Poland Visa from Dubai: Abu Dhabi Embassy, AED 388 Fee, Documents and Timeline

The short answer: Emiratis don't need a visa for Poland: they can stay up to 90 days in any 180. Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals living in the UAE need a Schengen visa. You apply through the Consular Department of the Embassy of Poland in Abu Dhabi, which books appointments on its own e-konsulat system: there is no VFS or BLS visa centre for Poland anywhere in the UAE, and the embassy decides. Check before you plan: since 3 March 2026 the embassy's consular section has served Polish citizens only, until further notice, and that notice was still on its website on 9 October 2026. The visa fee is AED 388 for applicants over 12, with no separate service charge. Processing takes at least 15 calendar days, and the checklist asks for three months of bank statements.

Kraków's Main Square and Wawel Castle, Warsaw's rebuilt Old Town, and the Tatra mountains around Zakopane are why most UAE residents go; many add a day trip to the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial near Kraków. Poland issues Schengen visas, so a Polish visa also covers the other Schengen countries, as long as Poland is your main destination.

Poland visa for UAE residents at a glance

Question	Answer (October 2026)
Emirati passport	No visa, up to 90 days in any 180
India, Pakistan, Philippines, Egypt, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka	Schengen visa before travel
Current status	Consular section limited to Polish citizens since 3 March 2026, until further notice: confirm with the embassy first
Who decides	The Consular Department of the Embassy of Poland in Abu Dhabi
Where to apply	Register on e-konsulat.gov.pl, then attend in person at the embassy in Abu Dhabi; no VFS or BLS centre
Visa fee	AED 388 over 12, AED 194 aged 6 to 12, free under 6
Service charge	None: you apply directly at the embassy
Processing	At least 15 calendar days, up to 45 in individual cases
Bank statements	Last 3 months

Who needs a visa for Poland

Whether you need a visa depends on your passport. UAE citizens have been able to visit Poland and the rest of the Schengen area without a visa since May 2015. They will need the EU's ETIAS travel authorisation once it starts; it hasn't yet, and the EU says it will announce the date several months ahead.

Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals need a Schengen visa, and so do most other nationalities living in the UAE. The Abu Dhabi embassy says an applicant needs to be a UAE resident with a valid Emirates ID: if you're in the UAE on a visit visa, you apply from your own country of residence instead.

Apply to Poland if it is your main destination, where you spend the most nights. Five nights in Warsaw and Kraków and two in Prague is a Polish application; the reverse is a Czech one. See our Schengen visa guide for how the rule works. If you already hold a valid Schengen visa from another Schengen country, you can visit Poland on it, within its dates and its days.

A short-stay visa never lets you work in Poland. A job needs a work permit first, which your employer applies for in Poland, then a D-type national visa from the Abu Dhabi embassy: it asks for the work permit, an employer's letter of intent, a preliminary employment agreement signed by both parties in Polish and English, and the same EUR 30,000 health insurance as a tourist application. The fee for a D-type visa is AED 861. Apply for the right visa type from the start: a tourist visa doesn't convert into a work visa once you're in Poland.

How to apply from Dubai or Abu Dhabi

1. Register on e-konsulat.gov.pl, choosing the Consular Department of the Embassy of Poland in Abu Dhabi and the Schengen Visa C service, and fill in the form online. Check every field before you save it: once saved, the form locks and can't be corrected.
2. Print and sign the form, then wait for an appointment date. e-konsulat assigns dates in the order applications are correctly completed and saved; the embassy asks applicants not to write in asking about their slot and to wait for its confirmation email instead.
3. Attend your appointment in person at the Consular Department, CI Tower, Office 1502, Al Bateen Street, Khalidiya, Abu Dhabi. Hand in your documents, give fingerprints (unless you're exempt) and pay the fee in cash or by card, in dirhams.
4. Wait for the decision. It's due within 15 calendar days of a complete application, and the consul can extend this to a maximum of 45 days in individual cases.
5. Collect your passport in person, between 2pm and 3pm on the day the embassy tells you.

There is no VFS or BLS visa centre for Poland anywhere in the UAE: everything happens at the embassy in Abu Dhabi, and Dubai and Al Ain residents apply there too. The embassy says it works with no intermediaries, doesn't recommend using them, and that using one brings no preferential treatment. A few travel sites still list a VFS centre for Poland in Dubai's Wafi Mall: the embassy's own pages don't mention one, so treat that as unconfirmed.

The March 2026 limit on consular services

On 3 March 2026 the embassy said that, because of the security situation in the UAE, its consular section would serve Polish citizens only, until further notice. On 9 October 2026 that notice was still on the embassy's website, and we found no notice lifting it. Some UAE travel agencies describe ordinary Schengen applications going through e-konsulat since then, but the embassy hasn't said so. Ask the embassy whether it is accepting tourist visa applications, or wait for e-konsulat's confirmation email, before you book anything you can't change. If Poland isn't your main destination, you apply to the country where you spend the most nights instead.

Documents

e-konsulat shows the checklist for your visa type once you register. For a tourist visa, UAE residents are usually asked for:

• The signed application form, completed in e-konsulat and printed
• Passport and a copy of its personal data page, issued within the last ten years, with at least two blank pages, valid at least three months after you return
• One recent photo, 3.5 x 4.5cm, on a white background, no older than six months, with your face covering 70 to 80 percent of the frame
• Your UAE residence visa or Emirates ID, valid at least three months after you return
• An NOC or salary certificate from your employer, ideally with a MOHRE QR code, or your trade licence and company bank statements if you're self-employed
• Bank statements for the last three months
• Hotel booking for every night, or a signed invitation if you stay with family or friends
• A return flight reservation, not a ticket paid in full: the embassy specifically asks for a reservation you can still change
• Travel medical insurance with at least EUR 30,000 of cover for the whole Schengen area and your whole stay, including repatriation, ideally with a verifiable QR code

Visiting family or friends

Your host in Poland writes you a signed invitation letter. The embassy's document list doesn't spell out the exact format beyond the host's identity and status, so ask the embassy or check e-konsulat's guidance for your visa type before you rely on a letter alone.

Children

Bring the child's original birth certificate and copies of both parents' passports. If only one parent applies with the child, bring notarised consent from the other parent, or a custody ruling or death certificate if the other parent isn't involved. A child already entered in a parent's passport still needs their own application.

How much money you need to show

Poland's own entry rules set a daily figure: PLN 75 for each day of your stay beyond four days, or at least PLN 300 for a stay of four days or less, roughly AED 70 a day, or AED 285 to 300 in total for shorter stays, at October 2026 exchange rates, though this moves with the rate. The visa checklist itself just asks for three months of statements and an employer letter, so a steady salary matters more than one month's balance.

Fees and processing time

Fee	Amount
Visa fee, applicants over 12	AED 388
Visa fee, children aged 6 to 12	AED 194
Visa fee, children under 6	Free
Service charge	None: you apply directly at the embassy
Total for one adult	AED 388

The embassy says this is the only fee charged, paid in cash or by card, in dirhams, and that it's non-refundable whatever the decision. A decision is due within 15 calendar days of a complete application, extendable to a maximum of 45 calendar days in individual cases; urgent cases can be decided immediately. You can apply from six months before you travel, and, as a rule, no later than 15 calendar days before. Some UAE travel agencies report appointment waits of up to three weeks, and up to eight weeks in peak summer, though e-konsulat itself doesn't publish a wait time.

If you're refused, you can ask the consul to reconsider within 14 days of the decision, in person at the embassy, Monday to Thursday between 10:00 and 10:30, with only new documents. A further complaint goes to the Provincial Administrative Court in Warsaw within 30 days, filed through the consul, and carries a court fee.

At the border

Since April 2026, Poland and every other Schengen country register non-EU visitors in the EU's Entry/Exit System. On your first trip since it started, you give fingerprints and a photo at passport control instead of getting a stamp.

Flights from the UAE

• Emirates flies non-stop from Dubai to Warsaw, daily according to its published schedule, in about six and a half hours.
• flydubai restarted Dubai to Warsaw on 2 October 2026 after a break of more than six months, flying four times a week until it builds back up to daily service in mid-December. It also flies to Kraków, a route it restarted in May 2026.
• Air Arabia flies from Sharjah to both of Warsaw's airports and to Kraków, and is reported to be adding Katowice and Gdańsk from December 2026.
• LOT, Poland's national carrier, suspended its Warsaw to Dubai route in the same disruption and, as of the most recent report we found, wasn't due back until 3 December 2026.

Flights between the UAE and Europe were disrupted for much of 2026, so check your flight with the airline before you book, and make sure the reservation you submit matches your application dates.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I apply for a Poland visa in Dubai?

There's no visa centre for Poland in Dubai or anywhere else in the UAE. You apply through the Consular Department of the Embassy of Poland in Abu Dhabi, booking your appointment on e-konsulat.gov.pl. Since March 2026 its consular section has said it serves Polish citizens only, so confirm it is taking visa applications first.

How much is the Poland visa fee in Dubai?

AED 388 for applicants over 12 and AED 194 for children aged 6 to 12, with no separate service charge since you apply directly at the embassy. Children under 6 pay no visa fee.

How long does a Poland visa take from Dubai?

At least 15 calendar days once your application is complete, according to the embassy. It can extend to 45 days in individual cases, and getting an appointment through e-konsulat can add more time, so apply well ahead.

Does Poland use VFS Global in the UAE?

No. The Embassy of Poland in Abu Dhabi handles applications itself, through its own e-konsulat booking system, and says it works with no intermediaries. A few directories still list a VFS centre in Dubai; the embassy's own pages don't confirm one.

How many months of bank statements do I need for a Poland visa?

Three months, according to the embassy's document list. Poland's entry rules also set a daily funds figure of PLN 75 beyond four days, or PLN 300 for shorter stays, but the visa checklist itself relies on your statements and an employer letter.

Do Emiratis need a visa for Poland?

No. UAE citizens can visit Poland without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180. They will need an ETIAS travel authorisation once the EU starts it.

Planning a trip to Poland

Four days covers Kraków's old town, Wawel Castle and a trip to the Wieliczka Salt Mine; a week adds Warsaw's Old Town and Łazienki Park, or the Tatra mountains around Zakopane. Prague is under four hours from Kraków by train and in Schengen too, so one visa covers both. See our Schengen visa services for help preparing your Poland application, browse holiday packages, or talk to us about flights and hotels.

Related guides

• Schengen visa for UAE residents
• Czech Republic visa from Dubai
• Latvia visa from Dubai
• Germany visa from Dubai

Last checked 9 October 2026 against the Embassy of Poland in Abu Dhabi's visa pages, Poland's e-konsulat system, Poland's published entry and financial-means rules, the EU Visa Code and fee regulation, the European Commission's ETIAS page, eu-LISA on the Entry/Exit System, and airline schedules and reports. This guide is general information, not immigration advice. Confirm the current requirements with the Embassy of Poland in Abu Dhabi or on e-konsulat.gov.pl before you apply.