Polish consulates abroad are responsible for processing Polish visas. A foreigner must appear at the consulate in person to apply for a visa, generally in the country of their permanent residence.

When crossing the border, a foreign national (that has a visa) may be required to prove that they have financial means sufficient to cover the cost of entry, stay and exit from Poland. The commander of the Border Guard may decide to refuse entry into Poland if the foreign national's details are included in the register of foreign nationals denied the right to stay in Poland or the foreign national lacks a valid travel document/valid document certifying their identity and citizenship. The decision to refuse entry may be appealed with the commander of the Border Guard.

Applications for residence permits are submitted to the voivodeship office (Department of Citizen's Affairs) responsible for the foreign national's place of residence in Poland.

The Head of the Office for Foreign Nationals is the central authority of the Polish central government administration. It handles all matters connected with foreign nationals' entry into, transit through, residence in and departure from Poland, and granting of refugee status, asylum, tolerated stay and temporary protection subject to the competencies of other authorities, as provided for in the applicable laws. The minister responsible for internal affairs supervises the activities of the Head of the Office for Foreign Nationals.