Extension of a Schengen or national visa

If the purpose of the stay could not be fulfilled within the period of authorized stay specified in the visa issued to the foreign national, or if the foreign national is unable to leave Polish territory due to force majeure, it is possible to extend their Schengen visa or national visa.

Visa extensions are subject to a number of criteria—they are not granted for trivial reasons or in situations that could have been foreseen at the time the visa was issued.

If the purpose of the stay could not be fulfilled within the period of authorized stay specified in the visa issued to the foreign national, or if the foreign national is unable to leave Polish territory due to force majeure, it is possible to extend their Schengen visa or national visa.

when the visa holder demonstrates that due to force majeure (e.g. a natural disaster, cancelled flight connections) or for humanitarian reasons (e.g. the need to stay in hospital) it is not possible to leave the territory of the member states before the expiry of the visa's validity period or the permitted period of stay.

when the visa holder presents valid personal reasons justifying an extension of the visa validity period or the period of stay

Art. 33 of the Community Visa Code

Extension of a national visa can only be made when the following criteria are met simultaneously:

an important professional or personal interest of the foreigner speaks in favour of this

or on humanitarian grounds he may not leave that territory before the expiry of the validity of the national visa or the permitted period of stay

events that contributed to the extension of the national visa occurred independently of the foreigner's will and were impossible to foresee on the date of submitting the visa application

circumstances of the case to not indicate that the foreigner's purpose of stay in the territory of the Republic of Poland will be other than declared

the circumstances for which a national visa is refused to not occur

An application to extend the validity period of an issued visa or the duration of stay covered by that visa must be submitted in person no later than on the last day of legal stay in Poland in order for the proceedings to be initiated.

the provincial governor competent for the foreigner’s place of residence in Poland;

documents confirming the circumstances justifying the application; proof of payment of the stamp duty;

a Schengen visa extension is the equivalent of 30 euros

Extension of a Schengen visa due to force majeure or humanitarian reasons is free of charge. The fee for extending a national visa is 406 PLN. A photograph meeting the following requirements:

Extension of a Schengen visa is made in the form of a visa sticker

Extension of a national visa is carried out in the form of a visa sticker

If the application was submitted on time, contains no formal deficiencies, or if any formal deficiencies were corrected on time, the foreign national’s continued stay in Poland is considered legal until the date on which the decision regarding the extension of the Schengen visa or national visa becomes final.

The stay may be extended once. An exception applies if the foreign national is hospitalized and their health condition prevents them from leaving Polish territory.