US Embassy Poland//Belarus Citizens

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If your spouse or family member is going to Warsaw Poland for a VISA interview or you anticipate that might be the case, please be advised to expect the following issue;

1. NVC sets these appointments and sends the VISA Appointment letter electronically. The Polish Embassy in Minsk does not recognize this document and will not accept it to process your VISA.

2. It takes 3 steps with the Polish Embassy to schedule a VISA. I takes more than a week almost 2 to schedule a VISA "window" appointment to stand in line and turn in your documents to request the VISA. You do this electronically on the Polish Consulate Website and are issued and appointment notice with a barcode. For example if you apply on line today the 30th for an appointment you get July 14th as the date to turn in the paperwork.

You stand in line all day to get to the window regardless, recommend getting there at 4am Minsk time. From the time you take your documents and drop them off they need 10 days to process the VISA. You have to go back to pick it up in Minsk at the Polish Embassy.

3. When you get your notice from NVC contact US Embassy Warsaw to mail you a hard copy of the invitation letter for the appointment. We got a confirmation via email that our letter was mailed June 8th, as of the 30th today we still have not received it...so mail if very slow. You might have to reschedule your appointment from the beginning to overcome this.

4. It takes 8 days for the US Embassy in Poland to respond to your request for mailing the letter or rescheduling the appointment.

ALTERNATIVE 1: Request processing in Moscow as Belarus citizens do not need a VISA..however this has issues to as they will request "proof" the Polish Embassy refused to issue VISA which they do not provide.

ALTERNATIVE 2: Request a tourist VISA providing prepaid hotel booking, tickets and itinerary and don't even mention the VISA interview.