Short stays and the 90/180-day rule in Poland (2026)

Last reviewed: 30 October 2026

In short: Visa-exempt visitors may stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Travel documents must be valid for three months after departure. Non-EU nationals are recorded in the Entry/Exit System, which replaces passport stamps.

RuleWhat applies
Maximum length of a short stayShort visit as a tourist or visitorUp to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area, counting the 180 days before each day of stay. [1]
Visa or travel authorisation for entryShort visit as a tourist or visitorvalue.visa-free [2]
Passport or travel document requirementShort visit as a tourist or visitorA travel document valid for at least three months after the intended departure and issued within the previous 10 years, unless there is a justified emergency (Article 6(1)(a) of the Schengen Borders Code). [1]
Entry/Exit System recordingShort visit as a tourist or visitorThe Entry/Exit System (EES) works at all 71 road, rail, air and sea border crossings in Poland (10 April 2026). It covers only non-EU nationals and replaces manual checking of passport stamps with an automatic stay counter and biometric checks (fingerprints, facial image). [3]

Notes

  • Applies to nationals of the third countries listed in Annex II to Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, which includes Australia and the United States. The United Kingdom was added by a later amendment that was not read. Nationals of other countries need a visa.

Sources

  1. Publications Office of the European Union (Cellar): Regulation (EU) 2016/399 of the European Parliament and of the Council on a Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders (Schengen Borders Code), as published in OJ L 77, 23.3.2016 (consulted 30 October 2026) · all sources
  2. Publications Office of the European Union (Cellar): Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 of the European Parliament and of the Council listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement, as published in OJ L 303, 28.11.2018 (consulted 30 October 2026) · all sources
  3. Ministerstwo Spraw Wewnętrznych i Administracji: Polskie granice pod kontrolą - system Entry/Exit działa na wszystkich przejściach granicznych w Polsce (consulted 30 October 2026) · all sources

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General information, not legal advice. Rules change: check the official source before you fly or ride.