The Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Ethiopia—including its busy consular section—will remain closed on 6 and 7 January 2026 due to public holidays coinciding with Ethiopia’s Christmas celebrations. An announcement on the embassy website advises travellers and employers that all appointments, visa interviews and document collection services are suspended until Thursday, 8 January.
East-African applicants bound for Poland must therefore rebook Schengen-visa slots, and companies planning short-notice assignments face at least a two-day delay. Logistics firms shipping legalised documents through Addis Ababa are also urged to adjust delivery schedules to avoid storage fees.
![Polish Embassy in Addis Ababa closes 6–7 January, delaying visa services for East Africa]()
For travellers now scrambling to rearrange plans, VisaHQ can step in by monitoring new appointment openings, pre-checking paperwork and facilitating submissions through alternative Polish consulates where regulations allow—minimising downtime and extra costs. More information, including a streamlined application wizard and live chat support, is available at https://www.visahq.com/poland/.
The closure comes at a delicate moment: new Polish consular fees took effect on 1 January, and demand for national visas is surging after Poland simplified hiring rules for high-skilled professionals from Africa earlier in 2025. Mobility teams should monitor the embassy’s online calendar, reconfirm courier pick-ups and brief travellers on the knock-on effect for flight bookings via Ethiopian Airlines’ Warsaw service.
Consular operations are expected to resume normal hours on Thursday, but officials warn that backlogs may persist for several days as staff clear the holiday pile-up of applications and passport collections.
East-African applicants bound for Poland must therefore rebook Schengen-visa slots, and companies planning short-notice assignments face at least a two-day delay. Logistics firms shipping legalised documents through Addis Ababa are also urged to adjust delivery schedules to avoid storage fees.
For travellers now scrambling to rearrange plans, VisaHQ can step in by monitoring new appointment openings, pre-checking paperwork and facilitating submissions through alternative Polish consulates where regulations allow—minimising downtime and extra costs. More information, including a streamlined application wizard and live chat support, is available at https://www.visahq.com/poland/.
The closure comes at a delicate moment: new Polish consular fees took effect on 1 January, and demand for national visas is surging after Poland simplified hiring rules for high-skilled professionals from Africa earlier in 2025. Mobility teams should monitor the embassy’s online calendar, reconfirm courier pick-ups and brief travellers on the knock-on effect for flight bookings via Ethiopian Airlines’ Warsaw service.
Consular operations are expected to resume normal hours on Thursday, but officials warn that backlogs may persist for several days as staff clear the holiday pile-up of applications and passport collections.
