The most straightforward way to enter Poland is with a Polish work or student visa. But you might also ask, “Why Poland?”
If you do your survey and do a little research. You will see that Poland has a relatively low cost of living. They grant visas if your documents are complete. And if you plan to study here, the tuition fees are low.
The work and student visa route is still the best route to travel. You can be rejected to minimize this, so I decided to write this article for you. It is concise and to the point.
Poland is a Schengen country.
Before I move into the main points, I would love to state the fact that the Polish visa you would get is a Schengen visa. You can use it to travel to all other European countries. You get a low cost of living, good schools, low tuition, and the ability to easily travel to other countries.
Amazing …
Let’s dive in.
Requirement to get a Polish visa
The requirement to get a Polish visa is not different from other countries.
Therefore, you have to ensure all your documents are in place and authentic. You have your mind ready to die on the line if need be.
Poland student visa
The application for a Polish student visa is now online. Although most of the work is done in the embassy. You would still need to start the application online. You book your appointment date and also download and print the application form. I strongly advise you to check when the appointment states that they are available because they fill up quickly.
Documents you would need for your Polish student visa application
- Visa application form: This can be obtained online.
- Travel Insurance
- Zaswiadczenie: This document will be given to you once you pay your first-year or first-semester tuition as demanded by the school.
- Acceptance letter
- Admission Letter: This document will be given to you once you pay for your first year or first semester.
- School fee payment receipt
- International passport 80 euro
- Flight, round trip
- Proof of funds
- Credit card certificate or pay slips: 3 to 4 months
- Notary Sponsor Letter
- Sponsor ID
- Letter of intent
- A recommendation or referral letter from a reputable person in your state
- Cover letter
- Family information
- NIN
- Police character certificate
- WAEC certificate
- BSc certificate
Poland work visa
You will still need to apply for your Polish work visa at the Polish Embassy. It is a different story. Here you have to be extremely careful, and the stakes here are higher. A work visa to Poland has a higher rejection rate than a student visa.
This makes people not take this route very often. But if you have a job or want to take this route, here is some information that can easily help you.
Requirements and documentation for your work visa in Poland
- Get financially ready.
- You need a work permit from a company in Poland.
- It should be stated that the job is a full time, and the minimum work hours are more than 160 per month.
- Also, endeavor to authenticate the company before accepting or carrying the work permit to the embassy.
Book an appointment early. The appointment slots easily get filled. And if there are any issues with your documents, you have time to hash them out.
Proof of funds
- Here there is no specific figure, but you should have at least £31,000.
- If you have a sponsor, you must get an affidavit from that person, be it a mother, father, etc.
Accommodation
- You should have accommodations already prepared before you go to the Embassy. If the job contracts last for a year, you should have at least a year.
- Travel documents
- Flights bookings
- Insurance
Two identical photos
Copies of your previous visas (if applicable).
Proof of civil status
Procedures for obtaining a work visa in Poland
- How much do I need to pay for a Schengen visa for Poland? $40 to $90 (or 40 € to 80 €) is the typical range for a visa for the Schengen region of Europe.
- Get an invitation letter to support your reasons for wanting to visit Poland.
- Book an appointment
- Gather all the documents that you will take to the visa appointment and make photocopies of them
- Go for your visa appointment. There, you will submit your documents and may be interviewed. The consular officer may request that you provide some other documents too
- Wait until the visa is processed
- On the day that you are supposed to collect the results of your application, go at the appropriate time.
Poland visa processing time
The process of obtaining a Visa Issuance Letter (Work Permit) takes between 4–6 weeks. After the Visa Issuance Letter is issued, we will send it to you by courier. You must also apply for a visa at the Polish Embassy in your home country.
The standard processing time for a Polish visa application is between 10 and 14 days. This timeframe may be extended for 45–60 days in some instances. The processing time begins the moment the embassy or consulate receives your visa application and documents.
This goes for both work and study visas.
Visa interview question
For student visas
- Why do you choose Poland and not other European countries?
- Why do you want to study here?
- Why did you choose that university, and how did you find out about it?
- Why don’t you want to continue your education in your home country?
- Where did you go to school in the past?
- What will be your specialty at the university?
- How many universities did you apply to?
- What city is your university located in?
- Can I see your previous high school and college diplomas?
- What do you know about Polish schools?
- What is your English level?
- How will you cover your trip and study expenses?
- What will be the cost of studies per year?
- Who is going to sponsor your education?
- What are your plans after finishing university?
- Do you know where you want to work in the future?
- Do you want to return to your home country after graduating?
- What do you know about Poland and the city you will be studying in?
- Isn’t this course also available at any university in your country?
- Why did you choose this course?
- Do you know some facts about the university that you chose?
- What are the most famous tourist places in Poland?
- How long will your course last?
- Do you have an acceptance letter for studies?
- Can you give me the names of some classes you will be attending on that course?
- What about the language barrier? Is this course full in English?
- Did you already book the tickets for your trip?
- What is your recent academic degree? When did you receive it?
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Where will you stay in Poland?
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Are you planning something for your vacation?
- Are you thinking about working in Poland during your studies?
For Work Visa
- Who is your employer?
- What is your salary?
- Are you married?
- Do you have medical insurance that covers this trip?
- Do you have a recommendation letter from your employer?
- Have you ever traveled outside your country?
- What are your plans after your return to your country?
- What do you know about Poland? Why did you choose Poland?
- What does your company do?
- What is your educational background?
- What is your job experience?
- What is the guarantee that you will come back to your country of origin?
- What are you going to do in Poland?
- What are you going to do in Poland?
- Have you booked your tickets?
- How long will you stay in Poland?
- What is the address of your company?
- What is your job profile?
- Who will take care of your property in your country while you are gone?
- How many children do you have? Where are they? What do they do? Are they married?
- What is your son’s or daughter’s birth date?
- Where will you stay in Poland?
- How did you find a job in Poland?
- Please show us your current bank statement.
Conclusion
The most straightforward way to enter Poland is with a Polish work or student visa. But you have to be careful because of the bad reputation of previous applicants. I wish you all the best in your application.
