Polish Consulate NYC, New York – 4 Easy Steps to Apply for Poland Schengen Visa
There are lots of things to see and do in Poland. Whether that’s exploring its coastline or spending time in one of its UNESCO World Heritage cities, you’ll find something that appeals in this Schengen country. The capital, Warsaw, is perfect for meandering through the old part of town or visiting one of its museums. The churches, art galleries and chic places to eat and drink in Krakow draw in lots of visitors. Let’s not forget the stunning national parks of Bialowieza or the forests in Bory Tucholskie – superb choices if you’re looking to get out into nature! In this article learn more about how to apply for Poland visa at the Polish consulate in NYC, New York, Poland visa appointment booking, Processing time at the Poland visa application center, flight itinerary for Poland visa, hotel bookings for Poland visa, Schengen travel insurance for Poland visa application, and Poland Visa Application Process at the NYC consulate.
Applying for Poland Schengen Visa from the United States
If you wish to go to Poland you may or may not need a visa to be able to enter the country. Information regarding this is on the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in New York’s website. If you are a US citizen, you do NOT need a visa to enter Poland. However, if you don’t see your country on this list and you are permanently living in the US, but are a non-US citizen, you DO need a visa for Poland.
You have to make sure you apply at the right Polish embassy and consulate. There are 7 diplomatic missions for Poland in the US and you will apply to the one that has jurisdiction over the area where you live. Therefore, if you live in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, or Vermont, you can apply through the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in New York.
Poland Schengen Visa
In 2027, 823,101 Poland Schengen visas were received by all of the embassies and consulates around the world. 3.92% of them were refused. The Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in New York received 569 and rejected just 1.1% of them.
Types of Schengen Visas Offered at the Polish Consulate in NYC New York
There are 3 types of visas issued by the Polish consulate in New York:
- Schengen short-stay visa (type C) – up to a maximum of 90 days in a 180 day period
- National long-stay visa (type D) – valid for over 90 days up to 1 year
- Airport Transit visa (type A) – for transiting through a Polish airport without leaving the international transit zone. Airport visas are required from the citizens of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, and Sri Lanka
Purpose of Travel
Schengen visas are suitable for the purposes of tourism, visiting family or friends, business trips, economic or cultural activities, international conferences, sports events, and transit. They are usually issued as single, double, or multiple entry which relates to the number of times you can enter the country during the dates of the visa.
National visa are suitable for the purposes of employment, residence, study, religious reasons etc. They are usually issued as single or multiple entry.
Schengen Visa Application Process at the Polish Consulate in NYC New York
Before you begin the application process, you should spend some time looking at the consulate in New York’s website. It’s really important that you understand the requirements and what you need to do. You need to make sure that you apply for the correct type of visa and specify the correct reason for wanting to go to Poland. If you don’t, it could affect the outcome of your application. The last thing you want is for it to be rejected!
Your visa application will be processed in 15 days, but it could take up to 30 days depending on a number of factors, such as the type of visa you are applying for and/or your nationality. Therefore, you should aim to apply AT LEAST 15 days prior to your departure date, but you can apply up to 90 days beforehand. Applications received MORE than 90 days ahead will not be accepted and there is no rush processing!
To assist you in applying for your Poland visa and to make the procedure easy for you, here are a few steps to follow.
Step 1: Book an appointment and complete your application form online
When you submit your application to the consulate in New York, you need to book a pre-arranged appointment. You must appear in person and the consulate does not allow walk-ins. Go to the consulate’s website and click on: “Consular information” and “Visas”
On the next page, click on the appointment link at the top of the page:
Next, key in your country (United States of America) and the consulate in New York:
Then choose either a National visa or Schengen visa:
On this page, there are instructions for using the system. Once you’ve read them, key in the image verification code at the bottom:
Then, click on the drop down box and you will see a list of dates. Choose the most convenient one for your appointment:
When you have made your appointment on the booking system, you can complete your application form online too. Please note, you need to complete the application form within 1 hour of making your appointment. If you don’t do this, the appointment will be canceled and you’ll have to start again. Remember to print your application form because you need to sign it in the relevant place (s).
Making appointments with the embassy or visa application center is generally free and can be done yourself. However, If you are running short of time or not sure which consulate to apply to or have no idea on how to get this done yourself then not to worry, we will make the appointment for you for a small service fee!
Booking a visa appointment using our services is pretty simple! All you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:
- Visit the link to schedule the visa appointment
- Submit the appointment details, visa you are applying for, consulate you need the appointment for, the country you need the appointment IN and make the payment
- Receive appointment confirmation in email
Step 2: Get your documents ready
Before you start this part of the procedure, take a look at the requirements for your type of visa. It’s important that you submit everything that is required. If you fail to comply with what is necessary, the consulate in New York will reject your application.
In addition, you need to photocopy everything and submit these with the original documents.
Documents to get ready include:
- Visa Application Form – to be registered at www.e-konsulat.gov.pl, completed, printed and signed. One application form for each applicant in your travel party
- 1 photograph in color, passport size, taken within the last 6 months against a plain white background, with neutral facial expression (no smiling)
- Passport or equivalent travel document, valid for at least 3 months after the date of intended departure from Poland, with at least two blank visa pages, issued within the last 10 years. Copy of the passport’s data page is also required
- Proof of legal residence in the US and valid re-entry document. I.e. permanent residence card or U.S. resident visa type A, E, F (with I-20), G, H, I, J plus J1 documents, L, O, R. Must be valid at least 3 months beyond your trip
- Round-trip flight reservation – must be confirmed
- Confirmed hotel reservation
- Invitation from the host (e.g. member of the family, friend) with an address and a copy of an ID of the host
- Proof of Schengen travel medical insurance for emergency medical, hospitalization and repatriation with a minimum of 30,000 Euros (or 50,000 USD)
- Proof of sufficient financial means such as last 3 bank account statements or proof of regular income, e.g. last 3 pay slips, or student loan agreement. A minimum of $40 per day is required to cover expenses in Poland
- Reference letter from employer or tax return and the original business registration (self-employed)
- Reference letter from the US employer confirming the applicant’s position and purpose or travel plus a letter of invitation from the Polish company
- Confirmation of participation in conference, sport, or cultural event
- Letter from the school/college with proof of sponsorship, the purpose of visit, contact details, the address of the accommodation and itinerary
- Visa for next destination (if required) and documents proving your intention to leave the Schengen area before the visa expires
- Letter of admission from a Polish school/university
- Notarized letter of financial support from a parent with bank statements from the last three months, or from a legal guardian or sponsoring company (if applicable)
- A work permit issued by Wojewoda in Poland and/or a certificate of employment
- Certificate of marriage and/or birth certificate
If you’re planning to obtain your flight reservation for visa without paying for the ticket, all you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:
- Visit the Visa Reservation website to choose the right package
- Submit the travel details and make the payment online
- Receive flight itinerary in email
Step 3: Attend your appointment
On the day of your appointment, arrive at the consulate in New York early. If you are late, you may well have to reschedule your appointment and this may delay your trip.
Remember to take ALL your documents to support your application, this includes photocopies as well.
Dress the part! Don’t turn up in jeans and a t-shirt. Your aim should be to make a good impression.
The visa staff will examine your application and if they need any more information, they may ask you to provide extra paperwork and/or they may ask you questions about your application. Interview Questions like:
- Are you traveling with someone else to the Schengen area?
- Why do you need a 3-month visa?
- Can you show me your bank statement?
- Do you have a girlfriend/boyfriend?
- Do you have an approval letter from your employer allowing you this absence?
Even though the visa staff may be able to find out this information from the documents you have provided, just answer the questions. They aren’t trying to trick you, they simply want enough facts and figure to be able to make a decision about whether to grant your visa or not.
Don’t jeopardize your Schengen visa interview at the last minute. Use this comprehensive and thorough visa interview guide to crack the visa interview!
You will also pay the fee for your visa. This can be paid for in cash, cashier’s check or money order payable to the Consulate General of Poland in New York. This fee is not refunded even if your application is refused.
Poland Schengen Visa Fee
Type of visa | Fee |
Short stay Schengen visa (C) and long stay national visa (D) | $72 |
Short stay Schengen visa for citizens of the Russian Federation | $42 |
Long-stay national visa for citizens of the Russian Federation | $72 |
Short-stay Schengen visa for citizens of Ukraine | $42 |
Long-stay national visa for citizens of Ukraine | $0 |
Visa fee exemptions:
- Children under 6 years of age;
- Foreigners who are spouses of EU citizens;
- School pupils, students, postgraduate students and accompanying teachers who undertake trips for the purpose of study or educational training (Schengen visas only);
- Researchers from third countries traveling for the purpose of carrying out scientific research as defined in Recommendation No 2005/761/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of the September 28, 2005 to facilitate the issue by the Member States of uniform short-stay visas for researchers from third countries traveling within the community for the purpose of carrying out scientific research;
- Representatives of non-profit organizations aged 25 years or less participating in seminars, conferences, sports, cultural or educational events organized by non-profit organizations.
- ‘Karta Polaka’ (‘Card of the Pole’) holders (National visa, type D, only)
In addition, you may have to provide a scan of your fingerprints.
Step 4: Receive your visa
Once a decision has been reached you will be notified and you can collect your passport from the consulate. You also have the option of having your passport mailed back to you. There is an additional $18 payable for this service and the consulate will not accept any responsibility if your passport is lost or damaged.
There are 2 outcomes for your visa application:
- Approved – you will find your Poland visa attached to one of the pages inside your passport
- Rejected – your visa application may have been rejected for any number of reasons
Typical rejection reasons include:
- False travel document
- Documents to prove the purpose of travel were not included
- Passport did not have 2 free pages
- The application has been received at the wrong Polish diplomatic mission
- Credit card statements have been included instead of bank statements
You must apply at the correct Polish diplomatic mission. As mentioned above, each office has its own jurisdiction that it deals with, so you must apply to the one that covers your area. Your passport must have 2 free pages for the visa to be affixed. If it doesn’t, you should obtain a new one before applying for your visa. DO NOT present fake documents, you will be found out – it’s as simple as that! Unless stated, you must provide bank statements instead of credit card statements, and you must include ALL of the required documents, including proof of your purpose of travel – a travel itinerary for example.
Contact details for the Polish Consulate in NYC New York
Address: 233 Madison Avenue (Jan Karski Corner), New York, NY 10016
Email: newyork.passport-visa@msz.gov.pl
Tel: 646 237 2100
Fax: 646 237 2116
Please note, due to the high number of incoming calls, you should check the consulate’s website before you contact them via phone or email
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8:30 am – 2:30 pm and Wednesday: 11:30 am – 5:30 pm
Conclusion
So, 4 simple steps to apply for your Poland visa. All you need to do is:
- Make an appointment and complete your application online
- Get your documents ready
- Attend your appointment
- Receive your visa
At the end of step 4, you’ll, hopefully, have your Poland visa, so you can concentrate on planning for your epic trip to Poland!
At Visa Reservation, we strive to simplify the visa process by providing free visa consultations, cover letter templates and no objection letter templates for our clients from US, UK, Canada, Philippines, India, China, UAE, Europe, Nigeria and globally. We also offer flight itinerary for visa, travel medical insurance, hotel reservations for visa , Book Visa Appointment, Travel Guides, Visa Interview Guides and many more. To learn more about how we can help you with our visa services, please feel free to contact us today.
See Also
How To Apply for Poland Schengen Visa at Polish Consulate in Los Angeles, California
Worldwide Visa Requirements