A Polish visa center has opened in Irkutsk, where, under a one stop shop principle, documents for travel to Poland and other European countries can be processed faster and more conveniently. The new center, the easternmost in the network, should simplify visa access for residents of Siberia and the Far East, reduce queues, and make the process more accessible for all, including people with disabilities. The article explains how the center will work and why its opening is seen as an important step for travel and ties between Russia and Poland.

On August 2, the Polish Visa Center opened in Irkutsk at 58 Aleksandra Nevskogo St., where, through a “one-stop shop,” one can arrange the full set of documents for a trip to Poland and European countries. It should be noted that until then, it was possible to obtain a visa to Poland only at the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Irkutsk, opened in 2004. Last year, 4,000 people in our city took advantage of this right. The opening of the center will make it possible to increase the flow of tourists to Europe.
Attending the official opening ceremony of the Polish Visa Center were the Consul General of the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Irkutsk, Marek Zielinski, Acting Mayor of Irkutsk Dmitry Razumov, head of PONY EXPRESS Ilya Risin, and other officials.
“The opening of the center will simplify the visa application procedure, because the Visa Center will make it possible to process documents faster, without queues,” Marek Zielinski noted at the opening ceremony. “Here, in one place, it will be possible to pay the visa fee, submit an application, have a photo taken, and receive the processed passport. The ‘one-stop shop’ principle will make obtaining a visa convenient for people with disabilities and will significantly simplify the visa application procedure for people living in remote regions of the Consular District located in Irkutsk. Since June 2012, it has served the population of Western and Eastern Siberia, the Trans-Baikal Territory, and Primorye.”
The Irkutsk visa center is the 7th and the easternmost. In order to make visa processing more convenient for all Russians, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in the Russian Federation, together with the service provider of the Polish visa centers, PONY EXPRESS, initiated the opening of a network of visa centers throughout Russia.
As Ilya Risin said, the opening of Polish visa centers began in 2012 with the capital of Russia; they also appeared in Kazan, Smolensk, Yekaterinburg, Vologda, and Rostov-on-Don.
“In August, centers are also planned to open in Omsk, Khabarovsk, and Novosibirsk. In total, 38 visa centers will be opened throughout Russia by the end of 2012. This will significantly simplify the visa application procedure for Russians,” the company head noted.
Dmitry Razumov, on behalf of the Mayor of Irkutsk, thanked the initiators of the center’s opening. He emphasized: “The opening of the Polish Visa Center in Irkutsk is a significant contribution to the development of bilateral relations. Irkutsk has historically developed as a crossroads between Europe and Asia, and it continues to serve this purpose today. Today it is a city where one can easily obtain a visa to Poland and discover Europe. This became possible thanks to the decision of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland to introduce new forms of public service and new technologies. A significant step has been taken to improve people’s quality of life.”
For visitors to the Visa Center, an engaging photo exhibition and a video have been prepared, telling the story of Poland and the most beautiful and amazing corners of the republic. It should be noted that the Polish Visa Center will perform an administrative function. The decision to issue a visa remains the exclusive right of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland.
Based on materials from the press service of the administration of the city of Irkutsk