Skip to content
MyVisaPort

Poland for Sri Lankan passport holders: Embassy visa

Your circumstances

Passport:
🇱🇰 Sri Lankan
Lives in:
Not specified (general rule)
Going to:
🇵🇱 Poland
Purpose:
Holiday

Route summary

Embassy visa

Schengen visa required

Sri Lankan passport holders need a short-stay Schengen visa (type C) for Poland, applied for before travel at the consulate or its visa centre.

Conditions

  • A Schengen visa is valid for the whole Schengen area: up to 90 days in any 180 days.
  • Apply at the consulate of Poland if it is your only or main destination (longest stay), or of the first country you enter if stays are equal.
  • Apply where you legally live, no earlier than 6 months and no later than 15 days before travel; an appointment may be needed.
  • If you already hold a valid residence permit or long-stay visa issued by a Schengen country, you can visit other Schengen countries for up to 90 days in 180 without a new visa (Schengen Convention art. 21).
  • Fingerprints are taken when you apply (some exemptions) and your entry is recorded in the EES at the border.

About this route

Route type
Embassy visa: you apply through an embassy, consulate or appointed visa centre.
Documents
5 listed by the official source.
Fee
€90 (as published).
Processing
15 days as a rule; up to 45 days if more checks are needed.

Next step

Book an appointment with the consulate or its visa centre

Official application pagegov.pl ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Last checked 4 Oct 2026 against eur-lex.europa.eu · EUR-Lex consolidated text + EC "Applying for a Schengen visa" page read 2026-10-04

Documents

5 documents listed by the official source
  • Passport valid 3+ months after leaving the Schengen area, issued within the last 10 years, with 2 blank pages
  • Completed application form
  • ICAO-standard photo
  • Travel medical insurance (emergency care, hospitalisation, repatriation)
  • Proof of purpose, accommodation, funds and intention to return

Fees

Official government fee
€90
Children aged 6–12: EUR 45.
Visa-centre / service fee (not a government fee)
May be charged by visa centres; amount not published by the government
Notes from the source
EUR 90 adults, EUR 45 children aged 6–12; visa centres may add a service fee.

Visa-centre, service or other third-party charges are never official government fees.

Processing and validity

Processing time
15 days as a rule; up to 45 days if more checks are needed
Validity
Single or multiple entry, as stated on the visa
Maximum stay
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period, as stated on the visa

How to apply: Schengen visa required

4 steps from the official source
  1. Step 1: Book an appointment with the consulate or its visa centre
  2. Step 2: Submit the form, documents and fingerprints
  3. Step 3: Pay the fee
  4. Step 4: Wait for the decision (usually 15 days)

Where: Consulate of Poland (or its external visa centre) responsible for where you live

Official application page: gov.pl ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Requirements for all visitors to Poland

These apply on top of the visa rules above, whatever your passport, unless an item says otherwise.

  • Proof of fundsProof of means of subsistence: PLN 300 for up to 4 days, PLN 75/day for longer stays, plus return-journey funds (PLN 200 / 500 / 2,500 by origin)

    Applies to: non-EU/EEA/Swiss visitors at the external Schengen border, on request.

    Official source: home-affairs.ec.europa.eu · Last checked 2 Nov 2026

Quick answers

Do Sri Lankan passport holders need a visa for Poland?

Schengen visa required. Sri Lankan passport holders need a short-stay Schengen visa (type C) for Poland, applied for before travel at the consulate or its visa centre. Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02018R1806-20251230

Business, work or just passing through?

The rules above are for a holiday: tourism and visiting family and friends. Business visits, paid work and transit are covered separately below.

Business visits to Poland

Option 1
Embassy visaBusiness visit (meetings, conferences – not paid work)

Business visit: Schengen visa required

Short business visits (meetings, conferences, negotiations – not paid work) follow the same route as a holiday, because the official source covers business visits (Tourism, family visits, business (short stay)). Sri Lankan passport holders need a short-stay Schengen visa (type C) for Poland, applied for before travel at the consulate or its visa centre.

Conditions

  • A Schengen visa is valid for the whole Schengen area: up to 90 days in any 180 days.
  • Apply at the consulate of Poland if it is your only or main destination (longest stay), or of the first country you enter if stays are equal.
  • Apply where you legally live, no earlier than 6 months and no later than 15 days before travel; an appointment may be needed.
  • If you already hold a valid residence permit or long-stay visa issued by a Schengen country, you can visit other Schengen countries for up to 90 days in 180 without a new visa (Schengen Convention art. 21).
  • Fingerprints are taken when you apply (some exemptions) and your entry is recorded in the EES at the border.
Government fee
€90
EUR 90 adults, EUR 45 children aged 6–12; visa centres may add a service fee.
Processing
15 days as a rule; up to 45 days if more checks are needed
Validity
Single or multiple entry, as stated on the visa
Max stay
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period, as stated on the visa
Steps, documents & where to apply

How to apply

  1. 1Book an appointment with the consulate or its visa centre
  2. 2Submit the form, documents and fingerprints
  3. 3Pay the fee
  4. 4Wait for the decision (usually 15 days)

Where: Consulate of Poland (or its external visa centre) responsible for where you live

Official application page ↗

Documents checklist

  • Passport valid 3+ months after leaving the Schengen area, issued within the last 10 years, with 2 blank pages
  • Completed application form
  • ICAO-standard photo
  • Travel medical insurance (emergency care, hospitalisation, repatriation)
  • Proof of purpose, accommodation, funds and intention to return

✓ EUR-Lex consolidated text + EC "Applying for a Schengen visa" page read 2026-10-04

Official wording

“Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, Annex I (consolidated 30 Dec 2025): Sri Lanka listed among third countries whose nationals must hold a visa when crossing the external borders.”

Working in Poland

Main work visa routes for Poland

These are the main routes and what they require. Whether you qualify depends on your circumstances; the official page decides.

Work permit type A (zezwolenie na pracę typu A)

For: Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals employed under a contract with an employer based in Poland

  • The employer applies (always), for a specific foreign worker
  • Contract with a Polish employer
  • Pay not lower than for comparable workers and at least the minimum wage
  • Working time between 1/4 and full time
Fees
PLN 200 (work up to 3 months) or PLN 400 (longer), paid by the employer
Length
Up to 3 years (up to 1 year in some cases)

Source: Biznes.gov.pl (Polish government) – Zezwolenie na pracę typu A lub B (biznes.gov.pl).

What the source says

"O zezwolenie na pracę typu A lub B dla cudzoziemca zawsze występuje pracodawca , który chce go zatrudnić." … "praca powinna być wykonywana na podstawie umowy z polskim pracodawcą" … "wysokość miesięcznego wynagrodzenia cudzoziemca nie może być niższa niż wysokość minimalnego wynagrodzenia za pracę" … "wymiar czasu pracy nie może być niższy niż 1/4 pełnego wymiaru czasu pracy" … "typu A – wydawane jest na okres nie dłuższy niż 3 lata" … "200 zł – opłata za złożenie wniosku" … "400 zł – opłata za złożenie wniosku"

EU Blue Card

For: Highly qualified non-EU employees

  • Work contract or binding job offer for highly qualified employment of at least 1 year
  • Salary at or above the national EU Blue Card threshold (see the official page)
  • Higher professional qualifications (or national requirements for regulated professions)
  • Sickness insurance
  • Poland applies a labour market test (employer must first look for local/EU workers).

Source: European Commission – EU Immigration Portal: EU Blue Card in Poland (page dated 1 April 2025) (home-affairs.ec.europa.eu).

What the source says

"meet the minimum salary threshold in the Member State concerned" … "present documents proving that the relevant higher professional qualifications are met" … "present a proof of sickness insurance" … "with a duration of at least 1 year" … "Poland applies a labour market test."

Checked 16 Oct 2026. Overview: Biznes.gov.pl – work permits. Requirements, fees and thresholds change; confirm on the official page before applying.

Transit through Poland

Option 1
Embassy visaAirport transit (international transit area)

Airport transit visa (Schengen ATV, type A) required

Sri Lanka is on the EU common list: even to change planes in the international transit area of an airport in Poland (without entering the Schengen area) you need a Schengen airport transit visa (type A), applied for at a consulate before travel. Certain travellers are exempt under the Visa Code (Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, Article 3(5)); check with the consulate.

Conditions

  • Applies to airside transit in the international transit area; entering the Schengen area needs a short-stay visa.
Government fee
Fee not officially published
Processing
Not verified yet
Validity
Not verified yet
Max stay
Not verified yet
Steps, documents & where to apply

How to apply

Steps not verified yet — follow the official source below.

Where: Poland consulate or its visa centre

Documents checklist

Document list not verified yet — check the official source.

✓ Checked on the live official page

Official wording

“European Commission, Visa Code Handbook Annex 7A: 'Common list of third countries ... whose nationals are required to be in possession of an airport transit visa when passing through the international transit area of airports situated on the territory of the Member States': AFGHANISTAN, BANGLADESH, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, ERITREA, ETHIOPIA, GHANA, IRAN, IRAQ, NIGERIA, PAKISTAN, SOMALIA, SRI LANKA. (= Visa Code Annex IV)”

Alert me if this route changes

Get an email when we update the guidance for Sri Lankan passport holders going to Poland, after we've checked the change against the official source. Nothing else.

Tell me about changes to

We send a confirmation email first. Unconfirmed sign-ups are deleted after 7 days.

Before you go to Poland

Customs cash limits and the scams official travel advice warns about in Poland.

Cash you can bring in and take out

Bringing cash in
Declare cash of EUR 10,000 or more (or equivalent) when arriving from outside the EU.
Taking cash out
Declare cash of EUR 10,000 or more (or equivalent) when leaving to a country outside the EU.

Official source: taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu · Last checked 4 Oct 2026 · Details

Common tourist traps

  1. Unofficial taxis

    How it works: Unofficial drivers overcharge and passengers have been attacked, including in some ride-share bookings.

    How to avoid it: Use official taxis with the company name and phone number on the door and roof and a rate card in the window – a crest alone is not enough.

  2. Drink spiking in bars

    How it works: Victims of spiked drinks have been robbed in bars and clubs.

    How to avoid it: Do not take drinks from strangers or leave yours alone.

  3. End-of-night card overcharging

    How it works: Visitors paying by card at the end of a night out have been overcharged.

    How to avoid it: Check the bill and the amount on the card terminal before paying.

All 5 traps for Poland →

Emergency numbers in Poland

Other traps paraphrased from official travel advice: gov.uk · FCDO page updated 11 Aug 2026 · Last checked 2 Nov 2026.

Explore Poland

Planning more than the paperwork? Our Poland guide picks out places to visit, things to do and where to shop, with a source for every tip.

Places to visit:
Warsaw Old Town · Castle Square and Sigismund's Column · Cloth Hall (Sukiennice), Kraków
Things to do:
Visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial
Shopping:
Souvenir stalls in the Cloth Hall
Read the full Poland guide

Sri Lankan passport: of the 148 destinations with a rule verified from an official source, 14 visa-free, 8 visa on arrival, 39 eVisa or travel authorisation, 87 embassy visa.

Poland: rules verified from an official source for 197 of 198 passports. Poland guide and every passport →

Where else can Sri Lankan passport holders travel? See every destination we cover →

Optional travel offers

Some links are affiliate links. Booking through them costs you nothing extra, and a small commission helps pay MyVisaPort’s ongoing hosting and maintenance costs and keeps the site free of banner ads. We only list services we think are useful, and they never affect the visa information we publish. These offers are not part of the visa guidance above and are never used to rank routes. How partner links work

Verify with the embassy before you book. Visa rules change without notice. We link every rule to its official source and last checked it on 4 Oct 2026, but the embassy, official e-visa portal and your airline have the final say. MyVisaPort is not a visa agent and is not affiliated with any government.