What to pay attention to when applying for a Polish visa

1. In accordance with the Aliens Act of Poland*** and the State, the applicant must provide the following documents in order for the Embassy or Consulate to accept the visa:

An application form for a visa filled out in full in clear, capitalized, printed Latin letters, without alteration and without crossing out any text. All fields must be filled in. Any alterations and crossings in the text will automatically invalidate the application form. If the application form is not completed in detail, is untrue and conceals any material facts, the application form will be rejected on the spot and the visa already issued will be canceled.

A standard passport size photograph.

A valid passport and travel documents. The passport must be valid for more than three months beyond the proposed date of departure from Poland.

In case of a private visit, a letter of invitation from a Polish citizen or a foreigner who has settled in Poland for more than five years. In order to be valid, the invitation should be filled out on a form specially designed for this purpose and registered with the local Polish authorities; in the case of a business or official visit, an official letter of invitation from a Polish company or organization stating the exact purpose of the visit and the proposed duration of the visit, as well as a letter from the applicant's employer, are required.

If the applicant is residing in a country other than his/her country of origin, he/she must provide an immigration document from the country of his/her residence, which should be entered in his/her current passport.

2. The maximum duration of the visa is 3 months. In case of double or multiple entry visas, the duration is not more than 6 months and the time span is 12 months, with each stay being less than 3 months.

3. Transit visas are issued to travelers who are going to another country via Poland for a period not exceeding 5 days. From now on, foreigners transferring in the transit zones of Polish airports also need an airport transit visa. Before applying for a Polish transit visa it is necessary to obtain a visa to the country of the next journey.

4. In exceptional cases, additional information will be requested from item 21 of the application form, e.g. means of payment of expenses incurred in Poland, general insurance, confirmation of accommodation, round-trip air ticket, etc.

5. The visa in the passport does not imply permission to enter the country, the final decision on permission/refusal is taken by the border guards at the border of the country, who have the right to ask the foreigner to present and examine all the above mentioned documents and means of payment. In case of expiration of the visa, the border guard will charge a fine in accordance with the law.

6. Visa is required for the following Chinese passports: ordinary passport for private use, ordinary passport for public use, official passport in case of stay in the territory of the Republic of Poland for more than 90 days.

7. Visas for citizens of the People's Republic of China are free of charge, but there is a processing fee of 240 RMB, which is non-refundable in case of refusal to issue a visa. Visa processing time is generally 7 to 10 working days, but this period can be extended in individual cases. In case of refusal, the applicant is not allowed to discuss the decision and can only reapply after 1 year.

The following documents are required to apply for a Polish visa:

1. a copy of the applicant's valid passport with the front page, all visa and exit stamps

2. a recent two-inch photo of the applicant with his/her identity card

3. a visa application form (which can be obtained on the spot prior to the application process)

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