Yes – as a Kenyan businessperson, you can legally obtain a visa that allows you to stay in Poland for up to 1 year, but it must be the correct visa type.
🇵🇱 Can a Kenyan Business Person Get a 1-Year Visa for Poland?
✅ Short Answer: Yes
However, not through a tourist or ordinary business visit visa. You need a long-stay (National) visa or a temporary residence permit based on business activity.
OPTION 1: National Visa (Type D) – Up to 1 Year
This is the main entry option from Kenya.
What it allows:
- Stay in Poland for more than 90 days and up to 12 months
- Multiple entries
- Business-related stay (depending on justification)
Where you apply:
- Polish Embassy in Nairobi
What you must show:
- Clear business purpose (meetings, setting up a company, exploring investment, contracts)
- Proof of financial means
- Accommodation in Poland
- Health insurance
- Clean travel history and passport
⚠️ Important:
- A Type D visa does not automatically allow employment
- It is often used as an entry visa, after which you apply for a residence permit in Poland
OPTION 2: Temporary Residence Permit for Business (Best Long-Term Option)
If your intention is to live in Poland and run a business, this is the strongest and safest pathway.
What it allows:
- Legal residence in Poland for 1–3 years
- Conducting business activities
- Opening and managing a Polish company
- Renewability if the business remains active
Who qualifies:
- Business owners
- Entrepreneurs
- People opening or running a company in Poland
- Those expanding an existing foreign business into Poland
Key requirements:
- Registered business in Poland (or a serious plan to register one)
- Proof the business is real, active, and financially viable
- Evidence that the business benefits the Polish economy
- Health insurance and accommodation
- Sufficient funds for living
📌 Important:
You usually:
- Enter Poland on a National (Type D) visa, then
- Apply inside Poland for the temporary residence permit
What You Cannot Use
❌ Schengen / Tourist Visa
- Max 90 days
- Cannot stay 1 year
- Cannot work or run a business legally
❌ “Business visit visa.”
- Only for meetings and short visits
- Not for residence or long stays
Typical Path for a Kenyan Business Person
- Decide your purpose:
- Start a company?
- Open a branch?
- Long-term business operations?
- Apply in Kenya for:
- National Visa (Type D)
- Enter Poland legally
- Apply for:
- Temporary Residence Permit based on business activity
- Receive a residence card (1–3 years)
Key Reality Check
- Simply registering a company does not give you the right to stay
- The business must be genuine, documented, and active
- There are no shortcuts or guaranteed approvals
- Processes are paperwork-heavy and time-consuming, but legal
Self-employed worker in Poland
Are you a non-EU citizen wishing to work as a self-employed worker in Poland? You can find information below on the conditions to fulfil and procedures to follow, as well as the rights you can enjoy during your stay.
Final Answer | Clear & Direct
Yes, as a Kenyan businessperson, you can obtain a visa to stay in Poland for up to 1 year.
The correct route is a National (Type D) visa, followed by a temporary residence permit for business activity if you intend to stay longer.
Contact Us | Email: info@atapama.co.uk
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