals, agencies, or online groups claiming to arrange faster or guaranteed appointments for Polish visas in exchange for payment are not associated with VFS Global or the Polish diplomatic mission.
VFS Global does not appoint intermediaries or representatives to book visa appointments for Poland. Applicants are strongly advised not to use third party services, as doing so may expose them to risks including financial loss, incorrect information, delayed processing, or refusal of a visa.
All appointments for Poland visa applications must be booked through the official online registration system.
As of 1 April, a simplified Facial Verification process has been introduced to make registration and booking more secure and convenient for applicants.
To book an appointment, applicants are required to:
- Create and access your personal account via the official registration system
- Select the preferred Visa Application Centre and visa category
- Upload a passport image according to the provided guidelines
- Complete a live selfie verification
- Choose an available date and time and confirm the appointment
Appointments are free of charge and available exclusively through official channels.
Stay Safe When Applying for a Poland Visa
VFS Global never requests payments or personal data via social media, messengers, or unofficial websites.
Appointment availability is not influenced by payments, intermediaries, or “assistance services”.
Always ensure you are using the official VFS Global booking system.
Applicants submitting applications for Polish visas are advised to use only official VFS Global Visa Application Centers.
12 March 2026
GRODNO CONSULAR JURISDICTION
Slots for registration for submitting visa applications in the visa centers in Grodno and Lida will be allocated on Wednesdays, according to the times indicated below.
- Slots for Schengen visas (Other C- visa) will be allocated at 10:00
- Slots for Other purposes of National visas (Other D-visa) and National visas based on the Karta Polaka (D – Karta Polaka) will be allocated at 12:00
- Slots for National work visas (Work D-visa), Work visas for drivers (Driver D-visa), and National D – Enterprises visas (Enterprises D visa) will be allocated at 14:00
Please note the specific features of registration for certain visa categories for the Grodno consular district:
- The category “National visas for drivers” (Driver D Visa) only for drivers of cargo vehicles in international transport (including truck and tractor trailer drivers with Code 95, a driver qualification card, and a CE driving license, traveling to the Republic of Poland for the purpose of working for a Polish employer.
- The category “National work visas” (Work D Visa) is only for traveling to the Republic of Poland for work, except drivers of cargo vehicles in international transport traveling to Poland to work for a Polish employer (in the latter case, please choose the category “Work visas for drivers”).
- The category “Other purposes of national visas” (Other D visa) is for traveling to the Republic of Poland for studies, visiting relatives or friends on invitations, for holders of Karta Polaka and for other purposes involving a stay in Poland for more than 91 days within half a year, except for persons traveling to Poland for work, as well as drivers traveling to Poland to work for a Polish employer (in these cases, please select the categories “National work visas” or “Work visas for drivers” accordingly).
- Holders of the Karta Polaka may choose either the category National visas based on the Karta Polaka (D–Karta Polaka) or Other purposes of national visas (Other D visa).
- The category National visa D – Enterprises (Enterprises D visa) is for persons traveling to Poland to work for a Polish employer included in the list of enterprises conducting economic activity in Poland that is of significant importance to the national economy.
When submitting documents, the principle of consular jurisdiction according to the place of residence applies.
12 March 2026
BREST CONSULAR JURISDICTION
Slots for submitting visa applications in the visa centers in Brest, Pinsk, and Baranovichi will be opened on Thursdays every two weeks from 12 March 2026, according to the times indicated below:
- Slots for Schengen visas (Other C Visa) will be allocated at 10:00.
- Slots for Other purposes of national visas (Other D visa) will be allocated at 12:00
- Slots for National Work Visas (Work D visa), National visas for drivers (Driver D visa), and National visa D – Enterprises (Enterprises D visa) will be allocated at 14:00.
Please note the specific features of registration for certain visa categories for the Brest consular district:
- The category “National visas for drivers” (Driver D Visa) is for drivers traveling to the Republic of Poland for the purpose of working for a Polish employer.
- The category “National work visas” (Work D Visa) is for persons traveling to the Republic of Poland for the purpose of employment.
- The category “Other purposes of national visas” (Other D visa) is for persons traveling to the Republic of Poland for studies, visiting close relatives on invitations, holders of the Karta Polaka, and other purposes involving a stay in Poland for more than 91 days within half a year, except for persons traveling to Poland for work, as well as drivers traveling to Poland for work for a Polish employer (in these cases, please select the categories “National work visas” or “Work visas for drivers” accordingly).
When submitting documents, the principle of consular jurisdiction according to the place of residence applies.
12 March 2026
MINSK CONSULAR JURISDICTION
Slots for submitting visa applications in the visa centers in Minsk, Gomel, Mogilev and Vitebsk will be allocated on Tuesdays every two weeks, starting from 10 March 2026, according to the times indicated below:
- Slots for Schengen visas (Other C Visa) will be allocated at 10:00
- Slots for National visas for students (Student D visa) will be allocated at 11:00
- Slots for National visas for drivers (Driver D visa) and National work visas (Work D visa) will be allocated at 12:00
- Slots for Other purposes of national visas (Other D visa) will be allocated at 14:00
Please note the specific features of registration for certain visa categories for the Minsk consular district:
- The category “National visas for drivers” (Driver D Visa) is only for drivers of cargo vehicles in international transport traveling to the Republic of Poland for the purpose of working for a Polish employer.
- The category “National work visas” (Work D Visa) is designated for persons traveling to the Republic of Poland for work, except for drivers of cargo vehicles in international transport traveling to Poland to work for a Polish employer (in the latter case, please choose the category “National visas – Drivers”).
- The category “Other purposes of National visas” (Other D visa) is intended for persons traveling to Poland for studies, visiting relatives or friends on invitations, holders of the Karta Polaka, and other purposes involving a stay in the Republic of Poland for more than 91 days within half a year, except for persons traveling to Poland for work, as well as drivers traveling to Poland to work for a Polish employer (in these cases, please select the categories “National work visas” or “National visas – Drivers” accordingly).
Only full time students traveling to the Republic of Poland to study at higher education institutions may register under the category “National visas for students”.
When submitting documents, the principle of consular jurisdiction according to the place of residence applies.
12 March 2026
CATEGORIES OF APPLICANTS ELIGIBLE TO SUBMIT VISA APPLICATIONS IN VISA CENTERS WITHOUT PRIOR APPOINTMENT
Visa centers in Minsk, Gomel, Mogilev, and Vitebsk:
- Applicants aged 60 years and above, invited by their children or grandchildren and their spouses, provided the invitation is registered in the Voivodeship Office and the inviting party is a resident of the Republic of Poland;
- Holders of the Karta Polaka aged 60 years and above;
- first-year full-time students traveling to the Republic of Poland to study at higher education institutions and preparatory course students (so-called “zerówka”).
Applicants under the D – Enterprises category.
“National visa D – Enterprises” is for applicants invited to work by entities from the register of entrepreneurs conducting economic activity of significant importance to the national economy of the Republic of Poland.
The current list of enterprises is published here:
12 March 2026
Visa centers in Brest, Pinsk, and Baranovichi:
- Applicants aged 55 years and above, invited by parents, children, or grandchildren, provided the invitation is registered in the Voivodeship Office and the inviting party is a citizen of the Republic of Poland;
- Applicants aged 60 years and above, invited by children, parents, or grandchildren, provided the invitation is registered in the Voivodeship Office and the inviting person has a residence permit in the Republic of Poland;
- Holders of the Pole’s Card aged 50 years and above;
- Full time students of higher education institutions and participants of preparatory courses (the so called “zerówka”).
12 March 2026
Visa centers in Grodno and Lida:
- Applicants aged 55 years and above, invited by spouses, children, or grandchildren, provided the invitation is registered in the Voivodeship Office and the inviting party has citizenship or residence permit of the Republic of Poland;
- Applicants aged 60 years and above, invited by the spouses of their children or grandchildren, if these spouses are citizens of the Republic of Poland, provided the invitation is registered in the Voivodeship Office;
- Holders of Karta Polaka aged 50 years and above;
- Full time students of higher education institutions and participants of preparatory courses (“zerówka”)..
When planning to submit a visa application, the territorial jurisdiction of the relevant Consulate of the Republic of Poland must be taken into account.
Applications are accepted within established daily limits.
Before submitting documents, applicants may receive consultation by calling the call center at +375 17 388 13 37, via the information email, or by contacting the staff of the Visa Center. All consultations are provided free of charge.
24 October 2025
Border Management System (EES)
Starting from 12 October 2025, the 29 European countries using the EES will progressively roll out the system at their external borders over a period of six months. During this period, travellers’ data may not be collected at every border crossing point right away. Once the progressive rollout is complete, the EES will be fully operational at all external border crossing points.
The Entry/Exit System (EES) is Europe’s new border management system for registering non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay, each time they cross the external borders of 29 European countries.
For more information please refer to the page at: https://www.gov.pl/web/bialorus/system-wjazduwyjazdu-ees
3 September 2025
Important Information Regarding Appointment Bookings
There has been a noticeable increase in interest in booking appointments at the Polish Visa Application Center (VAC) using automated tools. To avoid potential errors, please review the following information:
- Incorrect Data: If false or fraudulent data is detected during account registration or the appointment booking process, VAC reserves the right to cancel the appointment.
- Verification Process: Appointment booking data is regularly verified by VAC. This may occur:
- immediately after booking the appointment,
- at any time between registration and the scheduled appointment,
- on the day of the VAC appointment.
- Responsibility of the Applicant: It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all data entered during registration is accurate and verifiable. Reservations made using false data, information from intermediaries, or through bots will be canceled.
- Registering a personal account using your passport number: Please note that only one personal account per unique passport number can be registered. If the account is registered by a third party on behalf of the applicant, the applicant will no longer be able to book an appointment independently.
VAC strongly discourages collaborating with or using the services of unauthorized third parties. Such activities should be avoided. VAC is not responsible for the information or services provided by such entities.
Our systems actively monitor suspicious booking activity and take the necessary steps to maintain a fair and transparent booking process for all applicants.
30 June 2025
Changes concerning Student Visas (for commencing of studies)
We kindly inform you that as of July 1, 2025, changes concerning the issuance of student visas will come into effect.
Graduates of Belarusian schools, in order to apply for a student visa to commence studies, will be required from July 1, 2025, to obtain from the National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) a so-called “written statement” confirming that the secondary school certificate they hold entitles the person named in the document to undertake studies in Poland.
The information from NAWA must be submitted along with the student visa application and other required documents by foreign nationals accepted to the first year of undergraduate studies or the first year of long-cycle Master's programs.
Failure to provide this document will result in refusal to issue a student visa.
Foreign nationals who have already obtained an administrative decision from the Education Superintendent recognizing their secondary school certificate may present this decision instead of the written statement.
All information regarding diploma recognition can be found on the website of the National Agency for Academic Exchange:
https://nawa.gov.pl/uznawalnosc/wydawanie-informacji-o-zagranicznych-dyplomach or via email: [email protected]
Additionally, a foreign national applying for a student visa must present a language proficiency certificate for the language of instruction at the level required by the university.
If the visa application does not include all documents necessary to verify the data contained in the application and the circumstances justifying the request for this visa, the applicant has the right to supplement them within 7 days from the date of submission.
The application for the above-mentioned visa may be processed within up to 30 days.
12 June 2025
Information from the Consulate General of Poland in Brest (holders of Karta Polaka 55+)
The Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Brest informs that from 16 June 2025 holders of the Pole's Card aged 55 and older, residing in Brest consular district, can apply for a national visa directly at the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Brest. Document submission will be possible only after scheduling an appointment by writing at [email protected] or by traditional mail sent to the institution's address: 34 Kuybysheva Street, 224016 Brest.
The method is not intended for applying for Schengen visas or national visas for other purposes. Any information on this matter can be obtained by phone at +375 162 27 00 49 (visa information) or by email at [email protected].
Please do not call other official phone numbers or write to other official mailboxes regarding visa matters. Visa correspondence sent to email addresses for legal matters or to the Pole's Card mailbox will not be considered.
13 December 2024
Dear Clients,
we would like to draw your attention to the fact that all personal and contact details provided in the process of appointment booking must be entered absolutely correctly. If inaccuracies or mistakes in the registration are detected during the check at the Visa Application Centre, your documents will not be accepted.
The use of one telephone number and e-mail address for several adult applicants is allowed only in cases of group registration (spouses). In case of individual booking for adult applicant it is necessary to provide contact details of the person whose documents will be submitted. In the case of booking for minors by their parents, the contact telephone number of the parent carrying out the booking must be provided.
There is no possibility to change the data provided by the applicant.
In case of verification of the appointment by call to the contact phone number provided during the appointment booking process, the appointment is considered confirmed only after a positive result of the verification. In order to confirm the appointment, it is necessary to confirm the numeric code sent to the applicant's e-mail address during the call of the Visa Application Centre specialist.
An appointment will be cancelled if:
a) the contact telephone number is not correct
b) 3 unsuccessful attempts to contact the applicant have been taken
c) during the call the applicant does not confirm the numeric code sent to the applicant's e-mail address
d) other inaccuracies were detected
Important to remember:
- The contact phone number must be valid. The telephone number must be provided in the format: country code (e.g. 375) and a nine-digit number with the operator code.
- The Visa Application Centre verifies all the data provided by the applicant. The registration letter contains only a part of the data entered by the applicant; all the specified data can be checked in the user account details.
- Verification phone calls are made from 8:00 to 17:00 on working days.
30 June 2024
Specifics of the appointment booking process
Dear Clients,
Please be informed that due to the huge demand, seats in the appointment reservation system can be simultaneously booked by other users and become unavailable quickly after release.
If the seats are not available for booking for the selected VAC and visa category, a corresponding notification will appear on the booking page, and the "Continue" button will be deactivated. In this case, please start the booking process again later.
If, after the start of the booking process (e.g. when entering data or during the identity verification process), all available seats are reserved by other applicants, the user will lose the ability to choose the day and time of the visit, and the "Continue" button will be deactivated. In such cases, we also ask you to restart the booking process after the next slots release
21 June 2024
Peculiarities of applying by jurisdiction in VACs in Grodno region
Citizens of the Republic of Belarus may submit documents at the Polish Visa Centers in Grodno and Lida according to the permanent registration at the place of residence (permanent registration / stamp in passport). Temporary short-term registration at the place of residence is not a basis for submission of documents under a jurisdiction other than permanent registration at the place of residence, except in cases when applicant can confirm that he/she is really studying, working, has other grounds for long-term residence (the confirmation is the original documents).
This way citizens of the Republic of Belarus will be able to submit documents only in those Visa Application Centers of Poland that correspond to the jurisdiction of their permanent registration at the place of residence.
4 April 2024
Changes in the Appointment booking system
Facial verification steps were introduced into the Appointment booking journey. Please have your original passport in hand during booking of an appointment. The appointment booking should be done from a device with a working camera (smartphone, computer).
Each applicant must book an appointment individually, except for family groups (spouses, minor children). In case of group registration of family members, one adult member of the group is sufficient to be verified. Please note that when visiting the Visa Application Center on such appointment it is necessary to provide proof of family relationship.
15 December 2023
Peculiarities of applying by jurisdiction in VACs in Minsk and Brest regions
Citizens of the Republic of Belarus may submit documents at the Polish Visa Centers in Minsk, Gomel, Mogilev, Brest, Baranovichi and Pinsk according to the permanent registration at the place of residence (permanent registration / stamp in passport). Temporary short-term registration at the place of residence is not a basis for submission of documents under a jurisdiction other than permanent registration at the place of residence, except in cases when applicant can confirm that he/she is really studying, working, has other grounds for long-term residence (the confirmation is the original documents).
26 October 2023
New requirement to invitations for Schengen Visas with purpose of travel Business from 13 November 2023.
From 13 November 2023 invitations for Schengen Visas with purpose of travel Business must be registered in the Register of Invitations by Wojewoda, as specified in Article 50(1) of the Law On Foreigners of December 12, 2013 (Journal of Laws of 2023, item 519 as amended), or the authenticity of the inviting person's signature must be certified by a Polish notary.
12 October 2023
Changes in Jurisdictions for National visas for Belarus citizens for Minsk and Brest regions from 16 October.
Starting from 16 October 2023 citizens of Belarus should apply for National Visas on a territorial basis in accordance to their respective address of registration:
At the Visa Centers in Minsk, Mogilev, Gomel - residents of Minsk region, Mogilev region, Gomel region and Vitebsk region.
At the Visa Centers in Brest, Baranovichi, Pinsk - residents of Brest region.
At the Visa Centers in Grodno and Lida - Belarus citizens irrespective of the place of residence.
Holders of biometric passports should provide certificate confirmation of the place of residence registration.
29 June 2023
Details of registration to apply for different travel purposes
Dear clients!
Please note that when registering at the Polish Visa Application Centre it is important to select the correct sub-category depending on the purpose of your trip.
If the purpose of the trip differs from the category of registration, the Visa Application Centre reserves the right not to accept the applicant for submission of the documents.
Categories:
Schengen Visa C - Short-stay Schengen Visa C for a stay not exceeding 90 days in a half-year period
National Visa D - Long-stay National Visa D for a stay of between 91 and 365 days
Correspondence with the purpose of the trip:
Visa Centers in Minsk, Gomel and Mogilev:
Other C visa - Visa Schengen, all purposes
Visit C visa - visiting relatives and friends (with an invitation registered at Urząd Wojewódski)
PBH D visa - Poland Business Harbour program
Other D visa - work, Karta Polaka, study, accompanying, visits to relatives and friends
Postal D visa - courier delivery of visa documents for national visas D
Visa Centers in Brest, Baranovichi and Pinsk:
Other C visa - Visa Schengen, all purposes
Work D visa - work
Other D visa - for studying, accompanying, visiting relatives, Karta Polaka, PBH
Driver D visa - drivers
Postal D visa - courier delivery of visa documents for national visas D
Visa Centres in Grodno and Lida:
Other C visa - Visa Schengen, all purposes
Work D visa - work
Other D visa - study, accompanying, visits to relatives and friends, Karta Polaka
Postal D visa - visa application by courier delivery for national D visas