Śląski Urząd Wojewódzki w Katowicach

Who can apply for visa extension?

If you are a foreigner staying in Poland on the basis of national visa (marked with symbol D) and want to remain legally in the country beyond the period of stay to which the visa entitles you.

If you are a foreigner staying in Poland on the basis of Schengen visa (marked with symbol C) and want to remain legally in the country beyond the period of stay to which the visa entitles you.

Documents

A foreigner who intends to extend the stay on the basis of Schengen or national visa should: submit a completed application form for the extension of a Schengen visa or a national visa, present a valid travel document, justify the request and attach to the application:

1. recent photograph - intact, in colour, measuring 35 x 45 mm, made in the past 6 months, against a light background, having good focus, clearly showing the eyes and face from the top of the head to the top of the shoulders, so that the face occupies 70-80% of the photo; photograph should show the person without a hat and dark glasses, looking straight ahead with eyes open, not covered by hair, with a natural facial expression and mouth closed;

Note: A foreigner wearing a head covering in accordance with the principles of his religion can attach to the application a photograph showing him wearing head covering, if the image of the face is fully visible. In this case, the application shall be accompanied by a foreigner’s statement on belonging to a religious community.

2. documents confirming:

- purpose of the stay and the need to extend a Schengen visa or a national visa,

- having sufficient funds to cover living costs for the entire period of intended stay on Polish territory and a return trip to the country of origin or residence or for transit to a third country, which grants permission to enter, or the possibility of acquiring such funds lawfully,

- the credibility of the tion of intention to leave Polish territory before the expiry of the visa,

- having health insurance within the meaning of the Act of 27 August 2004 on health care services financed from public funds or having travel medical insurance with a minimum amount of insurance in the amount of EUR 30,000, valid for period of intended stay of a foreigner on Polish territory, covering any expenses that may arise during his stay on the territory in connection with the necessity of return travel for medical reasons, urgent need of medical attention, emergency hospital treatment or death, in which the insurer agrees to cover the cost of health care benefits provided to the insured directly to the entity providing such services on the basis of a bill issued by that.

- other circumstances provided in the application

- Residence registration obligation

A foreigner applying for an extension of a Schengen visa or a national visa presents for inspection a travel document which meets the criteria:

1) it expires no earlier than 3 months after the expiry of the visa applied for (unless there is an urgent case justified by the legitimate interest of the foreigner);

2) has at least two blank pages;

3) has been issued in the past 10 years.

Schengen Visa extention Application form

National Visa extention Application form

GDPR information clause

Time to apply for Schengen or a national visa

A you intend to extend the stay on the basis of:

• Schengen visa
• national visa

you are obliged to submit application to the voivode competent for the place of his residence for visa extension no later than at the date of expiry of the period of your legal residence in the territory of the Republic of Poland.

If you applied for the extension of a Schengen visa or a national visa after the date referred to above, the voivode refuses to initiate proceedings on the extension of the visa.

A foreigner who has applied for a visa extension by the above date receives a stamp in the travel document, which confirms the submission of the application. If the deadline for submission of the application has been observed and the application has no formal defects of formal defects have been completed on time, the foreigner's stay on Polish territory is considered legitimate from the date of submission of the application until a final decision on the extension of a Schengen visa or a national visa.

If the proceedings on the extension of a Schengen visa or a national visa is be suspended at the request of the foreigner, his stay at that time will not be considered legal.

NOTE: A stamp in the travel document does not entitle a foreigner to travel to other Schengen states, but the foreigner can go to the country of origin.

Extension of national visa and period of stay

A foreigner residing on the territory of the Republic of Poland can extend the validity of national visa issued by Polish authority (with D symbol) or the period of stay covered by the visa, if following conditions are jointly met:

1) it is in an important professional or personal interest of a foreigner or because of humanitarian reasons he cannot leave the territory before the expiry of the national visa or before the end of the period of stay covered by this visa;

2) events which are the cause of applying for extension of the national visa are independent of the will of the foreigner and were not foreseeable at the date of application for the national visa;

3) the circumstances of the case do not indicate that the purpose of the foreigner's stay on Polish territory would be different than the declared one;

4) there are no circumstances to refuse the issue of national visa.

PERIOD OF STAY

National visa may be extended once. The period of stay on the territory of the Republic of Poland on the basis of extended national visa may not exceed the period of stay envisaged for a national visa, i.e. 1 year (including the period of stay on the basis of a visa to be extended). For the abovementioned extension, there is a Stamp duty of PLN 406.

Staying in hospital

A foreigner staying in the hospital, whose health status precludes the possibility of him leaving Polish territory, is granted extension of the national visa or the residence period covered by the visa to the date on which his health will allow him to leave this territory.

NOTE: The period of validity of visa may not always correspond to the period of stay authorized by the visa.

Extension of Schengen visa and period of stay

Schengen visa (symbol C) issued by Polish authority or authority of another Schengen country and valid on Polish territory, or the period of stay under that visa, can be extended for a foreigner residing on the territory of the Republic of Poland if:

- the foreigner showed that due to force majeure or humanitarian reasons it is not possible for him to leave the territory of the Member States before the expiry of the visa or before the end of the authorized period of stay. This extension of visa is free.

- the foreigner provides a proof of serious personal reasons justifying the extension of the validity period or the period of stay. The above extension costs EUR 30.

PERIOD OF STAY

The period of stay on the territory of the Republic of Poland on the basis of extended visa should not exceed the maximum period of stay envisaged for the given type of visa, i.e. 90 days per period of 180 days in the event of a Schengen visa (including a period of residence on the basis of a visa to be extended).

NOTE: The period of validity of visa may not always correspond to the period of stay authorized by the visa.

Where submit the documents

• in Silesian Voivodship Office Chancellery in Katowice, Jagiellońska 25 St, room no 161,
  posts no   25,26,27 and 17,phone numbers 32 20 77 630,  32 20 77 919, 32 20 77 956,
  32 20 77 962, 32 20 77 661, 32 20 77 658,
  
  
• in Silesian Voivodship Office in: Bielsko-Biała, Piastowska 40, phone numbers 33 81 36 274,
  33 81 36 275,

• in Silesian Voivodship Office in Częstochowa ,Sobieskiego 7, phone numbers 34 37 82 058,
  34 37 82 059.