Poland in Kenya

• You can apply at the consular office located in Nairobi, Red Hill Road 58 (off Limuru Road). The Consular Section is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, between 9:30am and 12:30am. 
• You can contact the Consular Section either via e-mail: nairobi.amb.wk@msz.gov.pl 

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. 

• Remember that the visa application should be submitted at least one month before the planned departure.

New appointments will be available on https://secure.e-konsulat.gov.pl/ on 18th of November 2024, starting  at 12 pm (Kenyan time). The appointments usually are booked very quickly. Please do not book appointments that are after your planned visit. Additional visits will not be given for applicant who book appointments they do not need.

There will be special appointments dedicated for STUDENTS ONLY (National visa- students) and for other types of visits (National visa-other). Please be informed that if you book a student or other appointment to use it for work visa, your application will not be accepted at the counter. 

VISITS FOR WORK VISAS (Lottery)

When registering, provide full and authentic data contained in the submitted documents. The data entered in the application must be consistent with the data contained in the documents (also in terms of spelling).

Persons interested in obtaining a national visa in order to work in Poland, please make appointments on the e-konsulat system only.

In order to book the deadline for submitting an application for a national work visa:

- enter the e-konsulat website,

- in the MENU tab,

• select the option "National visa - register form",
• then select "National visa - work",
• fill in the initial visa application containing your basic data and the data on 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 visa application. You have 48 hours to submit your full application.
• Fill out the application, once completed, 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 automatically be canceled;

• - if there are more than available places existing (extra), the appointment dates will be

     allocated by electronic drawing.

• After the draw, you will receive information about its results and:
• when your application has been selected, you will receive information about the date of the visit,
• if your application has not been selected in a given pool of shared visits, it goes​​​​​ into the next draw.

Employees of the consular offices cannot interfere with the process of drawing any applications, assigning the date of the visit.

All information, confirmations, and links to fill in applications are sent automatically by e-mail to the e-mail address provided by you,

You must come to the consular office on the agreed date with the duly printed and signed visa form, the original work permit and the complete set of documents required to lodge your visa. 

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 submits a document confirming that he/she is covered by health insurance within the meaning of the provisions of the Act of 27 August 2004 on health-care benefits financed from public funds  or in posession of a travel medical insurance with a minimum insurance amount of EUR 30,000, valid throughout the period of the foreigner's planned stay in the territory of the Republic of Poland, covering any expenses which may arise during the stay in this territory in connection with the need of a return travel for medical reasons, urgent need for medical aid, emergency hospital treatment or death, in which the insurer agrees to cover the costs of health-care benefits provided to the insured directly to the subject providing such benefits, on the basis of a bill issued by the said subject. 

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 copy of the flight ticket reservation for the planned journey to the Schengen area and return to the place of departure.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSE OF VISIT :

Study and research

1. Letter of acceptance from educational institution in Poland. The letter must contain:

• your personal data
• what course you have been admitted to/what research work to be done
• course/research duration
• date and contact details

2. Proof of financial support

•  proof of the scholarship you have been or will be granted  or
• proof of your personal ability to finance your studies or
• proof that a guarantor supports you: a letter from your guarantor confirming his/her sponsorship, proof of solvency of the guarantor (bank account statement for the last 3 months / salary sheet / tax paper) and a photocopy of the guarantor’s identity card.

3. Diploma of your highest education level legalized by the Foreign Ministry 

4. If on the diploma there is no information concerning the right to continue education at the next level in the country in which educational system a school operates, the applicant needs to provide a letter issued by the school or country’s educational authorities e.g. Ministry of Education, stating that the applicant’s diploma entitles him/her to continue education at the next level, including the right to apply to a higher education institution. 

5. If  applicant is paying for study, training or research programme receipt confirming that the fee for the whole programme was paid (in case of studies longer than 1 year the payment has to cover the first semester of studies).

Required additional documents in the visa procedure in relation
to student visas

1. A secondary school leaving certificate or another document issued abroad confirming the right to apply for admission to higher education in Poland (any one of the undermentioned documents):

a) a secondary school leaving certificate issued by a school or educational institution recognized by the country concerned, together with the legalization of the competent authority in the country concerned.

b) certificates and other documents issued by a school operating in the education system of an EU, OECD, EFTA member state.

c) IB (International Baccalaureate) diploma issued by the International Baccalaureate Organization in Geneva.

d) EB (European Baccalaureate) diplomas issued by the European Schools in accordance with the Convention on the Statute of the European Schools drawn up in Luxembourg on 21 June 1994.

e) certificates and other documents issued abroad and recognized by Kenya, Uganda, etc., under an international agreement, may be recognized by way of an administrative decision as a document confirming the right to apply for admission to studies in Poland.

In case of any additional inquiries please contact directly:
a) Ministry of Science and Higher Education in Poland: https://www.gov.pl/web/science 
b) Ministry of National Education in Poland: https://www.gov.pl/web/edukacja
c) visa applicant’s country Embassy in Poland/accredited for Poland

2. An administrative decision of Education Office (in Polish language: Kuratorium Oświaty) in the region (województwo) where Polish University is based recognizing the certificate as a document confirming secondary education in Poland or the right to continue education - including the right to apply for admission to higher education.

A list of regional Education Offices: https://www.gov.pl/web/edukacja/kuratoria-oswiaty

The decision should be obtained before submitting the visa application. According to the Act on Foreigners of 12.12.2013 – a foreigner has the right to complete the documents necessary to confirm the legitimacy of applying for a student visa within 7 days from the date of submitting the visa application.

In case of any additional inquiries please contact directly:
a) Education Office in the region (województwo) where Polish University is based     
b) visa applicant’s University based in Poland
c) visa applicant’s country Embassy in Poland/accredited for Poland

First-cycle or long-cycle programs – certificates and other documents must be recognized by the Education Board (Kuratorium Oświaty) as equivalent to the Polish maturity certificate
(Act of 7 September 1991 on the education system).

Second-cycle studies – it is sufficient to submit a diploma of graduation, i.e. a bachelor's degree or equivalent, and there is no requirement to present a secondary school certificate
(Act of 20 July 2018, Law on Higher Education and Science).

Third-cycle studies – there is no requirement to present a secondary school certificate.

3. Certificate of proficiency in the language of instruction issued at the level required by the Polish University.

4. In the case of higher education on a fee-based basis, proof of payment of the tuition fee in accordance with the requirements of the Polish University must be submitted.

Embassy of Poland in Nairobi is not assisting in obtaining any document required in student visa procedure.

Work

1. Original document of the Work Permit issued by corresponding Urząd  Wojewodzki/Governor`s Office in Poland and its photocopy.

2. Job offer or contract from prospective employer stating  job title, wages and working conditions and its photocopy.

3. Proof that applicant meets the job requirements, such as employment references from previous jobs outlining  job duties, copies of relevant education certificates, proof of professional qualifications.

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.

• The visa fee is 135 euro.
• 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 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 in three working days.

• you can collect your passport with the visa decision personnally or through an authorized person (in this case, this person must bring a written authorization and ID card / passport).
• The collection is possible during office days: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 13.00 to 14.00 without prior appointment. 

• 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 135 euros.
• You can submit the application during the consulate's opening days and hours, without prior appointment.

I would like to go to Poland for work. What documents should I submit at the consulate?

Your future employer should apply to the appropriate voivodeship office in Poland to have your work permit issued. Then you should apply for a national visa at the consulate. Information on the required documents can be found on the consulate's website.

I have lodged an appeal against a negative visa decision. When it will be considered?

The consul issues a new visa decision within 14 days.