IMPACT – HIGH

Poland has begun lifting entry and travel restrictions, as well as accepting certain immigration applications that were not available during the lockdown.

Key Points:

  • Following the recommendations of the European Commission to open the EU internal borders in mid-June, Poland has moved to lift controls and entry restrictions on internal EU borders with the neighboring member states of the Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania and Slovakia and Lithuania. Travelers may now freely enter and transit through Poland with no quarantine upon entry. Entry restrictions currently remain in place until further notice for Poland’s external (non-EU) borders, with the exception of approved non-EU flights.
  • The government partially lifted the ban on operating international flights to Poland as of June 17, allowing flights from airports located in member states of the EU or EFTA and Switzerland, with the exception of those from the U.K., Sweden and Portugal. Flight restrictions were further updated as of July 1, allowing for flights from the U.K. and seven non-EU countries: Albania, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, South Korea and Ukraine. Passengers arriving from those countries (excluding Ukraine) will be automatically allowed to enter Poland with no entry restrictions and lack of mandatory quarantine as of July 3.
  • The majority of Polish overseas consulates and visa application centers (VACs) are still not accepting visa applicants because of local pandemic situations. However, the following locations have recently enabled submission of entry visas: Canada (Vancouver and Ottawa consulates), India (only New Delhi Consulate), Ukraine (Kiev and Lviv, but only for limited types of employment visas in agriculture and international transport), Russia (VACs enabled and St. Petersburg Consulate) and the Philippines. Consulates in China remain closed but accept visa applications in emergencies for humanitarian reasons or from family members of Polish or EU citizens. The Polish Consulate in Washington, D.C. announced that visa appointments for long-term (D) visas will be available as of Aug. 3, while other Polish consulates in the U.S. still remain closed.
  • Although immigration offices in Poland remain closed because of lockdown, they are still processing work permit applications. Personal appointments were allowed in May and June for certain and limited activities, e.g., residency card collection, but foreign nationals were not permitted to submit residency permit applications in person at any regional offices. In-person appointments for permanent residency applications, presenting missing documents, residence card replacement and EU National registration has been enabled at the Immigration Office in Warsaw since June. Effective July 1, the Immigration Office in Warsaw allows the scheduling of temporary residence permit in-person appointments for the period from July 13.

Analysis & Comments: The response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop, and Deloitte will provide additional updates as information becomes available. Please check Deloitte’s COVID-19 Digital Map, available here, for information on travel restrictions and immigration changes in other countries.

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