Due to a recent change, the list of documents required in the visa application process in certain countries (currently Algeria, Ethiopia, India, Iraq, Qatar and Saudi Arabia) now includes a positive decision of the superintendent of schools on the recognition of the applicant’s final secondary school certificate. More information about this process is available HERE The new requirement should not apply to students whose qualifications are automatically recognized, for example the A-levels or the International Baccalaureate. However, for students who are affected by this rule, the recognition process can take 1-2 months to complete plus some time to arrange the apostille, translations and shipping, which will leave very little time for a successful visa application.

So far, the new requirement has been introduced by Polish embassies in India, Algeria and Qatar. It is possible that more will follow. For this reason, we urge all applicants to re-check the visa requirements at their embassy’s website and to watch for possible changes. We are monitoring the situation and awaiting more information and will contact affected applicants as soon as any updates are available.