Where can the Polish border be crossed?
The internal border may be crossed:
- at the border with Germany:
- via road crossings – Jędrzychowice, Olszyna, Świecko, Krajnik Dolny, Kołbaskowo, Świnoujście-Garz, Zgorzelec, Gubin, Słubice, Kostrzyn nad Odrą;
- on foot – Zgorzelec, Gubin, Słubice, Kostrzyn nad Odrą;
- at the border with Lithuania: Budzisko, Ogrodniki;
- at the border with Slovakia: Barwinek, Chyżne;
- at the border with the Czech Republic:
- via road crossings – Cieszyn-Chotĕbuz, Gorzyczki, Nowe Chałupki, Kudowa Słone, Trzebina, Jakuszyce, Gołkowice, Lubawka, Głuchołazy;
- on foot – Cieszyn-Český Tĕšín (Friendship Bridge).
Traffic at the borders with Russia, Belarus and Ukraine has been significantly restricted. The Polish-Russian border may be crossed only at Bezledy and Grzechotki, the border with Belarus at Kuźnica, Bobrowniki and Terespol, and the border with Ukraine at Dorohusk and Korczowa.
Who may enter Poland?
Only the following may enter Poland:
- citizens of the Republic of Poland,
- foreign nationals who are spouses or children of citizens of the Republic of Poland, or remain under their permanent care,
- foreign nationals holding a Pole’s Card,
- heads of diplomatic missions and members of the diplomatic and consular staff of missions, meaning persons holding diplomatic rank, and their family members,
- foreign nationals holding the right of permanent or temporary residence in the territory of the Republic of Poland,
- foreign nationals entitled to work in the territory of the Republic of Poland, i.e. foreign nationals authorized to work under the same conditions as Polish citizens, holding a work permit, a seasonal work permit or a declaration entrusting work to a foreign national in the territory of the Republic of Poland,
- in particularly justified cases not listed above, the commander of a Border Guard post, after obtaining the consent of the Commander-in-Chief of the Border Guard, may permit a foreign national to enter the territory of the Republic of Poland under the procedure specified in the Act of 12 December 2013 on Foreign Nationals (Journal of Laws of 2020, item 35);
- foreign nationals operating a means of transport used to carry goods.
Who is sent into quarantine after crossing the border?
As a rule, all persons arriving in Poland must undergo mandatory 14-day home quarantine. During the border check, every traveler is required to provide the address where they will undergo it. This may be a collective quarantine facility if, for example, the traveler cannot undergo quarantine at their place of residence. This information is entered directly into the database and automatically forwarded to the relevant services, which will verify whether the quarantine obligation is being fulfilled.
Who is exempt from quarantine after crossing the border?
The following do not have to undergo quarantine after crossing the border in order to perform professional duties:
- aircraft crew within the meaning of the Aviation Law,
- fishermen within the meaning of the Act on Work on Fishing Vessels,
- seafarers within the meaning of the Act on Work at Sea, including seafarers leaving a vessel in a Polish port for immediate repatriation,
- persons working or providing services on offshore extraction and drilling platforms located in the Polish exclusive economic zone of the Baltic Sea on the basis of a relationship other than a seafarer employment contract,
- crews referred to in the Act on Inland Navigation,
- vessel crews within the meaning of maritime safety regulations,
- persons carrying out in Poland or a neighboring country work related to the preparation or implementation of investments concerning a terminal within the meaning of the Act on Investments Concerning the Regasification Terminal for Liquefied Natural Gas in Świnoujście, strategic investments concerning transmission networks within the meaning of the Act on the Preparation and Implementation of Strategic Investments in Transmission Networks, or strategic investments in the oil sector within the meaning of the Act on the Preparation and Implementation of Strategic Investments in the Oil Sector,
- drivers carrying out road transport as part of international road transport or international combined transport within the meaning of road transport regulations,
- drivers carrying out road transport as part of international road transport or international combined transport within the meaning of road transport regulations who are returning from abroad by means of transport other than the vehicle used for the road transport, in order to take a rest period or after taking a rest period abroad,
- train crews and other employees necessary to provide freight transport services as part of international rail transport, performing professional duties in Poland or a neighboring country, based on a list of these persons provided by the carrier,
- drivers carrying out road transport using motor vehicles or combinations of vehicles with a permissible total weight not exceeding 3.5 tonnes in the road transport of goods and non-commercial road transport of goods,
- soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland or allied forces, officers of the Police, Border Guard, State Fire Service and State Protection Service,
- members of diplomatic missions, consular offices and representatives of international organizations, and their family members, who cross the border in transit to another country, lasting no longer than 24 hours counted from the moment of crossing the border of the Republic of Poland.
(Legal basis: Regulation of the Council of Ministers of 19 April 2020 on the establishment of certain restrictions, orders and prohibitions in connection with the occurrence of an epidemic).
Do people who live in Poland or a neighboring country and work on the other side of the border have to undergo 14-day quarantine?
People living in Poland or a neighboring country who work on the other side of the border have been required to undergo 14-day quarantine since 27 March, in accordance with a regulation of the Minister of Health.
Are professional drivers carrying out international freight transport subject to border checks and quarantine?
Professional drivers carrying out international freight transport who cross the border with Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Lithuania are exempt from checks. This applies both to border checks and, with the consent of the Chief Sanitary Inspector, to sanitary checks. The decision of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration is dictated by the need to ensure the smooth flow of supplies. Professional drivers carrying out international freight transport are not subject to mandatory 14-day quarantine after arriving in Poland.
Do farmers who have a farm on the other side of the border have to undergo quarantine?
The quarantine obligation does not apply when crossing the border of the Republic of Poland in order to work on a farm located on both sides of the Polish border.
(Legal basis: Regulation of the Council of Ministers of 19 April 2020 on the establishment of certain restrictions, orders and prohibitions in connection with the occurrence of an epidemic).
Does the Border Guard issue a certificate confirming referral to quarantine?
NO, the Border Guard DOES NOT ISSUE certificates at the border confirming referral to quarantine. An employee may notify their employer of the absence by telephone and, within 3 days after the end of quarantine, provide the employer with a statement that will serve as justification for the absence.
Can the Border Guard shorten the quarantine period?
In particularly justified cases, only a state sanitary inspector competent for the place where the quarantine is being served, or another inspector authorized by the Chief Sanitary Inspector, may shorten the quarantine period.
(Legal basis: Regulation of the Council of Ministers of 19 April 2020 on the establishment of certain restrictions, orders and prohibitions in connection with the occurrence of an epidemic).