Poland cracks down on visa brokers with new biometric checks for Indians

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The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) is set to roll out a new IT system this year to stop intermediaries from monopolising and reselling visa appointment slots at high prices. With this, Poland hopes to ensure that only genuine applicants can secure appointments, removing the role of middlemen. According to the ministry, the system is still undergoing legislative and technical work, and no official launch date has been provided.

 

India among pilot countries  

 

India will be one of the first countries where the system is piloted, alongside the Philippines and Uzbekistan. Many Indian workers, students, and professionals applying for Polish visas have struggled to secure appointments due to agents booking and reselling slots at inflated rates. Under the new process, only applicants themselves will be able to book appointments, blocking unauthorised agents from the system.

 

Biometric verification and digital screening  

 

The new system will introduce an identity verification mechanism, likely incorporating biometric data such as fingerprints or facial recognition. This will prevent individuals from booking multiple slots under false identities and selling them for profit.

 

Indian applicants may soon need to undergo biometric screening while scheduling visa appointments online. The MFA has confirmed that the system will be integrated with Poland’s existing eKonsulat platform and a new consular e-services platform currently in development.

 

Why Poland is making this change  

 

According to Polish daily Rzeczpospolita, many Indian applicants, including IT professionals and skilled workers, have faced difficulties booking visa appointments through official channels. Polish employers, particularly in the technology and manufacturing sectors, have voiced concerns over the lack of available slots, which has forced them to turn to intermediaries.

 

While appointment slots often appear unavailable through official channels, agents have been able to secure them instantly and charge high fees. The new system is expected to make appointments more accessible and prevent fraudulent practices.

 

This comes after recent investigations revealed serious irregularities in Poland’s visa issuance process. A state audit covering 2018 to 2023 found that standard procedures were often bypassed. Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said in October 2023, “unlawful pressure was exercised over Polish consuls with the intention of increasing the number of visas issued to people... who should not necessarily obtain them, including the citizens of the Russian Federation.”

 

The investigation identified 46 irregularities across five areas of visa issuance, with former Foreign Affairs Minister Zbigniew Rau accused of losing control over the process. One of the most striking findings was that more than 4,200 visas were issued by a single agency, with applicants paying up to €7,000 for a Polish visa.

 

In one case, Indian nationals obtained visas by claiming to be Bollywood filmmakers. It was later revealed that many were farmers who had paid up to €36,582 (Rs 33 lakh) for visas and used them to travel onwards to the United States. Another concerning revelation was that 357,000 visas were issued to Russian nationals after the start of the war in Ukraine.

 

With the introduction of the new system, Polish authorities expect to increase transparency and ensure that visa appointments are distributed fairly.