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Who should apply at the U.S. Consulate General in Krakow? Visa applicants from Dolnosląskie, Małopolski, Opolskie, Podkarpackie, and Śląskie Wojewodships should apply for a visa at the U.S. Consulate General in Krakow.
If you do not live in one of these regions, please return to the main consular page and select the Embassy in Warsaw.
How to apply for a visa
Step 1: Make a Phone Call for an Appointment
Step 2: Come to the Consular Section
Step 3: Processing
Step 4: Have an Interview with a Consular Officer
Hours of operation
The Nonimmigrant Visa Section of the U.S. Consulate General in Krakow is open Monday through Friday 8:30am-11:30am for tourist visa interviews. Interviews for business, student and other visa categories are conducted Monday through Friday afternoons, except for legal Polish and American holidays. The Nonimmigrant Visa Section is closed on the last Friday of each month.
Interviews for visas are scheduled by appointment only.
Groups of five or more unrelated persons traveling together for a purpose other than tourism are required to schedule a group appointment and appear together for an interview.
To apply for a visa and to schedule a visa appointment, you should follow the four steps listed below:
Step 1: Make a Phone Call
To make an appointment call our infoline Monday through Friday between 7.00 am and 8:00pm.
The number is (TP SA billable phones): 0 701 77 44 00
From cell phones: *740 94 00
The call costs 4.00 PLN plus 22%VAT (the price is subject to change without notice). The number is available only within Poland but not from public phones. Before making a call please have a pen and paper ready to write down the date and time of your interview. The infoline provides you with information on the types of nonimmigrant visas that are available and directs you to the correct category of visa for your intended travel. It also gives information regarding recommended documents. You may then set the date and time of your interview at the consular section at either the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw or the U.S. Consulate General in Krakow, depending on where you live.
Please note: this infoline is the only means to make an appointment for an interview. No information is given nor appointments made by telephone at the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw or the U.S. Consulate General in Krakow.
Step 2: Come to the Consular Section
Please come to your scheduled appointment at the Consulate with the documents described in Basic documents and photos as well as the documents required for your specific visa type, which are described by category in the left-hand column under Types of Visas.
In the event that the consular officer needs more information about your case you will be asked to return to the Consulate with additional documents before a decision can be made in your case. In these rare cases, no appointment will be necessary for you to gain access to the consular section and present the additional documents.
The consular section of Consulate General Krakow is located at 9 Stolarska Street in Krakow, Poland.
Be aware that visa applicants may spend up to several hours waiting outside and inside before speaking with the consular officer. This is true for both morning and afternoon interviews, especially during the busy spring and summer travel season.
Please do not bring cameras, weapons, knives or mace, or any kind of electronic equipment, e.g. mobile phones, digital cameras, video cameras, walkmans, discmans, laptops, etc. when you come for your appointment.
Step 3: Processing
The applicant will be invited into the Consulate, have his/her application entered into the computer system by a Consulate employee and is then given a number with which he/she can wait in the waiting room. When his/her number appears on the screen above the consular officer’s window, he/she can go to the window for his/her interview.
Step 4: Fingerscan and Interview
All applicants aged 14* to 79 will be required to submit fingerscans at the time of their visa interview. The applicant will simply be required to place his or her index fingers on an electronic scanner in a procedure that is completely inkless and takes only a few seconds.
*Children under the age of 14 require visas, but may not have to come for an interview in person. See applying for children for more information.
After the fingerscan, the consular officer may ask different questions depending on the applicant’s economic and political situation in Poland and the intent of their trip to the United States. The purpose of the interview is to determine the applicant’s eligibility for a visa.
Note: Attempting to obtain a visa by the willful misrepresentation of a material fact, or fraud, may result in the permanent refusal of a visa or denial of entry into the United States. Classes of Aliens Ineligible to Receive Visas provides important information about ineligibilities.
After the conversation has concluded the applicant will be told either that:
A) He/she qualifies for a visa* and that the passport with the visa will be delivered to the address of his/her choice by DHL courier service.
Once you he/she receives his/her passport with visa, he/she needs to make sure there are no mistakes on the visa. He/she should check the spelling his/her name and other biographical information printed on the visa. Visas with errors should be returned to the Consular Section for corrections and cannot be used for travel to the U.S.
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B) He/she will not qualify for a visa. The applicant will receive a letter that explains the reason of ineligibility and the passport will be returned. The applicant may always re-apply for a visa at a later date. However, it is recommended that ineligible applicants wait at least one year following a decision of ineligibility before re-applying and thoroughly reconsider their chances of obtaining a visa as each application requires a non-refundable application fee.
*Please note that possession of a visa does not entitle the bearer to enter the United States upon arrival at port of entry if an immigration officer finds him or her inadmissible. Polish citizens having trouble while entering the USA have the right to contact the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington, D.C., tel: (202) 234-3800, or the Polish Consulate General in New York, tel: (212) 686-1541, Chicago, tel: (312) 337-8166 or Los Angeles, tel: (310) 442-85-00.
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