You want to stay in Poland longer? Read the second part of the guide Legalisation of Stay and Employment of Foreigners in Poland and find out what to do to extend your visa.
FAQ#2
Can a Visa be Extended?
Yes, it is possible – applications for an extension of a Schengen or national visa should be submittedto the voivode competent for the foreigner’s place of residence.
The application should be submitted no later than on the date of expiry of the period of legal stay in the territory of the Republic of Poland (applications submitted after this date will be rejected). Once a foreigner has applied for a visa extension before the specified deadline, the voivode places a stamp on the foreigner’s travel document, which confirms the application has been submitted.
If the deadline for submitting the application has been met and the application does not contain any formal defects or if formal defects have been corrected before the deadline, the foreigner’s stay in the territory of the Republic of Poland is considered legal from the date of submission of the application until a final decision on extending the Schengen visa or national visa has been issued.
Extension of a Schengen Visa
A foreigner staying in the territory of the Republic of Poland may extend the period of validity of a Schengen visa issued by a Polish authority or an authority of another Schengen state (with “C” symbol) valid also in the territory of Poland or the length of stay covered by that visa, if the foreigner has demonstrated that:
- for reasons of force majeure or for humanitarian reasons, it is not possible for them to leave the territory of the member state before the expiry of the visa or before the end of the authorised period of the stay covered by the visa. In such a case, the visa extension is free of charge,
- provides evidence of important personal reasons justifying an extension of the period of validity or duration of stay. In such circumstances, a fee of EUR 30 is charged for visa extension.
Extension of a National Visa
A foreigner staying in the territory of the Republic of Poland may ONCE extend the period of validity of a national visa issued by Polish authorities (with “D” symbol) or the period of stay covered by that visa, if the following conditions are JOINTLY satisfied:
- it is justified by an important professional or personal interest of the foreigner or for humanitarian reasons they cannot leave this territory before the expiry of the national visa or before the end of the permitted period of stay covered by the visa,
- the events which are the reason for applying for an extension of the national visa occurred independently of the foreigner’s will and were not foreseeable as on the date of submitting the application for a national visa,
- the circumstances of the case indicate that the purpose of the foreigner’s stay in the territory of the Republic of Poland will not be different from the declared purpose,
- there are no circumstances under which a national visa should be refused.
The period of stay in the territory of the Republic of Poland on the basis of an extended national visa may not exceed the period of stay provided for the national visa, i.e. 1 year (including the period of stay on the basis of the visa to be extended).
Hospitalisation
A foreigner staying in hospital, whose health precludes the possibility of leaving the territory of the Republic of Poland, should have the period of validity of the national visa extended or the period of stay covered by that visa extended until the day when their health allows them to leave that territory.
More questions about how to legalise your stay in Poland?
Issues related to the legalisation of employment and stay of foreigners in Poland still raise many doubts – both among employers and their foreign employees. In order to make it easier to navigate among statutory regulations, the Invest in Pomerania team in cooperation with specialists from the Pomeranian Voivodeship Office have created a publication containing a list of the most frequently asked questions regarding the procedure of applying for a residence and work permit in Poland. We sincerely hope that the publication will make the process of legalising the stay and employment of foreigners in our region more efficient. We invite you to read the entire guide. If you want to learn more about the full range of support provided by Invest in Pomerania visit the website: investinpomerania.pl .
