Poland in Ethiopia

You can book your appointment online via the e-konsulat system. Interview dates are made available on a regular basis.

Registration of a visa application for a different purpose than indicated in the selected type of a visa/registration section, making substantial changes in the visa application after completing the registration will cause a visa application rejection. Please register visa applications carefully and with proper attention.

Please note that:

1. Applicants must correctly input all of their personal details on the application form during the registration procedure.
2. Applicants must input the correct details of their valid passport.
3. Applicants are obliged to input their complete and personal details on the application form: complete residential address (including the house number, street name, city/town, province, and zip code) AND personal contact details (e.g. email address and landline or mobile number).
4. You are required to show up exactly on time with all required documents.

IMPORTANT NOTICE! The earliest you can apply is 6 months before you intend to travel. You should apply no later than 15 days in advance.

WORK VISA​​​ - Appointments for work visas are allocated once a week by automated drawing. If your application was selected for interview we will inform you by email. Registered applications remain valid and take part in drawing in the following weeks, so there is no need to register again.

You are required to show up exactly on time. It will be not possible to change the assigned date.

Employees of consular offices cannot interfere with the process of drawing applications, which will be assigned the date of the visit. All information, confirmations, and links to fill in the applications are sent automatically by e-mail to the e-mail address provided by you.

You must come to the consular office on the selected date with the printed and signed visa form, the original work permit and all required documents.

You can apply at the consular office: 

Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Addis Ababa
Dej. Belay Zeleke Road, Gulele Sub-City, Kebele 08, House No. 583
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tel: (+251 11) 157 41 89 or (+251 11) 157 41 90

The visa applications are accepted on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays upon prior registration online. 

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

IMPORTANT NOTICE! The Embassy does not collaborate with any agents or commercial visa agencies. These entities are unable to secure visa appointments. The only cost involved is the visa fee charged by the Consulate.

You can book your appointment to apply for a visa via the e-konsulat system. Interview dates are made available on a regular basis.

Please be informed that the only way to register for a visa appointment is via  e-konsulat system. When all appointments are booked the registration service will be temporarily unavailable. Please check the page – new slots are released regularly. New appointments in our system are opened every Monday at 9:00 AM (local time). In case said dates fall on a holiday, the visa slots will be released on the next working day at the same time.

Registration of a visa application for a different purpose than indicated in the selected type of a visa/registration section, making substantial changes in the visa application after completing the registration will cause a visa application rejection. Please register visa applications carefully and with proper attention.

IMPORTANT NOTICE! The Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Addis Ababa does not cooperate with any agents or commercial visa agencies.

 Please note that:

1. Applicants must correctly input all of their personal details on the application form during the registration procedure.
2. Applicants must input the correct details of their valid passport.
3. Applicants are obliged to input their complete and personal details on the application form: complete residential address (including the house number, street name, city/town, province, and zip code) AND personal contact details (e.g. email address and landline or mobile number).
4. You are required to show up exactly on time with all required documents.

IMPORTANT NOTICE! The earliest you can apply is 6 months before you intend to travel. You should apply no later than 15 days in advance.

General requirements:

1. A visa application form filled via the e-konsulat system, printed and signed.
2. A 3.5 x 4.5 cm color 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 on both sides from the top of the head to the top of the shoulders with the face covering 70-80% of the photo. 
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.
4. A copy of the passport page with personal data and the photo. 
5. All persons applying for a D-type national visa must personally submit documentation confirming the possession of medical travel insurance as referred to in art. 25, sec. 1, point 2, letter a, or documentation confirming the possession of health insurance, as defined by the Act of August 27, 2004, on health care services financed by public funds. Medical travel insurance with an insured amount of no less than EUR 30,000 must be valid for the period of the foreigner’s intended stay within the Republic of Poland and must cover all expenses that may be incurred during the stay, including: the need for return travel for medical reasons, the need for urgent medical assistance, emergency hospital treatment, or death, for which the insurer covers the cost of healthcare services provided to the insured with direct payments to the entity providing such benefits and on the basis of a bill issued by said entity. More information can be found at https://www.gov.pl/web/diplomacy/visas - Information of the Minister of Foreign Affairs on insurers and insurances that they offer, meeting the conditions referred to in art. 25 sec. 1 point 2 letter a and paragraph 1b of the Foreigners Act of 12 December 2013.
6. A copy of an ID document to confirm legal residence within the consular district of your application.
7. A document confirming possession of adequate financial resources to cover the costs of living during the planned stay and to cover the costs of return to the country of origin or residence, or to cover the costs of transit to a third country, which will certainly give permission for entry, or documents confirming that the applicant can legally obtain such funds.
8. A proof of accommodation (for example, an official invitation or a hotel booking).
9. A document confirming the purpose of travel and conditions of stay.
10. Booking proof – a round trip booking. The ticket should be bought only after the visa has been issued.

Documents in Amharic, Oromo or French must be delivered with a translation into English or Polish.

Please be informed that all certificates and official papers must be provided in original (for perusal) and copy.

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

• Written consent of the child’s/minor’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.
• An original and a copy of a birth certificate.
• If the child is entered in the parent's or 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.

Visa application form should be made through electronic system e-konsulat, registered under National visa – study category. Visa application forms which was not registered via e-konsulat won't be accepted).

Please pay attention to select proper application form. For travel above 90 days you should apply for national visa. Proper application form is obligatory. Wrongly registered application forms won't be accepted during appointment at the Embassy.

Please be informed that all certificates and official papers must be provided in original (for perusal) and copy.

Electronic document with valid electronic signature will be also regarded as an original.

STUDY VISA REQUIREMENTS: 

1. A visa application form filled via the e-konsulat. The form must be fully completed, printed and signed in the corresponding blanks.
2. A 3.5 x 4.5 cm color 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 on both sides from the top of the head to the top of the shoulders with the face covering 70-80% of the photo. 
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.
4. A copy of the passport page with personal data and the photo. 
5. All persons applying for a D-type national visa must personally submit documentation confirming the possession of medical travel insurance as referred to in art. 25, sec. 1, point 2, letter a, or documentation confirming the possession of health insurance, as defined by the Act of August 27, 2004, on health care services financed by public funds. Medical travel insurance with an insured amount of no less than EUR 30,000 must be valid for the period of the foreigner’s intended stay within the Republic of Poland and must cover all expenses that may be incurred during the stay, including: the need for return travel for medical reasons, the need for urgent medical assistance, emergency hospital treatment, or death, for which the insurer covers the cost of healthcare services provided to the insured with direct payments to the entity providing such benefits and on the basis of a bill issued by said entity. More information can be found at https://www.gov.pl/web/diplomacy/visas - Information of the Minister of Foreign Affairs on insurers and insurances that they offer, meeting the conditions referred to in art. 25 sec. 1 point 2 letter a and paragraph 1b of the Foreigners Act of 12 December 2013.
6. Copy of Residence Permit in Ethiopia, South Sudan or Djibouti (the original residence Permit must be shown to the Visa Officer) – applies only for non-citizens of Ethiopia, South Sudan and Djibouti.
7. A Proof of financial means sufficient to cover living expenses (equivalent of around USD 190 monthly) and accommodation over the whole period of requested visa, and return flight (equivalent of around USD 660). There is no specific amount, it depends on individual circumstances. It is compulsory to bring one of the following documents:

• credit card limit confirmation,
• document confirming regular income (salary letter or annual financial report by accountant in case of entrepreneurs/company owners),
• scholarship funding confirmation.

Additionally, providing bank statement for the past three months.

If the documents above relate to the sponsor, please bring sponsorship letter confirmed by a notary (for Ethiopia “Declaration of Consent” - "welena masrega" available at Sub-city offices will be accepted) and document proving the relationship with abovementioned sponsor. The financial documents cannot be older than 3 months.

8. A proof of accommodation for the whole duration of the intended stay in Poland.
9. A document confirming the purpose of travel and conditions of stay:

• "Zaświadczenie" Polish-language document that you received from your university.
• Proof of tuition fee payment, either from the school or from a bank.
• High school graduation diplomas confirming that you are eligible to study at under/postgraduate level or proof of academic degrees confirming you are eligible to study at postgraduate level. Documents should be authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the relevant country. Originals and copies.

10. A booking proof – flight reservation with dates and flight numbers specifying entry to Poland. The ticket should be bought only after the visa has been issued.

Additional information for students:

Make sure that the higher education institution (HEI) of your choice is eligible to recruit international students. All public (state-owned) universities are eligible. All academic HEIs are eligible, the list is available here. All other HEIs need to go through approval process, the list of approved ones is available here (first link in the bottom part of the page).

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

• Written consent of the child’s/minor’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.
• An original and a copy of a birth certificate.
• If the child is entered in the parent's or 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.

Documents in Amharic must be delivered with a translation into English or Polish.

Please be informed that all certificates and official papers must be provided in original (for perusal) and copy.

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 visa application fee is 150 USD. 

The fees must be paid at the office counter when submitting the application.

Accepted forms of payment: cash.

The visa application fee is non-refundable, whatever is the visa decision. 

Please see updated fees here. 

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.  

Your passport with visa decision can be collected in the afternoon on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, between 14:00 - 15:00. When applying, you will be assigned a collection date and time.

If you disagree with the consul's decision, you have the right to submit an application for reconsideration of your visa application. You have to submit it to the office that issued the visa decision within 14 days of receiving it.

Application for reconsideration can be lodged on Mondays between 10:00-12:00.

Appealing does not require the prior registration online or filling in application form anew. However you should present a letter explaining the reason why you disagree with the consul’s decision. The second decision is final, appeal against it is not possible.

The fee is 150 USD. ​​​​​​

Please note that an appeal cannot be completed by mail or by sending documents through DHL.

If 14 days have already passed, the applicant needs to make a new appointment on-line.

Can a citizen of another country apply for visa at the Embassy?

The Embassy can only accept visa applications from citizens and residents of countries of accreditation. A proof of residence is required.

Can you lodge visa application by mail or e-mail?

No. Visa application must be lodged in person after booking an appointment in the e-konsulat online system (www.e-konsulat.gov.pl).

Can I pay by a bank transfer?

No. Consular fees can only be paid by cash. Please bring the exact amount in USD only.

Do I have to provide a paid plane ticket?

No. A flight booking is required with the visa application. Visa will be granted for the period covering the dates in the booking. Purchasing ticket can be done after visa is granted.