Border crossing rules

General rules for crossing the border

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Attention!

The following information concerns the general rules for crossing the border of the Republic of Poland. Exceptions to these rules are currently applied for certain categories of travelers:

• The external border in the direction of entry to Poland at border crossings with the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, at air border crossings for air connections with the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, and at sea border crossings may be crossed only by certain categories of travelers, i.e. those listed in §3(2) of the Regulation of the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration of March 13, 2020 on temporary suspension or restriction of border traffic at certain border crossings.

• Further restrictions on the possibility of entering Poland apply to citizens of the Russian Federation as of September 19, 2022.

Information on the above restrictions can be found on the Border Guard website.

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Crossing the EU's external border

Crossing the external border is possible if the rules laid down in Chapter I of the Schengen Borders Code (Crossing of external borders and entry conditions) are complied with.

According to the above-mentioned provisions, the crossing of external borders is allowed only at border crossing points during the fixed opening hours (Article 5(1) of the Borders Code).

In the case of a planned short-term stay on the territory of the Member States (not exceeding 90 days in any 180-day period), the entry of the third-country national shall be subject to compliance with the following criteria:

• possession of a valid travel document entitling the holder to cross the border, the document being issued within the last 10 years and being valid for at least three months after the planned date of departure from the territory of the Member States;

• possession of a valid visa, if required under Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement (OJ L ..., p. EU of 28.11.2018, L 303/39), unless they hold a valid residence permit, or a valid national visa issued by a Member State;

• justification of the purpose and conditions of the intended stay and having sufficient means of subsistence, both for the duration of the intended stay and for the return to their country of origin or for transit to a third country for which there is certainty of entry into its territory (sufficient financial means) or the possibility of obtaining such funds in accordance with the law (e.g., guarantees to cover the cost of living, credit card limits, etc.);

• the absence of an alert for their person for the purposes of refusing entry in the Schengen Information System (SIS);

• not being a threat to public policy, internal security, public health, or the international relations of any of the Member States, and in particular their data not being listed in the national databases of the Member States for the purposes of refusing entry.

Annex I to the Schengen Borders Code contains a list of sample documents confirming the purpose and conditions of the intended entry. Foreigners who have previously submitted visa applications should have a set of supporting documents presented to consuls during border controls.

Each Member State determines the means of subsistence necessary to reside on its territory: the amount of these means is fixed in Annex 25 to the Schengen Handbook (Annex 18 to the Visa Code Handbook).

In the case of the Republic of Poland, these measures are specified in the Regulation of the Minister of Internal Affairs of 23 February 2015 on means resources required from foreigners entering the territory of the Republic of Poland and documents that can confirm obtaining such funds, as well as the purpose and duration of the planned stay. (Journal of Laws of 2017, item 2122).

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Crossing the internal border of the Schengen area

At internal borders, border control shall only apply in cases where the obligation of border control has been temporarily reintroduced. This does not exempt persons crossing internal borders from the obligation to comply with the general rules on crossing external borders.

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