If your trip to Poland is shorter than three months, there is a good chance that you do not need to obtain any sort of visa to enter the country. Poland allows nationals from a number of countries, including the United States, Mexico, and European Union member countries to visit Poland for under 90 days without a visa. If you hold a passport from a country that does not benefit from this regulation, you will need to apply for a tourist visa through the Polish consulate in your home country. Fees for Polish tourist visas range from $20 to $100 per visa, as of 2010.
If you are traveling to Poland as a student for a period longer than 90 days and you do not hold a passport from a member state of the European Union or European Environment Agency, EU/EEA, respectively, you will need to apply for a student visa prior to your arrival in Poland. In order to apply for a visa, you must submit a valid passport, completed visa application form, two passport-sized photographs, a bank statement to prove sufficient funds, confirmation of travel insurance and a letter of acceptance to a Polish university, language school or college.
If you will be working in Poland and you are not an EU/EEA national, you must apply for and obtain both a work permit and a work visa. The process for obtaining a work permit is initiated by the company or organization wishing to employ you, which applies for a permit on your behalf. The documentation necessary when applying for a work visa is similar to that of a student visa with one exception: Instead of an academic letter of acceptance, you must submit the work permit obtained for you by your future employer.
Obtaining a Schengen visa allows you to travel throughout the Schengen territory, a region consisting of 25 countries that include Poland, Malta, Sweden, Austria, Germany, France, Greece and the Netherlands. If you hold this visa, you are free to travel throughout these countries for up to 90 days within a six month period.
