EU citizens may enter and reside in Poland for a period not exceeding three months provided that they have a valid travel document/valid document that certifies their identity and citizenship.

Additionally, an EU citizen who entered Poland in search of work may reside for a period not exceeding six months unless, after this period, the EU citizen demonstrates that they will continue to actively seek employment and are likely to find a job. A non-EU citizen family member of an EU citizen may enter Poland provided that they have a valid travel document or visa. During the stay in Poland (for up to three months), a family member who is a non-EU citizen must have a valid travel document.

EU citizens should have the right to stay in Poland for a period longer than three months if they fulfill one of the following conditions:

• They are an employee or a self-employed person in Poland (in this case, the right to stay extends to family members staying in Poland with an EU citizen).
• They have sufficient financial resources to cover the cost of living in Poland, without the need to use social insurance benefits (in this case, the right to stay extends to family members staying in Poland with an EU citizen), and they are covered by general health insurance, are entitled to health insurance or health insurance benefits (on the grounds of the regulations on coordination of health insurance benefits financed from public funds) and are covered by private health insurance of a specific scope.
• They study or receive vocational training in Poland and are covered by general health insurance, are entitled to health insurance or health insurance benefits (on the grounds of the regulations on coordination of health insurance benefits financed from public funds), or are covered by private health insurance of a specific scope, and they have enough funds to provide health coverage in Poland without the need to use social insurance benefits (in this case, the right to stay extends to the spouse and children supported by an EU citizen or by the spouse who is staying with or joining the EU citizen in Poland).
• They are married to a Polish national.

If residency in Poland lasts for more than three months, an EU citizen is obliged to register the residence address at the voivodeship office responsible for the place of residence in Poland. A family member who is a non-EU citizen is obliged to obtain an EU citizen family member residence card.

The application for registration or issuance of the residence card for a member of an EU citizen's family must be submitted personally to the competent voivodeship office, no later than on the day following the end of three months from the date of entry into Poland.

Foreign nationals coming to Poland on short-term business trips will most likely use one of the following visitors' visas:

• Schengen visa, which gives right of entry and continuous stay inside the Schengen member states or several consecutive stays for a total period not exceeding three months within a period of six months, counted from the date of the first entry into the stated territory
• National visa, which gives right of entry and continuous stay in Poland or several consecutive stays for a total period not exceeding one year during the visa's validity period

A national visa can be issued if the circumstances require a foreign national to stay for more than three months.

Examples of purposes for entry and stay for both Schengen and national visas include the following:

• Visiting
• Carrying out economic activity
• Conducting cultural activities or participating in international conferences
• Performing official tasks as representatives of authorities of a foreign state or an international organization
• Participating in proceedings for granting asylum
• Performing work, receiving education or training
• Enjoying temporary protection
• Participating in a cultural/educational exchange, humanitarian aid program or holiday job program for students