Poland began easing its lockdown at the end of May and is keen to welcome visitors back. This regularly-updated guide includes details on current travel restrictions, flights, outbreak information, and tips for a safe journey

Travel Summary

Nov 17, 2016 The city of Krakow is located in the south of Poland. With a population of nearly 760,000 Krakow is the second biggest city of the country. It is a huge economic center and it is not rare to hear that Krakow is the real center of Poland. In fact, Krakow was the former capital before Warsaw. Gambling in Krakow, casinos and bookmaking. Gaming in Krakow casinos. Krakow’s casinos – two of them situated in Krakow hotels – lure gamblers with roulette, blackjack, poker, and slot machines round the week from afternoon till the dawn next day. Novotel Krakow City West & Casino in Poland. Novotel Krakow City West & Casino. Armii Krajowej 11, 30-150 Krakow, Poland.

Last update: December 14, 2020 (this page is updated every Monday)

• Gesia 22a, Krakow, Lesser Poland A full-service spa, a 24-hour fitness center, and a restaurant are all featured at this romantic hotel. There's fun for all ages with a free kid's club and a children's pool, and supervised childcare is an a.
• See our recommendations for the best hotels in Krakow for various budget categories and ideas on the best areas of the city in Where To Stay In Krakow. Poland Coronavirus Information Poland’s containment of the virus was relatively successful for most of the first wave, but there was a significant rise in new daily cases since the initial.

• The Polish government is urging people not to travel over Christmas and the New Year. Check this page every Monday for the latest information
• The three-week ‘circuit breaker’, due to finish on November 29, has been extended until December 27, with museums and galleries closed, and hotels supposedly only open to business travellers. Bars and restaurants are only open for takeaway. Kraków’s Christmas market has also been cancelled
• Shops and malls are allowed to open, with restrictions on the number of customers
• On October 3, Poland was added to the UK’s list of countries requiring a 14-day quarantine. You can still travel to Kraków from the UK but will need to self-isolate for two weeks on return
• The situation with flights is very much subject to change and many airlines have are cancelling services into early 2021. The United States remains on the banned flight list (except for Illinois and New York) but all EU countries have been removed. See below for full list of banned countries
• You can check available flights, timings and prices for your chosen dates with one search. It’s also easy and affordable to book your own private Krakow airport transfer to your hotel
• All air passengers must complete a locator form and self-declaration form before travel – see the Flights to Poland section below
• Transport into Poland by road, rail, and sea from other EU countries is largely back to normal. See How To Get To Kraków for full details of how to travel by land
• Auschwitz-Birkenau is currently closed. All museums are also shut during the three-week ‘circuit breaker’. See our Things To Do In Kraków guide and two-, three-, and four-day itineraries for suggestions of where to visit once things re-open again on November 27

Latest Poland Coronavirus News

• Schengen Visa Info News – December 8: Poland Prolongs Flight Ban on Nine Countries to December 31
• Reuters – November 21: Polish malls to reopen, but PM warns against Christmas travel
• Kraków.pl – November 5: Christmas market canceled (Google Translate)
• yahoo! news – November 4: Poland Becomes Latest Country To Re-Shut Cinemas In “Circuit-Breaker” Lockdown
• TVN24 – October 23: New restrictions announced as coronavirus infections surge
• BBC – October 1: Covid: Poland and Turkey added to UK’s quarantine list as fines rise
• Routes Online – October 1: Flight ban to Poland – update

New ‘Red Zone’ Restrictions In Kraków

On October 17, Kraków was added to the list of ‘Red Zone’ areas by the Polish government and the entire country was declared high risk the following week. The following restrictions now apply:

• Although there is currently no legally enforced lockdown, people are strongly advised to stay indoors, except for essential shopping
• Children are only allowed outdoors between 8am and 4pm and must be supervised by an adult
• Public restaurants, cafes, and bars are now closed and can only offer takeaway service. Your hotel restaurant and bar should be allowed to remain open. Check before you travel
• Night clubs are closed
• Cultural attractions and cinemas are now capped at 25% capacity
• It is mandatory to cover your nose and mouth in all public spaces. There are fines for not doing so
• Maintain social distance of 1.5m and use hand santiser when entering stores and other public buildings
• Smaller shops are only allowed to admit 1 person per till and larger stores have strict limits on customer entry at any one time
• Public transport can only carry 30% of its usual capacity and only 50% of seats are available
• Groups and public gatherings are limited to 5 people
• Church services have strict attendance limits to ensure social space is maintained
• Public events like weddings are not permitted
• Pools, gyms, and waterparks are closed
• Sporting events can no longer have a live audience

Poland initially introduced a three-week ‘circuit breaker’ on November 6, due to finish on November 29. This has now been extended to December 27. In addition to the ‘Red Zone’ measures:

• All museums, art galleries, cinemas and theatres are closed
• Shops and malls are allowed to open but with restricted capacity
• Hotels are only supposed to allow business guests
• Churches have strict attendance limits
• Kraków’s Christmas market has been cancelled

Travel Restrictions and Visas

You can enter Poland from any country within the Schengen Zone – although you will now need to quarantine for two weeks on return if travelling from the UK. Check with airlines for clarification.

Poland published a revised banned flight list of countries on September 29. The United States remains on the banned flight list but all EU / EEA countries (including the UK) have been removed.

The list of banned countries is: Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Brazil, Bahrain, Israel, Qatar, Kuwait, Libya, UAE, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, India, Iraq, Colombia, Costa Rica, Lebanon, North Macedonia, Maldives, Moldova, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Cape Verde, United States of America – except Illinois and New York, Oman, and the Bahamas.

This guide to the Schengen area has full details of which nationalities need a visa for Poland.

Poland lost its ‘Air Corridor’ status in the UK earlier this month, due to rising infection rates. This means that anybody travelling in from Poland is required to quarantine for 14 days. This also impacts the frequency of flights into and out of the country.

Casino Poland Krakow Wikipedia

Be sure to clarify your airline’s policy for rebooking and return flights if circumstances change suddenly. Book accommodation that allows for cancellations.

Kraków Airport – image © Jason Weaver

Poland Travel Restrictions and Visa Pages

Flights to Poland

Although international flights are now permitted to Poland from countries listed in the previous section, many services are now being cancelled until 2021. Budget airlines like Ryanair and EasyJet are running a timetable between key European cities, although these will fluctuate according to demand and the quarantine policies of individual countries, and services are being reduced in light of record infection levels.

Use a service like Skyscanner to check flights for your chosen dates. See also our comprehensive guide to Kraków Airport and how to get from Kraków Airport to Kraków city centre.

• Important! Everyone is required to fill out a passenger locator form before travel
• You will also need to fill in a Passenger Self-Declaration Form which logs some basic information about your health and activities in relation to possible exposure to COVID-19
• You will receive guidance on these forms from your airline and can usually fill them in online

Queen Boutique Hotel – image © Jason Weaver

Accommodation and Social Hygiene in Poland

Poland is keen to welcome tourists back and hotels were allowed to reopen from early June. During the current lockdown, hotels are only supposed to allow business travellers.

Polish customer service tends to be excellent, with high standards of cleanliness and hygiene. But new legal requirements have been introduced to help tackle coronavirus, some with heavy fines attached. All establishments must ensure that their staff wear gloves and masks, and that customers maintain at least 1.5m distance. Tables and other public areas must be disinfected after use, with signs to display this has been done.

We are hearing of hotels doing an excellent job with managing hotel restaurants, with alloted time slots of breakfasts and careful management to minimise the amount of movement around dining areas. Although you can no longer dine in at public restaurants and bars, your hotel should be able to still offer these services. Check before travelling.

Casino Poland Krakow Map

Most public buildings, including hotels and shopping malls, provide hand sanitiser and ask customers to apply before entering. Hotels are subject to strict rules of hygiene. See our recommendations for the best hotels in Krakow for various budget categories and ideas on the best areas of the city in Where To Stay In Krakow.

Poland Coronavirus Information

Poland’s containment of the virus was relatively successful for most of the first wave, but there was a significant rise in new daily cases since the initial lockdown was eased.

The highest Polish infection rates have been in the Katowice / Silesia and the Warsaw / Masovia provinces. Kraków is in the Lesser Poland province, which currently has the third highest infection rate in the country.

The Polish government started to introduce local restrictions on certain areas from August 8. These rules are updated daily, based on where new cases are highest. Kraków was designated a high-risk ‘Red Zone’ on October 17 and the entire country followed a week later. A three-week ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown began on November 6, and has now been extended until December 27.

Here is a useful page for the latest coronavirus numbers in Poland. Note that Kraków is in the Małopolska district:

• Google Translate version of the official Polish government’s Coronavirus infection report
• There are graphs to help you visualise the current status of the virus in Poland at the worldometer Poland Coronovirus page

Forum Przestrzenie – image © Jason Weaver

Tips for Safe Travel in Poland

Here are some useful tips to make your trip to Poland a safe one.

• Visitors to Kraków face a moderate to high risk of exposure to COVID-19, a highly contagious virus, so individuals should consult a doctor before considering any travel. Similarly, if you display any symptoms of the virus before you leave or are considered at-risk, don’t travel! See the Travel Health Pro COVID-19 Travel Risk Assessment and the UK government Poland travel advice for comprehensive details
• If you start to feel ill while you’re away, contact the Polish National Health Fund on 800 190 590. Press 6 for English language advice on what steps to take if suspect you might have coronavirus
• You are still required to cover your nose and mouth on public transport and, where practical, in any other shared indoor space. Whilst you no longer have to wear a mask outdoors, there’s strong medical evidence that it’s safer for everyone if you do. Although masks should be available from pharmacies, supermarkets, and a number of enterprising vendors, we recommending bringing them with you. After all, you’ll need one to travel
• Hand sanitiser is widely available at hotels, shopping malls, bars and restaurants, public transport, and many other public buildings. All the same, make sure you add a bottle to your packing list
• As a traveller, you’ll have less access to soap and running water than you would at home, so wash your hands at every opportunity
• Respect the 2m social distancing rule in any shared space. You may get fined up to £6,000 if you don’t!
• Kraków is a very walkable city, so consider exploring on foot, instead of via bus and tram. See our guide to Getting Around In Kraków for more details
• Google provides a chart of estimated busy times for popular attractions, so search for what you plan to visit and try to go at quieter times of day
• Provided you meet the criteria for travel to Poland, your visit is no longer considered high risk and you can buy travel insurance to cover the trip. However, things are changing very quickly and not all firms will cover costs incurred by COVID-19. Be sure to check with your provider to clarify what’s on offer. Moneysupermarket has an up-to-date guide on questions relating to the coronavirus and travel insurance. The UK government’s advice on travel insurance is useful for all travellers, regardless of nationality

Start Planning Your Kraków Trip Now!

:: Find available Kraków hotels on Booking.com - usually you can reserve a room with no upfront payment. Pay when you check out. Free cancellations too.

:: Wondering where to stay in Krakow before you book your hotel? See our comprehensive guide to the city's most convenient areas for visitors.

:: Find the cheapest flight to Kraków with Skyscanner - one search will show you the prices and times from scores of airlines for your trip. A real timesaver.

:: Book an airport transfer to take you hassle-free direct from the airport to your hotel with the driver meeting you in Arrivals.

:: Find out how to get your phone set up with a SIM card in Kraków.

:: Make sure you don't forget to bring any of the essentials with our comprehensive Packing List For Kraków.

:: Get travel insurance from World Nomads - make sure you're covered to protect both your health and your belongings. World Nomads lets you buy insurance online quickly and easily.

:: Get a KrakowCard 2- or 3-day pass that gives entry to almost 40 of the Kraków's fantastic attractions and unlimited use of the city's bus and tram network.

:: Need inspiration? Check our Kraków Itineraries for two-day, three-day, and four-day trips, as well as our Things To Do In Kraków guide for ideas of where to do and what to do.