Poland in Kenya

1. The safety of Polish citizens is an absolute priority for Polish visa policy and so is the robustness and security of the Schengen States.

2. Visa applications are processed in accordance with the provisions of the Polish
Act on Foreigners and of the EU Visa Code.

3. Concerning media allegations, Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Nairobi do not cooperate with informal intermediaries, neither does it encourage the use of such services.

4. The activities of any company that prepare visa documentation for the citizens of Kenya, Uganda and all other accreditation countries of the Embassy of Poland in Nairobi, subsequently promising their clients to obtain a working or study visa to Poland have no influence on the visa decision of the Polish Consul in Nairobi.

5. Persons applying for National Visa with the right to work in Poland or study in Poland needs to submit a visa application and all required documents together with a fee of EUR 135 in person at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Nairobi. The Embassy of Poland in Nairobi does not charge any additional fees.

6. Obtaining a work permit in Poland or a certificate of admission to study in Poland by a foreigner does not determine a person will automatically receive National visa to work or study in Poland.

7. A person who is dissatisfied with a Polish visa refusal decision, has the right to appeal against such a decision. Request for reconsideration of a visa application must be submitted within 14 days from the date of receiving such refusal decision with the fee additional EUR 135.  

Persons applying for a visa with the right to work in Poland or to study in Poland needs to submit a visa application and all required documents together with a fee of EUR 135 IN PERSON at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Nairobi.

It is an individual decision for visa applicants to request the recruiting company focus on employment for migrant workers in Kenya to prepare visa documentation and pay for such service on their behalf.

At the same time, we would like to inform all visas applicants that obtaining a Work Permit for a foreigner in Poland or a Certificate of Admission of a foreigner to study in Poland does not automatically suggest that one receives  a Polish visa.

The Consul of Poland in Nairobi issues Polish National visa in accordance with the provisions set out in the Act on Foreigners issued 2013.

Before you apply, you must decide which visa you need:

Airport transit Schengen visa (A-Type)

choose this visa type if you plan to pass through an international transit area of a Schengen airport travelling with a passport of one of these states:  Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka.

Schengen visa (C-Type)

Choose this visa if you plan to stay in Poland or other Schengen countries for a maximum of 90 days in each 180-day period of time. This means that you are allowed to stay in the Schengen zone legally only if your stay in Schengen countries did not exceed 90 days over the last 180 days. A special calculator on the European Commission’s website will help you count how long you can stay in Schengen countries.

You can apply for a Schengen visa in a Polish diplomatic mission if:

• Poland is the only destination country of your visit to the Schengen zone;
• you visit more than one Schengen country, but Poland is your main destination;
• you do not know which Schengen country will be your main destination, but you cross the Schengen border for the first time in Poland.

In exceptional cases it is possible to issue a Schengen LTV visa which is valid only in the territory of selected Schengen states.

The mere possession of a visa does not confer an automatic right of entry and that the holders of visa are requested to present proof that they fulfil the entry conditions at the external border, as provided for in Article 5 of the Schengen Borders Code.

Where fingerprints collected from the applicant as part of an earlier application were entered in the VIS for the first time less than 59 months before the date of the new application, they shall be copied to the subsequent application. However, where there is reasonable doubt regarding the identity of the applicant, the consulate shall collect fingerprints within the period specified above.

National visa (D-Type)

Choose this visa if you want to stay in Poland for more than 90 days. The validity of a national visa cannot exceed one year. You also need to apply for a national visa if you seek asylum, repatriation, or if you use Polish Card privileges.

Who is eligible:

IMPORTANT NOTICE: This procedure applies only to family members of EU nationals who do not have Polish citizenship or do not have a permanent residence in Poland.

EU nationals include:

• nationals of EU member states,
• nationals of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

A family member of an EU national is:

• a spouse of an EU national,
• direct descendant of the EU citizen or his spouse, up to 21 years of age or dependent on the EU citizen or his spouse,
• direct ascendant of the EU citizen or his spouse, dependent on the EU citizen or his spouse.

Under the procedure you are eligible to submit your visa application:

• free of charge,
• without prior appointment.

Required documents:

• A printed and signed visa application (filled in online)
• A recent photo in colour 35 x 45 mm size,
• A valid passport,
• A document confirming the existence of family connections with an EU national (e.g. marriage certificate, birth certificate),
• A document confirming that you accompany an EU national in his/her journey or join him/her in their place of residence.

Visa refusal:

A consul refuses a visa in the form of a decision. You can appeal against the refusal to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

When you apply for a visa, you have to provide your biometric data: a photo in the case of a national visa and a photo and fingerprints in the case of a Schengen visa.

If you have already applied for a Schengen visa in the recent 59 months and if you have given your fingerprints, you do not have to give them again – the system will automatically transfer your data.

The following applicants do not have to give their fingerprints:

• children under 12;
• persons who are physically unable to give their fingerprints (because they do not have fingers or they suffer from a temporary finger trauma); 
• heads of states or governments, members of national governments and their accompanying spouses and members of official delegations if they are invited for official purposes;
• monarchs and high-ranking members of royal families, if they are invited for official purposes.

The authority responsible for the processing of personal data that are in the Visa Information System (VIS) is the Central Technical Authority of the National Information System at the National Police Headquarters, address: ul. Puławska 148/150, 02-624 Warszawa.

Complaints concerning personal data protection are handled by the Inspector General for Personal Data Protection, address: ul. Stawki 2, 00-193 Warszawa.