Poland in Iraq

You can apply at the consular office (Consulate General of Poland in Erbil, Khanzad, American Village, corner of Texas and Hawai St., 250) only after having prepared your documentation and following the procedure described here.

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

The e-konsulat system (https://secure.e-konsulat.gov.pl/) is used only to complete the appropriate visa application (Schengen/National). After entering the above-mentioned website:

1. change the language to English in the upper right corner of the website;

2. select the country (Iraq) and city (Erbil);

3. then select in the upper right corner of the website the type of application, complete it, save and print.

After completing and printing the appropriate application, in order to arrange a visa interview at the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Erbil, applicants are asked to send an e-mail to the following address: erbil.consul@msz.gov.pl on WEDNESDAY from 2:00 p.m.

ATTENTION! Messages requesting a date for visa interview are accepted ONLY on Wednesdays from 2:00 p.m. until the end of the day.

The application e-mail should contain the following information:

1. attached copy of visa application form;
2. attached copy of passport (plus an Iraqi/Kurdistani residence proof in case of 3rd country citizens);
3. document entitling to apply for visa, e.g. final acceptance letter in case of applying for student visa, work permit.

The applications not matching the requirements will not be accepted.

Only the correct applications (for both National/D and Schengen/C visas) will be considered eligible for processing on “the first come - first served” basis.

Confirmation will be sent by 4 p.m. every following Thursday to the accepted applicants, with date and time of the interview specified. 

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 Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Erbil 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.

Please, note that:

• Applicants must correctly input all of their personal details on the application form during the registration procedure.
• Applicants must input the correct details of their valid passport.
• 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. e-mail address and landline or mobile number).

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The earliest you can apply is 6 months before you intend to travel. You should apply no later than 17 days in advance. However, due to the long waiting list, the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Erbil may not be able to offer you a quick appointment with the Consul, so we suggest planning your trip in advance!

Please note that due to the increase in demand for Polish visas and for reasons beyond the control of the Consulate, the waiting time for a visa meeting is currently at least 2-3 weeks and may be extended up to a month. We apologize for the inconvenience.

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:
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. Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Erbil only accepts travel insurance purchased from insurance companies operating in Poland, which operate under the Polish Insurance Chamber - you can find a list here
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 with a Passenger Registration Number. The Consulate 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.

DETAILED LIST OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS TO BE PRESENTED BY VISA APPLICANTS DEPENDS ON PURPOSE OF TRAVEL

WORK VISA

Required documents:

• Copy of work permit.
• Written information from the future employer about the conditions of employment.
• 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.).
• Hotel booking or other written proof of accommodation; applicants intending to live with family or friends, or being sponsored by Polish / EU citizens in any other way, are required to submit an invitation registered in the Voivodeship Office.
• Documents regarding the family situation of the applicant (marriage / birth certificates).

STUDY, RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT WORK

Required documents:

• The original acceptance letter of the unit conducting the studies on admission to studies or on continuation of studies (a copy or scan is acceptable)
• This applies ONLY to applicants who are starting first-cycle studies: decision of the relevant Education Board in the Voivodeship where you intend to start your studies regarding the recognition of a secondary school/university/bachelor degree certificate from abroad as a document confirming in the Republic of Poland the right to apply for admission to higher education (a copy or scan is acceptable). 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. ​​​​​​

DOCUMENTS RECOGNISED BY OPERATION OF LAW IN POLAND
Each certificate, diploma or another document issued within the education system of one of EU, EEA or OECD member states that entitles to apply for admission to a higher education program in the state of issuance. This rule concerns the following states:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, USA.

DOCUMENTS RECOGNISED BY BILATERAL AGREEMENTS IN POLAND
Under international agreements, the Republic of Poland recognizes documents on education from the following countries: Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Cuba, Libya, Lithuania, Latvia, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Germany, Russia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Syria, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Hungary, Vietnam, and from the following currently defunct countries: Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia (SFRY), GDR, USSR.

►Please check the details also here.

• 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 certicicate, course and training diplomas/certificates) with superlegalisation.
• Written proof of accommodation in Poland, for the entire period of visa validity, including the rental amount.

PLEASE, NOTE:

Documents should be presented in English or Polish.

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, notorized "Sponsorship Letter" from a close family member (mother, father) confirming the obligation to cover the costs of education, together with original documents confirming possession of sufficient funds for this purpose. 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.

Original, notarized "Letter of Sponsorship: from a close family member (mother, father) confirming the obligation to cover the costs of education, together with original documents confirming possession of sufficient funds for this purpose.

VOLUNTEERING, INTERNSHIP– additional documents:

Required documents:

• 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 – additional documents:

Required documents:

• A verbal note issued by the Iraqi 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 organisation.

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 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-returnable, whatever the consul's decision.

The decision is made within 15 calendar days. Exceptionally, the time to make the decision can be extended up to 30 or 60 days. 

For citizens of certain countries or categories of travelers, the period required to make a decision on the application may be extended due to the need for visa consultations.

The decisions can be collected (only personally or by a duly authorized person) starting from the date indicated by the consular officer upon submitting your visa application, between 14:00 and 16:00.

Please, kindly note:

• Applicants are informed during their visa application about the date of their passport collection on the issued receipt. Applicants are then advised to keep this receipt as proof of their entry to the Consulate and for further easy reference on the date of release.
• Applicants may authorize a representative to claim the passport and visa decision on their behalf. The Consulate will then be requiring for the receipt and government-issued IDs/passport of the representative.
• The Consulate does not dispatch documents via courier.

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.

To file an appeal, please send an e-mail to: erbil.consul@msz.gov.pl

AN APPEAL should include:

1. An appeal letter (in English or Polish) to the Consul for reconsideration of the visa application personally signed by the applicant, in which the applicant will provide arguments as to why they do not agree with the Consul's decision.

2. Additional documents that are to change the Consul's decision.

The application fee in this case is 150 USD.

In order to file appeal you should contact us by e-mail erbil.consul@msz.gov.pl.