Poland Travel Guide

Visas and red tape
Citizens of EU countries, the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand can stay in Poland for up to ninety days without a visa. Once the ninety days are up, you have to leave the country or apply for a residence permit. Nationals of other countries should check current visa regulations with the nearest Polish consulate before setting out.

Polish embassies and consulates abroad
Australia
7 Turrana St, Yarralumla, Canberra, ACT tel:02/6272 1000, www.poland.org.au.

Also consulate at 10 Trelawney St, Woollahra, NSW 2025 tel:02/9363 9816.

Canada
443 Daly Ave, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6H3 tel:613/789-0468, www.polishembassy.ca.

Additional consulates at 2603 Lakeshore Blvd W, Toronto, Ontario MBV 1G5 tel:416/252-5471;

1500 Ave des Pins Ouest, Montréal, Québec H3G 1B4 tel:514/937-9481; and 1177 W Hastings St, Suite 1600, Vancouver, BC V6E 2K3 tel:604/688-3530.

Ireland
5 Ailesbury Rd, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 tel:01/283 0855, www.polishembassy.ie.

New Zealand
17 Upland Rd, Kelburn, Wellington tel:04/475 9453, www.poland.org.nz.

UK
47 Portland Place, London W1B 1JH tel:020/7580 4324, www.polishembassy.org.uk.

US
2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 tel:202/234-3800, www.polandembassy.org.

Additional consulates at 223 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016 tel:212/686-1541, www.polandconsulateny.com;

1530 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60610 tel:312/337-8166, www.polishconsulatechicago.org; and 12400 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 555, Los Angeles, CA 90025 tel:310/442-8500, www.polishconsulatela.com.

Health
Citizens of the EU are entitled to free emergency health care in Poland providing they have a copy of form E111 (obtainable from most post offices), which has to be filled in and stamped at the post office before leaving home. Lengthy courses of treatment (as well as any prescribed drugs) must be paid for, however, so it's sensible to take out adequate health insurance. North Americans, Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders must arrange full insurance before leaving home.

Inoculations are not required for a trip to Poland. Tap water is officially classified as safe, at least in the major cities, but most people prefer to drink bottled mineral water (woda mineralna).

Pharmacies and hospitals
Simple complaints can normally be dealt with at a regular pharmacy (apteka), where basic medicines are dispensed by qualified pharmacists. In the cities, many of the staff will speak at least some English or German. Even in places where the staff speak only Polish, it should be easy enough to obtain repeat prescriptions if you bring along the empty container or remaining pills. In every town there's always at least one apteka open 24 hours; addresses are printed in local newspapers and guides.

For more serious problems, or anything the pharmacist can't work out, you'll be directed to a public hospital (szpital), where conditions will probably be cramped, with more patients than beds, a lack of resources and occasionally insanitary conditions. Health service staff are heavily overworked and scandalously underpaid. Hospital patients may be required to pay for the better-quality medicines, and will probably need friends to bring food in for them. If you are required to pay for any medical treatment or medication, remember to keep the receipts for your insurance claim when you get home.

In the larger cities you can opt for private health care. Kraków and Warsaw now have a considerable Western expatriate population, with health centres run on Western lines. In a crisis, it may even be best to ring the 24-hour emergency service of one of these clinics rather than an ambulance; the ethics of private versus public health care aside, there are advantages to being able to talk to someone in English. See the relevant city listings – or check the local press – for details.
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