Poland in South Africa

You can apply directly at the consular office.

Visa application form must be submitted in person. Diplomatic mission does not accept application forms sent via fax, regular mail or e-mail.

You can book your appointment to apply for a visa via the e-konsulat system. Follow the link and change the language option at the top right of the page to "English, then select the letter "R" then "Republic of South Africa" and then "Pretoria." From the next menu, please select the option to "register form." Visa applications are accepted on Mondays 13:00 - 16:00 and Tuesdays to Fridays 09:00 - 12:00.

New appointment dates are made available every Monday evening after 19:00.

1.    Visa application form completed via the e-konsulat system, printed and signed.

2.    3.5 x 4.5 cm colour photo. The photo must be:
a.    sharp, taken against white background and printed on quality paper,
b.    newer than 6 months,
c.    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 or glasses.

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 include it with your visa application. In the case of non-South African citizens, proof of legal stay or a residence permit in South Africa is required, valid for a period of at least three months after the intended date of departure from the Schengen territory.

4.    Copy of the passport page with personal data and photo.

5.    Copy of an ID document to confirm residence within the consular district of your application.

6.   Schengen visa applicants (for single or double entry) must demonstrate that they have adequate and valid travel medical insurance covering any expenses that may arise during their stay in the territory of the Schengen Area relating to the need for return travel for medical reasons, the need for urgent medical assistance, emergency hospital treatment or death. Multiple entry Schengen visa applicants must 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 Schengen Area and cover the entire period of the planned stay. The insured amount must be no less than 30 000 EUR.

List of selected approved insurance companies which meet the criteria:

• Absa
• ACE
• AIG
• Allianz
• AXA
• Bryte
• Hollard
• IMG
• Old Mutual
• Santam
• Swiss Care
• Tokio Marine
• Wiener
• (Some medical aid companies, such as DISCOVERY, MOMENTUM & PROFMED, automatically provide travel insurance to their members)

7.    A flight booking/reservation. Must include dates and flight numbers specifying entry to and exit from the Schengen territories (round trip). Please provide the full itinerary, including departure from and return to South Africa. 

8.    Proof of accommodation for the entire duration of the intended stay. A confirmed hotel reservation is requested. A tour itinerary from a registered tour operator is also acceptable.

9.    A document to confirm the purpose and the conditions of your planned stay in Poland:

• Business meetings, professional training, conferences, workshops, short term studies or research, cultural or sports events, official meetings: official signed invitation letter from a company, institution or organisation in the Republic of Poland. The invitation should include clear identification of both the entity issuing it and the invited applicant; nature, duration and venue of the event; applicant’s role in the event and the link between the host and the invited applicant. If expenses are covered by the host, this needs to be clearly established in the invitation. If applicable, proof of registration and payment is also required. 
• Diplomatic/official visits: Note Verbale from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) or other relevant ministerial department must be presented.
• Medical treatment: certificate of the receiving health institution must be presented, including reference to the fact that the expected coverage of the medical treatment is available, and other certification of the coverage of the medical treatment.
• Visiting relatives and/or friends: official invitation letter is required from the host, which is registered in a Voivodeship Office in Poland (Urząd Wojewódzki) and confirms that the host will provide accommodation and financial support. In exceptional circumstances (if the official invitation letter cannot be procured), we may accept a Notarized invitation letter (in original) from the host (as well as a copy of his/her Polish ID or passport) which clearly identifies both host and invitee, and details the purpose of the visit and length of stay. If the host is not a Polish citizen, a copy of his/her passport and Polish residence card/visa is required, together with the lease agreement for his/her residence and proof of employment/studies.
• Spouses of Polish citizens: signed letter from the Polish citizen should be presented, which identifies the spouse and confirms the visit; this must be accompanied by a copy of the Polish citizen’s ID or passport, as well as their marriage certificate. There is no visa fee in such cases. If the Polish citizen confirms that s/he will cover all travel costs, then no further documents confirming employment or financial funds from the spouse are required.

10.   Proof of employment. Signed letter from employer confirming employment and indicating monthly salary, continued employment after period of leave and duration of absence. In the case of self-employed individuals, a certification from SA Companies and Intellectual Property Commission or SA Revenue Service is required. In the case of students, a letter from the school/college/university in South Africa certifying the applicant’s student status is required.

11.   Proof that you have enough financial means for the entire duration of the intended stay: 

• applicant’s last three months bank statements, certified by their bank, or
• pay slips from the applicant’s employer (last three months), pension slips, or
• a letter from his/her bank is required confirming credit card limit, or
• In the case of minors, a signed declaration by the legal representative or sponsor on the coverage of all relevant costs is required (including a copy of said representative’s/sponsor’s ID or passport, as well as three months of their bank statements or pay slips).

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

• Notarized consent of the child’s parent(s) to apply for a visa, prepared by a notary public and confirmed by a high court (Apostilled). 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 copy of the 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.

IMPORTANT: All original documents (passports, certificates, official letters, etc.) MUST be accompanied by COPIES thereof. Copies will not be made at the Consulate, and it is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all relevant copies are presented during the visa appointment. It is also the applicant's responsibility to deliver any outstanding documents to the Consulate, should their application be incomplete. The deadline for missing documents is determined during the appointment.

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. You should be ready to present to the border guard copies of all the documents you submitted with the visa application and a RETURN TICKET (not itinerary nor booking).

Charges in accordance with the table of consular fees.

Payment only in cash.

The visa application fee is non-returnable, whatever the consul's decision. 

The consul will make the decision on the visa within 15 calendar days. However, if required documents are missing and must be delivered by the applicant, the visa processing time may be extended. Exceptionally, the time to make the decision can be extended up to 30 days.  

After the application has been accepted by the Visa Officer in the Consular Section, the applicant will be given a receipt with the date of collection of the passport. Schengen visa processing time is 15 calendar days.  The visa may be collected by a courier or representative, who should present an authorization letter which has been signed by the passport holder. There is no need to make an appointment for the collection of the passport. Collection may be done at a later date, although only within consular office hours:

Monday:  12:00-13:00
Tuesday - Friday:  13:00-14:00

In case of a negative visa decision, the consul issues a written decision stating the reasons for it.

If you do not agree with the consul's decision, you have the right to apply for a re-examination of the visa application. You must submit it at the office of the office that issued the visa decision.

The fee for submitting such an application is the same as for the original application.

Visa appeals may be submitted:   Tuesday - Friday:  13:00-14:00

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 ​​​​​

• Some nationalities or holders of certain categories of travel documents are subject to compulsory consultation with national or EU authorities, which may delay the visa issuing process.
• The Embassy of the Republic of Poland strongly warns against making use of unscrupulous agents’ services when applying for visas to Poland. The Embassy and the Consulate does NOT collaborate with any visa agents.