Poland in Canada

You should apply at the consular office in the consular district based on your place of residence within the opening hours. On the Embassy and Consulates page, you can find a list of consular districts in Canada.  

Visa application form must be submitted in person. Diplomatic mission does not accept application forms sent via fax, regular mail or e-mail.

You can book your appointment to apply for a visa via the e-konsulat system. Visiting hours depend on the consular office you will have to submit your application (Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver) - you will choose the date and the time of the visit suitable for you once you register for a visit in one of the consular offices via the e-konsulat system. 

Remember to apply for a visa not later than two weeks before the planned departure (but not earlier than 6 months before the departure).

1. A visa application form filled via the e-konsulat system, printed and signed.
2. A 3.5 x 4.5 cm colour photo. The photo must be:
   • sharp, taken against white background and printed on a quality paper,
   • newer than 6 months,
   • taken en face, clearly showing the eyes and face from both sides from the top of the head to the top of the shoulders with the face covering 70-80% of the photo, eyes must remain open and clearly visible, hair must not cover any parts of the eye, only glasses with clear lenses can be worn, frames must not cover any part of the eye. Reflection in lenses is not acceptable. The photo must be taken without any headwear.
3. Passport issued within last ten years, valid for at least three months from the expected return date, with at least two blank pages for visas. If you have another valid passport, you should attach it to the visa application form.
4. A copy of the passport page with personal data and a photo.
5. Applicants for a uniform Schengen visa for one or two entries shall prove that they are in possession of adequate and valid travel medical insurance to cover any expenses which, during their stay (s) on territory of the Schengen Area Member States may arise in connection with the need to return for medical reasons, urgent medical attention and/or emergency hospital treatment or death. The insurance shall be valid throughout territory of the Schengen Area Member States and cover the entire period of the person’s intended stay. The minimum coverage shall be EUR 30,000.
6. Copy of an ID document to confirm residence within the consular district of your application and re-entry document. Travelers returning to Canada: Canadian passport or permanent residence card or visa sticker (valid for at least three months after the date of re-entry). Travelers proceeding to onward travel, after leaving the territory of the Member States (not returning to Canada): travel reservation (plane/train ticket) and relevant visa or travel document authorizing entry into the country of destination.
7. Proof that you have enough means of subsistence in the form decided by the mission (e.g. your bank account statement for the last 3 months). The amount of financial resources required for a foreigner for a stay in Poland is specified in the order of the Minister of the Interior of 23 February 2015 (text of the order, in Polish only, can be downloaded here). A foreigner entering Poland must have financial means for covering the cost of stay in Poland in the amount of PLN 300, if the period of planned stay does not exceed 4 days, or PLN 75 for each day of planned stay, if the period of planned stay exceeds 4 days. Financial resources should be reported in Canadian dollars (CAD). For student visas - financial resources should cover the costs of tuition, accommodation and cost of living.  
8. Proof of travel arrangements: a round trip flight/travel reservation or other proof of intended transport and full itinerary.
9. A document to confirm the purpose and the conditions of your planned stay in Poland.​​​​​​
   Tourism - Individuals: confirmed hotel reservations, stating the name, address and telephone number of the hotel or hotels, including the booking confirmation number. Groups: the letter of the travel agency mentioning the same information as for individuals, or other proof of accommodation.
   Visiting family and friends - Invitation letter from the friend/relative, stating the relation, address and telephone number of the friend/relative or invitation issued by the Voivodship Office where your Polish host is residing (in case of not sufficient financial means). Copy of the ID card (national or residence permit) of the friend/relative.
   Business - Invitation letter from the business partner specifying the nature of the business. Reference letter from the employer. Confirmed accommodation/hotel reservation, stating the name, address and telephone number of the accommodation/hotel. 
   Students/researchers/volunteers - Letter from the receiving institution on the length and purpose of the stay. Letter from the home institution on enrolment. Confirmed accommodation/hotel reservation, stating the name, address and telephone number of the accommodation/hotel.
   Participation in cultural, economic, political, scientific or sport events - An invitation letter from the organizer specifying the nature of the event. Confirmed accommodation/hotel reservation, stating the name, address and telephone number of the accommodation/hotel.
   Work - Work permit or Certificate of Employment (only language teachers). Confirmed accommodation, stating the name, address and telephone number of the accommodation/hotel.
10. Supporting douments (see the "Materials" section below).

Additionally, when applying for a visa for a minor you should present:

• Written consent of the child’s parent(s) to apply for a visa, confirmed by a notary. If there is only one guardian, it should be proved by a birth certificate, a court decision on exclusive parental custody or a death certificate of the other parent.
• Originals and copies of parents' passports.
• Original and a copy of a birth certificate.

If a child is entered in their parent's or a legal guardian’s passport, please submit a separate visa application. The visa will be pasted into the parent's or the legal guardian's passport.
 

Please note:

• You must apply for a visa in a consular office or the embassy’s consular department in the consular district of your place of residence.
• Usually, the above documents are enough to receive a visa, however, the consul may require additional documents.
• Apply for a visa not earlier than six months and no later than 15 days before your planned journey.
• The consul may, but does not have to, invite the applicant for an interview.
• You may be banned from entering any of the Schengen States if you present forged documents or provide false information.
• Receiving the visa does not guarantee that you will enter the Schengen area - the final decision is always made by the authorities of the country where you intend to cross the Schengen area border.

The Visa Information System (VIS) aims to exchange of data on visa applications and related decisions between Member States. Due to his full operational efficiency, the travel document of the foreigner applying for a Schengen visa does not contain a stamp confirming the admissibility of the application referred to in Art. 20 of Regulation (EC) No. 810/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code).

The fee is 132 CAD. 

You are eligible for a discount if:

• you are a child under the age of 6 (free of charge),
• you are a child aged 6-12 (reduced visa fee – 66 CAD),
• you are a citizen of Ukraine under the Agreement between the European Community and Ukraine on the facilitation of the issuance of visas,
• you are a family member of the EU nationals - visa application free of charge. – IMPORTANT NOTICE: The procedure applies to the foreigners who travel to a Member State that is a different EU Member State than the country of citizenship of their family member, or who already reside in that country. This procedure applies only to family members of EU nationals who do not have Polish citizenship or do not have a permanent residence in Poland.  

The fees must be paid at the office counter when submitting the application. Accepted forms of payment: cash, money order, certified bank check (credit cards, debit cards or personal checks are not accepted). Consulate General in Toronto accepts debit and credit cards except American Express.​​​​​

The visa application fee is non-returnable, whatever the consul's decision. 

The consul will make the decision on the visa within 15 calendar days. Exceptionally, the time to make the decision can be extended up to 30 or 60 days. 

Under Article 22 of the Visa Code, a Member State may require the central authorities of other Member States to consult its central authorities during the examination of visa applications lodged by nationals of specific third countries or specific categories of such nationals. The time necessary to take a decision on the application may be extended due to the need to conduct visa consultations.

The current list of the third countries and the specific categories of such nationals who are subject to prior consultation is available on the website of the European Commission.

You will be informed how to collect your documents during a visit to the consular office to submit a visa application.  To send back your passport via mail, please provide Xpress post envelope.  

If you do not agree with the consul's decision, you may ask to have your visa application re-considered. You must apply for the reconsideration in the office that issued the decision within 14 days of its delivery.

The application fee in this case is 118 CAD.

Applications for re-considerations are processed by:

1. Consular Section of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Ottawa – Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays – 10am to 1pm, Tuesdays – 1pm to 4pm;
2. Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Montreal – Mondays, Wednesdays – 10am to 12pm, Tuesdays – 2pm to 4pm;
3. Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Toronto – Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays– 9am to 1pm;
4. Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Vancouver – Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays– 10am to 1pm, Wednesdays – 1pm to 4pm.

Revocation or annulment of Schengen visa

If you have received a decision to revoke or annul your Schengen visa that you do not agree with, you have the right to ask for a reconsideration. However, if you have applied yourself for your Schengen visa to be revoked and the consul has agreed, you are not entitled to appeal.

You should apply for reconsideration within 14 days of receiving the decision to annul or revoke your Schengen visa at the consular post that issued the decision.

1. Consular Section of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Ottawa – Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays – 10am to 1pm, Tuesdays – 1pm to 4pm;
2. Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Montreal – Mondays, Wednesdays – 10am to 12pm, Tuesdays – 2pm to 4pm;
3. Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Toronto – Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays– 9am to 1pm;
4. Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Vancouver – Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays– 10am to 1pm, Wednesdays – 1pm to 4pm.

If you apply for reconsideration after your Schengen visa was revoked or annulled, you do not have to pay the consular fee.

Complaint about refusal to issue Schengen visa, decision to revoke or annul Schengen visa and the consul's activities in this respect.

If the consul who examines your reconsideration request, issues a new decision to refuse, annul or revoke your visa, which you do not agree with, you have the right to submit a complaint to the Provincial Administrative Court in Warsaw. The complaint should be forwarded through the consul who made the decision, within 30 days of receiving the decision taken as a result of the re-examination .

You do not pay a consular fee for submitting a complaint to the consul, but you have to pay fees for proceedings before administrative courts. Therefore, you have to note that the court will ask you to pay the court fee. More information on the amount of court fees when appealing with the administrative court, possibility to apply for an exemption from the costs and the language of the procedure, is available at:

http://bip.warszawa.wsa.gov.pl/133/wpis-sadowy-zasady-dokonywania-wpisu.html