Poland in Ethiopia

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

Note! The visa applications are accepted only upon prior registration online. 

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.

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 online via the e-Konsulat system which is availabe 24 hours a day. Interview dates are made available on a regular basis. New slots are dispatched 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.

Please note that:

• Correctly input all of your personal details on the application form during the registration procedure.
• Correctly input all the correct details of your valid passport.
• Input your 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).
• Show up at the office punctually at the appointed time with all required documents.

If there are no available dates for submitting an application on the e-Konsulat website, it means that the office is closed on that day or all slots have been reserved. Registered forms must be printed, signed and submitted together with all required documents (see the list of documents below) by the date indicated by the e-Konsulat system.

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

WORK VISA - IMPORTANT NOTICE: In order to book an appointment for submitting an application for a national work visa:

• go to the website: https://secure.e-konsulat.gov.pl/
• in the MENU tab, select the option National visa – register the form, and then select whether you are applying for a work visa: National visa – work. Fill in the initial visa application with your basic data and details of the document entitling you to work in Poland. If the details entered are correct, you will receive an email with a link to complete the full version of visa application. You will have 48 hours to complete application. Fill out the application, save it and print it. If the data is not properly verified or the full application is not completed within 48 hours, the registration will be canceled;
• if there are more applications than available slots for visiting consulat, appointments will be set by electronic drawing;
• all information, confirmations, and links to fill in the applications are sent automatically in electronic version to the e-mail address provided by you,
• within the set/agreed date, you must come to the consular office with a printed and signed visa form, original work permit and a complete set of necessary documents.

The appointment dates for visa are drawn by the e-Konsulat system. Consular officers cannot interfere with the process of drawing applications, which will be assigned a visit date. After your application has been drawn, we will send information about the date of the visit to the e-mail address provided by you. Other applications will take part in subsequent draws until they are drawn or until the expiry of the document entitling you to work in Poland.

To cancel the visa appointment, you are requested to send an email request, with the following information:

• Surname;
• Forename;
• Passport number;
• Appointment date and time

to our e-mail address addisababa.consul@msz.gov.pl from the email provided during registration.

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:
a.    sharp, taken against white background and printed on a quality paper,
b.    newer than 6 months,
c.    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. 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.
4.    A copy of the passport page with personal data and the photo. 
5.    A person applying for a national visa shall submit a document confirming the possession of travel medical insurance, as referred to in art. 25 sec. 1 point 2 lit. a of the Act of 12 December 2013 on foreigners or a document confirming the possession of health insurance within the meaning of the Act of 27 August 2004 on health care services financed from public funds. Travel medical insurance with an insurance cover of no less than EUR 30,000 must be valid for the period of the intended stay of the foreigner on the territory of the Republic of Poland, cover all expenses that may arise during the stay in this territory due to the necessity of return travel for medical reasons, the need for urgent medical assistance, emergency hospital treatment or death, in which the insurer undertakes to cover the costs of healthcare services provided to the insured directly to the entity providing such services, on the basis of a bill issued by this entity. More information: https://www.gov.pl/web/dyplomacja/wizy - in the tab: Information of the Minister of Foreign Affairs about insurers and insurance offered by them, meeting the conditions referred to in art. 25 sec. 1 point 2 lit. a and paragraph 1b of the Act of 12 December 2013 on foreigners. 
6.    A copy of an ID document to confirm legal residence within the consular district of your application.
7.    Proof that you have enough means of subsistence in the form decided by the mission.
8.    A proof of accommodation (for example, an official invitation or a hotel booking or reservation).
9.    Documents confirming the purpose of your stay Poland.
10.  A flight reservation (round trip) with a Passenger Registration Number. The Embassy advises not to pay for airline tickets prior to visa approval in order to avoid financial loss.

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.
• Parents’ passports – originals and copies.
• Birth certificate – original and copy.
• 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.

Applicants for national visas (D) must submit, in addition to the basic documents, supplementary documents, depending on the intended purpose of travel, which are presented below. This list contains a detailed list of documents required depending on the purpose of travel.

WORK VISA

• Work permit (orignal).
• Preliminary employment agreement​​​. The preliminary employment agreement must stipulate place, conditions and character of employment. The document shall be signed by both parties and drawn up in Polish and English.
• Written information from the future employer about the conditions of employment.​​​​​​
• Documents proving the scope of activities of the employer e.g. the company registration, documents confirming the income, amount of the income tax and the number of persons employed.
• Written evidence of contact with the potential employee, verification of his skills, etc.
• Evidence of the qualifications of the applicant (proof of employment in a given industry, career, certificates, diplomas, etc.).
• Any other documents required for the specific job (permits, authorizations, licenses, etc.).​​​​​​
• Proof of accommodation​​​​​​ e.g. confirmation letter from the employer confirming providing accommodation with indication of its character and location (dormitory, apartment), hotel reservation.
• Confirmation of sufficient financial means necessary to cover the costs of alien’s entry into  and at least the first month of stay in the territory of the Republic of Poland, e.g. bank statements presenting the transactions /movements of the last 6 months.
• Documents regarding the family situation of the applicant (marriage / birth certificates).

STUDY, RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT WORK

Please be kindly advised that due to legal amendments introduced to Polish law as a result of the Act on the elimination of the irregularities in the visa system providing the reform of the national student visa system, effective as of July 1, 2025 a foreigner who does not hold a secondary school diploma or other equivalent document entitling him/her to apply for admission to study issued by educational institution in one of the following:

(1) European Union Member States,

(2) Member States of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD),

(3) Member States of the European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA) - parties to the agreement on the

European Economic Area.

(4) an IB (International Baccalaureate) diploma issued by the International Baccalaureate Organization in Geneva or

(5) a certificate issued abroad by secondary schools or equivalent educational institutions recognized by the country on whose territory they operate, and recognized under the principles set out in relevant international agreements in order to apply for a student visa as of July 1, 2025 is obliged to:

- retrieve an additional document from National Agency for Academic Exchange (Narodowa Agencja Wymiany Akademickiej) called “wrtitten information” to the effect that the high school diploma being in his/her possession entitles the person indicated in the diploma to study in Poland;

- the aforementioned written information document has to be submitted along with the application for a student visa as well as other required documents by foreign students admitted to the 1st year of study at the first degree studies or to the 1st year of study at the uniform master's studies;

- inability to present the document indicated above will result in refusal of the student visa.

Foreigners who already hold the administrative decision issued by the Education Superintendent on recognition of their high school diploma present it instead of the written information. Consuls do not participate in the process of recognizing secondary school diplomas. They do not provide assistance in this regard, nor they mediate between a foreigner and an university or National Agency for Academic Exchange in the transfer of documents. For your convenience please find enclosed the e-mail address of the National Agency for Academic Exchange which may be reached at: dyplom@nawa.gov.pl, as well as the link to their official website: https://nawa.gov.pl/en/recognition/how-to-obtain-a-recognition-statement

• The original acceptance letter of the unit conducting the studies on admission to studies or on continuation of studies.
• Decision of the relevant Education Board in the Voivodeship where you intend to start your studies regarding the recognition of a secondary school certificate or other certificate from abroad as a document confirming the right to apply for admission to higher education in the Republic of Poland. Here you will find a list of Education Boards with correspondence addresses. In case of problems, we suggest contacting the university/academy and/or higher school where you plan to start your studies. Some certificates are not subject to these requirements due to bilateral agreements on the recognition of education signed by the Republic of Poland – a list and detailed information on the application of these agreements can be found on the website of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
• In the case of people applying for a visa for the purpose of conducting scientific research – an agreement on admitting a foreigner for the purpose of conducting scientific research or development work, concluded with a research unit based in the territory of the Republic of Poland as an employment contract, contract for specific work, contract of mandate or other civil law contract. The contract should specify: the title or purpose of the research or development work or its subject; the researcher's commitment to participate in the conduct of research or development work; commitment of the research unit to provide the researcher with conditions to fulfill his obligation; the start and the end dates or the estimated duration of the research or development work; the researcher's remuneration and other working conditions; information on planned research or development works in the territory of other Member States of the European Union.
• Proof of payment of the fees (if applicable).
• Diplomas being the basis for recruitment for studies with superlegalisation.
• Other additional documents confirming education (eg. English language certificate, course and training diplomas/certificates) with superlegalisation.
• Documents confirming the possession of financial resources to cover the costs of return travel and the costs of stay in Poland. The minimum required amount of financial resources that should is as follows:

If applicant is alone in Poland:

• 2 500 PLN for a return trip;
• cost of accommodation on the basis of hotel booking or rental agreement;
• 776 PLN for every month of stay (776 PLN x 12 months = 9 312 PLN) or their equivalent in a foreign currency.

If applicant stays in Poland with family members:

• 2 500 PLN for a return trip (Dz.U.2022.78 t.j.);
• cost of accommodation on the basis of hotel booking or rental agreement;
• 600 PLN for every month of stay for the applicant and each member of family; or their equivalent in a foreign currency.

Required documents confirming the possession of financial resources (to be selected from the list – there is no obligation to present all of the listed ones):

• Original bank statement from the last 6 months, containing contact details of the bank employee responsible for confirming documents.
• The original certificate of the possession of funds in a bank having its registered office in the territory of the Republic of Poland.
• The original of the sponsorship letter confirmed by the consul or a notary – if the applicant does not cover his stay in Poland by himself. For Ethiopia “Declaration of Consent” – "welena masrega" available at Sub-city offices will be accepted). The sponsor confirms that he has funds to cover the costs of the return trip and the costs of the applicant's stay in Poland on the basis of the documents listed in two abovementioned points. Only a family member may be a sponsor – when submitting the documents, the applicant should present documents confirming the relationship between the applicant and the sponsor.
• A document confirming the granting of a national or foreign scholarship.

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).

VOLUNTEERING, INTERNSHIP

• Acceptance letter.
• All documents required by the institution.
• Confirmation of payment of fees (if applicable).
• Documents regarding applicant's family situation (marriage/birth certificates).
• Travel medical insurance valid for the entire period of intended stay plus at least 2 days; valid for all Schengen countries; minimum coverage: 30,000 EUR.
• Hotel reservation or written proof of another accommodation FOR THE ENTIRE PERIOD OF VISA VALIDITY along with the amount of the rental; for applicants planning to stay with family or friends an invitation registered with appropriate Polish authorities (Urząd Wojewódzki) is required.
• Documents confirming the possession of financial resources to cover the costs of return travel and the costs of stay in Poland. The minimum required amount of financial resources that should is as follows:

If applicant is alone in Poland:

• 2 500 PLN for a return trip;
• cost of accommodation on the basis of hotel booking or rental agreement;
• 776 PLN for every month of stay (776 PLN x 12 months = 9 312 PLN) or their equivalent in a foreign currency.

If applicant stays in Poland with family members:

• 2 500 PLN for a return trip (Dz.U.2022.78 t.j.);
• cost of accommodation on the basis of hotel booking or rental agreement;
• 600 PLN for every month of stay for the applicant and each member of family; or their equivalent in a foreign currency.

OFFICIAL MISSION OR OFFICIAL PURPOSES

• A verbal note issued by the Ethiopian Ministry for Foreign Affairs confirming that the applicant is a member of an official delegation or on an official mission to a Member State.
• Invitation letter or confirmation of registration from the host organization.

MEDICAL

• Certificate from a doctor and/or a treatment facility in Ethiopia or Poland, confirming the need to undergo specific treatment in Poland;
• Official certificate from a treatment facility in Poland confirming the patient's admission for treatment;
• Proof of having the financial resources necessary to pay for treatment and related costs or proof of paying these costs.

VISITING FRIENDS/FAMILY

• Original invitation registered in the appropriate provincial office in Poland;
• Documents confirming the relationship with the inviting person.

Documents in Amharic, Oromo, Somali or French must be provided with a translation into English or Polish. Please be advised that all certificates and official documents must be provided in original (for inspection) and copies.

PLEASE, NOTE:

Documents in Amharic, Oromo, Somali 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.

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 159 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. 

A national visa is issued or refused within 15 days from the date of submission of the application in this case, unless the application is deemed inadmissible. In justified cases, this deadline may be extended to 30 days.

Your passport with visa decision can be collected in the afternoon on Mondays, 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 159 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.

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.