Poland
Visas and entry
No visa needed for holidays or visiting family for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The 90 days are counted across all Schengen countries together, not per country.
Passport
Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the day you arrive, and be valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave. If your passport was renewed before October 2018 it may have extra months added, so check the issue date, not just the expiry date.
At the border
The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) has replaced passport stamps since April 2026. The first time you cross, a booth takes your fingerprints and photo (children under 12 are photographed only); the record then lasts three years. Allow extra time on your first trip. At Dover, the Eurotunnel and St Pancras this happens before you leave the UK. ETIAS, a €20 online travel authorisation, is planned but has not started and has no confirmed date. Travellers aged 70 and over won't pay the fee. Ignore any website selling ETIAS now: GOV.UK warns that they are fraudulent.
Health cover
Your UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) covers state healthcare here at the same cost as a local resident. It is not travel insurance: you still need a policy for private treatment, repatriation and cancellation.
Useful to know
| Currency | Polish złoty (PLN) |
|---|---|
| Plugs | Type C/E, 230V |
| Drives on the | right |
| Emergency number | 112 |
| Language | Polish |
When to go
May to September, plus December for Kraków's Christmas market.
Tip for grandparents
Kraków is good value for a city break. Visits to Auschwitz-Birkenau involve a lot of walking and standing, so book a guided tour with transport and allow a quiet day afterwards.
Check your cover before you go: travel insurance in your 60s, 70s and 80s.