3 hours to take a test at the Airport after traveling to Poland from outside Schengen and the EU

Air travel from non-Schengen and non-EU countries, including from the United Kingdom and Egypt

The Regulation of the Council of Ministers, which came into force on 15th December 2021, said that people traveling from countries outside the European Union and outside the Schengen area, must show a negative coronavirus test before crossing the Polish border. The test must be taken no earlier than 24 hours, either before landing in Poland or after landing but still before passport control.

17th December 2021 a new Regulation has been published, which adds the possibility of testing also after border control. The passenger must do the test within three hours after landing, still at the airport. After a negative result, the information about it is entered by the laboratory into the official database and the quarantine is lifted.

Both antigen and PCR tests are recognized. Only antigen tests are done at the airport. You have to do them at your own expense.

From February 24, 2022, persons crossing the Polish-Ukrainian border in connection with the war in Ukraine are exempt from quarantine and showing a negative SARS-CoV-2 test result.

At Gdansk Airport we are adjusting the working hours of the swab laboratories to the flights from the non-Schengen and non-European Union countries in order to give the passengers an opportunity to have them done. See for details HERE 

The obligation to test applies to the vaccinated, recovered and unvaccinated persons.

Vaccinated people traveling outside the EU and Schengen, after showing a negative test result, will enter the country without quarantine. This includes recovered patients. On the other hand, any unvaccinated persons, despite a negative test, will be placed in a 7-day quarantine. Those who, despite the requirements, do not show the test result during passport control will also be sent to the 7-day quarantine. 

Children in non-Schengen and EU travel

Children under 5 years of age do not need to be tested. However, children under 12 years of age traveling under the care of adults who have been vaccinated or have an EU Covid Certificate based on a pre-travel test or because they have contracted coronavirus no more than 180 days prior to travel are exempt from quarantine, as before. Children between 5 and 12 years of age and older must be tested.

Transit

It is possible to travel in transit through Poland without quarantine. It applies only to those who arrive in Poland from outside Schengen and outside the EU, will have a ticket for an onward flight, which will be no later than 24 hours after landing. However, these people will not be exempt from the test either within a maximum of 24 hours abroad or within three hours of landing at the airport.

Flights from Schengen and the European Union, including Cyprus and Ireland

Passengers travelling from Schengen and European Union countries, if fully vaccinated, can enter Poland without testing, as can the recovered travelers. Those who do not have a full vaccination can do a test both before flying to Poland and upon arrival. In both cases they have two days to do it, 48 hours before arrival and 48 after landing. Children of such persons under 12 years of age are exempt from testing. 

Ban on flights

The ban on flights to Poland from 7 African countries: Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and Zimbabwe, has been extended to 24th of January. If someone travels from these countries to Poland via other ports, upon returning to their home country they are subject to a 14-day quarantine, which cannot be shortened.
All the changes have to do with the spread of a coronavirus mutation called Omicron and the fourth wave of the pandemic.