Poland in Nigeria

You can apply directly at the consular office:

Consular Section, Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Abuja

Adress: 10, River Niger St., off Danube St., Maitama, Abudża, Nigeria
Tel.: +234 805 200 0204
E-mail: abuja.consulate@msz.gov.pl

Nationals and legal residents of Ghana may also apply for short-stay Schengen visas to Poland at the Netherlands Embassy in Accra, which represents Poland in Ghana. To apply, please go to www.vfsglobal.com and follow the procedure.

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: https://secure2.e-konsulat.gov.pl/ selecting the right category „Schengen Visa – Register Form”.

Dates of appointments are dispatched in the system on the last Monday of the month at 9.30 am (local time). In the event that the said dates fall on a holiday, the visa slots will be released on the next working day at the same time. Opening of new slots is subjected to general availability/limits per day.

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 Consular Section of the Polish Embassy in Abuja 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:

1. Applicants must correctly input all of their personal details on the application form during the registration procedure.
2. Applicants must input the correct details of their valid passport.
3. 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. email 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 15 days in advance.

General list of the documents to be provided:

1. A visa application form filled via the e-konsulat (wstawić hiperłącze) system, printed and signed.
2. A 3.5 x 4.5 cm colour photo. The photo must be:

1. sharp, taken against white background and printed on high quality paper,
2. newer than 6 months,
3. taken en face, clearly showing the eyes and face from 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. If you have another valid passport, you should attach it to the visa application form.
4. A copy of the passport page with personal data and a photo. 
5. A copy of flight ticket or flight reservation including return flight.
6. Applicants who are applying for a Schengen Visa (single or double entries) should demonstrate that they have adequate and valid travel medical insurance covering any expenses that may arise during their stay (s) in the territory of the Member States relating to the need to return for medical reasons, the need for urgent medical care, emergency inpatient treatment or death. Multiple-entry visa applicants should demonstrate that they have adequate and valid travel medical insurance for the period of their first intended visit. The insurance must be valid throughout the territory of the Member States of the European Union, cover the entire period of the planned stay. The minimum amount of insurance is EUR 30,000.
7. Copy of an ID document to confirm residence within the consular district of your application.
8. Proof that you have enough means of subsistence in the form decided by the mission:

1. A valid bank account statement issued by your bank or balance over the last 3 months,
2. A valid credit card with a certificate of means available,
3. A valid income certificate from your employer for the last three months and salary slips,
4. Pension slips,
5. Regular income generated by property.

9. A proof of accommodation (for example, an official invitation or a hotel booking or reservation).
10. A document to confirm the purpose and the conditions of your planned stay in Poland.

Additionally, when applying for a visa for a minor you should present:

• Written consent of the child’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.
• Original and a copy of a birth certificate.

If a child is entered in their parent's or a 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

1. 1. Tourism – additional documents:
1. Hotel reservation or proof of other accommodation; for applicants planning to stay with family or friends or being sponsored by Polish/EU citizens in any other way, an invitation registered with appropriate Polish authorities (Urzad Wojewodzki) is required.
2. Documents regarding applicant’s sufficient means of subsistence during intended stay, such as: introduction letter from employer with employer’s consent for travel; salary slips; proof of business ownership; personal/business bank account statements; proof of income generated by property; letter from sponsor and documents regarding sponsor’s financial situation;
3. Proof of employment:

1. Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) and Certificate of Business Incorporation paper for businesspersons.
2. Employment letter stating the days of leave for employees.
3. For scholars (professors, scholarship-holders, lecturers, instructors, etc.) and students, letter from school or university.

4. Proof of commercial activitied in Nigeria and overseas for businesspersons e.g. bills of lading, receipt book etc.
5. Any proof of ties in Nigeria (marriage  certificate, proof or real estate property).

1. 2. Family or friends visits – additional documents:
1. Copy of written and signed invitation from inviting person, stating conditions of visit (period of stay, who covers expenses etc.).
2. Hotel reservation or proof of other accommodation; for applicants planning to stay with family or friends or being sponsored by Polish/EU citizens in any other way, an invitation registered with appropriate Polish authorities (Urzad Wojewodzki) is required.
3. For family visits - marriage certificate. Local merriage certificate should be registered in Poland (more info: Legalization of documents.
4. For friends visits – proof of friendly relationship between applicant and person to be visited (correspondence, photos, etc.).
5. Photocopy of inviting person’s Polish/EU passport/national ID (if applicable) and – in case the inviting person is not a Polish/EU citizen – photocopy of the inviting person’s visa or residence  permit in Poland/EU.
6. Documents regarding applicant’s sufficient means of subsistence during intended stay, such as: introduction letter from employer with employer’s consent for travel; salary slips; proof of business ownership; personal/business bank account statements; proof of income generated by property; letter from sponsor and documents regarding sponsor’s financial situation.
7. Documents regarding applicant’s family situation (marriage/birth certificates).

1. 3. Business visits – additional documents:
1. Copy of written and signed invitation from inviting person or institution, stating the purpose and conditions of visit (period of stay, who covers expenses etc.);
2. Hotel reservation or proof of other accommodation; for applicants planning to stay with family or friends or being sponsored by Polish/EU citizens in any other way, an invitation registered with appropriate Polish authorities (Urzad Wojewodzki) is required..
3. Tax clearance certificate and certificate of  business incorporation of institution delegating applicant for visit.
4. Copy of tax clearance certificate and certificate of business incorporation of Polish business institution inviting applicant for visit.
5. Proof of commercial activities in country of residence, recent business contacts with inviting company (contracts, bills, commercial correspondence, etc.).
6. Proof of previous business dealings with other Polish/Schengen institutions.
7. For business conferences, fairs, seminars, congresses, etc. – invitation; proof of registration and payment of fees; other documents proving the existence of trade or work relations.
8. Documents regarding applicant’s sufficient means of subsistence during intended stay, such as: introduction letter from employer with employer’s consent for travel; salary slips; proof of business ownership; personal/business bank account statements; proof of income generated by property; letter from sponsor and documents regarding sponsor’s financial situation.
9. Documents regarding applicants family situation (marriage/birth certificates).

1. 4. Medical treatment – additional documents:
1. Certificate from the applicant's physician or a hospital in country of residence, confirming the need for specific medical treatment to be provided in the country of destination.
2. Copy of written, official confirmation of the receiving medical institution that it can perform the specific medical treatment and that the patient will be accepted accordingly.
3. Proof of pre-payment of the treatment or other proof of sufficient financial means to cover the medical treatment and related expenses, such as additional insurance coverage.
4. Any other correspondence between the sending and receiving sides, if available.
5. Hotel reservation or proof of another accommodation. For applicants planning to stay with family or friends or being sponsored by Polish/EU citizens in any other way, an invitation registered with appropriate Polish authorities (Urzad Wojewodzki) is required.
6. Documents regarding applicant’s sufficient means of subsistence during intended stay, such as: introduction letter from employer with employer’s consent for travel; salary slips; proof of business ownership; personal/business bank account statements; proof of income generated by property; letter from sponsor and documents regarding sponsor’s financial situation.
7. Documents regarding applicants family situation (marriage/birth certificates).

1. 5. Research and training – additional documents:
1. Certificate of enrolment at an educational establishment for the purpose of studying, undertaking scientific or practical trainings (including vocational training) or other activities that could help enhance the professional and intellectual skills of the applicant.
2. Student cards or certificates in respect of the courses to be attended.
3. Proof of pre-payment of courses or training activities, if applicable.

1. 6. Official mission or official purposes – additional documents:
1. A verbal note issued by the Nigerian Ministry for Foreign Affairs confirming that the applicant is a member of an official delegation or on an official mission to a Member State.
2. Invitation letter or confirmation of registration from the host organisation.

1. 7. Scientific purposes, Cultural, Sport or Religious Events or Other reasons – additional documents:
1. Copy of the official invitation.
2. Invitation, entry tickets, enrolments or programmes stating (wherever possible) the name of the host organisation, the length of stay or other documents proving the purpose of the journey.

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.
• Apply for a visa not earlier than six months before your planned journey.
• The consul may, but does not have to, invite the applicant for an interview.
• You may be banned from entering any of the Schengen States if you present forged documents or provide false information.
• Receiving the visa does not guarantee that you will enter the Schengen area – the final decision is always made by the authorities of the country where you intend to cross the Schengen area border. At the external border, you will be asked to provide evidence that meets the entry conditions.

IMPORTANT ADVISORY:

• Applicants must present two (2) sets of documents for a visa application – one (1) original set of documents and one (1) set of photocopies. All documents must be arranged accordingly to the checklist of visa requirements available at the website of the Embassy.
• All documents for the set of photocopies should be in A4 size paper.
• Applicants are requested to submit the required documents during the visa application.
• For family and group applications, each applicant must have the same set of documents and also arranged accordingly on the checklist of the required documents from the website.

Visa fee is 80 euro. For details see the full list of consular fees at the General Information Section (https://www.gov.pl/web/nigeria-en/consular-fees )

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.

VISA FEE EXEMPTIONS:

• • Children under 6 years of age;
  • Foreigners who are spouses of Polish nationals;
  • 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;
  • 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.

The consul will make the decision on the visa 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 current list of third countries whose nationals and categories of travelers are subject to visa consultations is available on the website of the European Commission (link)

The decisions can be collected (only personally or by a duly authorized person) on the date indicated by the consular officer upon submitting your visa application, between 13:30 and 14:30. In the event that the said dates fall on a holiday, the visa decisions will be released on the next working day at the same time.

Please kindly note: 

• Applicants are informed during their visa application 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 Embassy 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 Embassy will then be requiring for a signed and handwritten authorization letter of the applicant together with the receipt and government-issued IDs of both the applicant and the representative (these must also be done in an A4 size paper).
• The Embassy 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.

An applicant (or a person acting on his/her behalf upon a written authorization) needs to come to the Embassy during reception hours (Monday – Friday from 2:30pm to 3:30pm) without appointment, with the documents, pay 80 EUR and present the case. 

The application fee in this case is 80 euro.

Please note that an appeal cannot be completed by mail or by sending documents through DHL. 

If 14 days have already passed, the applicant needs to make a new appointment on-line.

Revocation or annulment of Schengen visa

If you have received a decision to revoke or annul your Schengen visa that you do not agree with, you have the right to ask for a reconsideration. However, if you have applied yourself for your Schengen visa to be revoked and the consul has agreed, you are not entitled to appeal. You should apply for reconsideration within 14 days of receiving the decision to annul or revoke your Schengen visa at the consular post that issued the decision.​​​​

If you apply for reconsideration after your Schengen visa was revoked or annulled, you do not have to pay the consular fee.

Complaint about refusal to issue Schengen visa, decision to revoke or annul Schengen visa and the consul's activities in this respect

If the consul who examines your reconsideration request, issues a new decision to refuse, annul or revoke your visa, which you do not agree with, you have the right to submit a complaint to the Provincial Administrative Court in Warsaw. The complaint should be forwarded through the consul who made the decision, within 30 days of receiving the decision taken as a result of the re-examination.

You do not pay a consular fee for submitting a complaint to the consul, but you have to pay fees for proceedings before administrative courts. Therefore, you have to note that the court will ask you to pay the court fee. More information on the amount of court fees when appealing with the administrative court, possibility to apply for an exemption from the costs and the language of the procedure, is available at:

http://bip.warszawa.wsa.gov.pl/133/wpis-sadowy-zasady-dokonywania-wpisu.html