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.

In order to apply for a visa, please book your appointment 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 national visa submits a document confirming the possession of travel medical insurance in person under Article 25(1)(2)(a) or health insurance certificates in the Act of August 27, 2004 the meaning of the provisions of law on health care services financed from public funds. The travel medical insurance with the minimum sum insured of EUR 30 000, valid for the length of the foreigner’s stay in Poland, which will cover all expenses related to a necessary return for medical reasons, emergency medical help, urgent hospitalization, or death; such certificate should include the insurer’s commitment to pay the costs of health care services provided for the insured directly to the benefit of the health care services’ provider on the basis of a bill issued by the provider.
   More information: https://www.gov.pl/web/diplomacy/visas --> Information of the Minister of Foreign Affairs about the insurers and the insurances that they offer, which meet the necessary conditions referred to in Article 25 (1) (2) (a) and Article 25 (1b) of the Act of 12 December 2013 on Foreigners.
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 of sufficient funds to support yourself while living in Poland (e.g. your bank account statement for the last 3 months, salary slips). 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.​​​​​​
   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.
   Students/researchers/volunteers - Letter from the receiving institution on the length and purpose of the stay. Letter from the home institution on enrolment and confirmation of the fee payment . 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.

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.
• The consul may, but does not have to, invite the applicant for an interview.
• The D-type visas allow to stay in other Schengen states for 90 days of any 180-day period. It means that you can legally stay in the Schengen Area only if your stay was shorter than 90 days over the past 180 days.  
• The D-type visa is valid for a maximum of one year.
• Please note, that receiving the visa does not guarantee that you will enter Poland - the final decision is always made by the Border Guard.

The fee is 198 CAD. 

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 decision on the issue of a visa is made within 15 working days from the payment date of application fee. If the documents need to be examined in more detail, the consideration period may be extended to 30 days. In urgent and justified cases, the decision can be made earlier.

In person within office hours or by mail. 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.

In order to re-apply for a visa, please book your appointment via the e-konsulat system. Visiting hours depend on the consular office you will choose 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.

The application fee in this case is 198 CAD.

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.
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