Visa requirement
United Kingdom visa for Polish citizens
Official-source answer with stay limit, cost, required documents and last verification date.
Do Polish citizens need a visa for the United Kingdom?
Checked answer — confirm before travel
Polish citizens need an ETA (electronic travel authorisation) before travelling to the United Kingdom.
Last verified:
What this means: An ETA is an electronic travel authorisation you apply for online before you fly — it is not a visa, but you cannot board without it.
Confidence: Medium Likely current — confirm details with the official source.
This answer is for ordinary Polish passport holders travelling as citizens of that passport. Residence permits, long-stay visas or living in another country can change which embassy or rule applies.
Visa types at a glance
| Visa type | Availability | Stay |
|---|---|---|
| Tourist visa-free? | No visa, ETA required | Up to 180 days. |
| eVisa? | No | No eVisa route is stored for this corridor. |
| Visa on arrival? | No | No visa-on-arrival route is stored for this corridor. |
- 180 days
- 20 GBP
- Apply online before you fly
Before you travel
- 1 Entry step Apply online before you fly Official route (opens in a new tab)
- 2 Stay limit 180 days
- 3 Official fee 20 GBP
- 4 Passport validity Official rule stored below. See full note
- 5 Transit airside: conditional; landside: required. Full note below. See full note
- 6 Freshness Checked 23 Jul 2026; confidence: medium
Shareable verdict: Polish citizens need an ETA (electronic travel authorisation) before travelling to the United Kingdom. Checked 23 Jul 2026.
Open SVG cardCost note
UK ETA fee. GOV.UK currently shows a £20 fee. An ETA lasts for 2 years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner.
Passport and transit notes
- Passport validity
- UK visitor guidance requires a passport or travel document that is valid for the whole stay.
- Validity source (opens in a new tab) Validity guide
- Transit
- airside transit: conditional; landside transit: required; ETA travellers need an ETA for landside transit when passing through UK border control before continuing their journey. Airside treatment depends on the airport, route and airline confirmation; collecting bags, changing airports or travelling onward within the Common Travel Area is not airside transit.
- Transit source (opens in a new tab) Transit guide
What you need
- valid passport
- approved UK ETA linked to that passport before travel
Why this verdict
EU nationals can apply for the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation since 2 April 2025; from 25 February 2026 carriers strictly refuse boarding without one. The ETA allows visits of up to 6 months at a time, multiple entries, valid 2 years or until the passport expires.
Frequently asked questions
Do Polish citizens need a visa for the United Kingdom?
Polish citizens need an ETA (electronic travel authorisation) before travelling to the United Kingdom. (ETA required.) Verified 23 Jul 2026 against the official source.
How long can Polish passport holders stay in the United Kingdom?
Up to 180 days.
How much does entry to the United Kingdom cost for Polish citizens?
The official fee is 20 GBP. This page tracks the official government fee only, not agent markup.