Poland’s foreign ministry has flatly denied allegations of corruption tied to its visa process in the Philippines, dismissing claims that appointment slots for Polish visas were being sold at sky-high prices in Manila.
The controversy surfaced on the popular Philippines-based UNTV News and Rescue YouTube channel, where job seekers alleged they’d been waiting as long as eight months for a visa appointment. Frustratingly, some discovered that slots were allegedly being blocked and resold for hefty sums.
The official fee for a visa appointment at Poland’s embassy is a modest 500 Philippine pesos (€8), but intermediaries were reportedly charging up to 30,000 pesos (€500) to “secure” interviews. According to an investigation by Polish news portal Wp.pl, these concerns were raised as early as August by Polish businessmen in the Philippines, who claimed that Filipinos trying to work in Poland were being forced to pay bribes to get their visas processed on time.
When questioned by European media, the foreign ministry admitted that visa demand in the Philippines far outstrips the available supply. A spokesperson explained, “Due to the high demand and low supply of slots, all available appointments are taken within minutes of being released.” However, the ministry staunchly denied any staff involvement in scams, calling the allegations baseless.
The embassy said it occasionally receives emails from victims of online fraud but insisted that neither individuals nor companies could manipulate appointments in the official BLS International system. “These are scams,” the spokesperson said, reaffirming that ongoing monitoring has uncovered no wrongdoing. Furthermore, the Schengen evaluation mission assessed the system in March 2024 and found no irregularities.
This isn’t the first time allegations of irregular visa practices have haunted Poland. Under the previous PiS (Law and Justice) government, claims emerged in 2023 that thousands of Schengen and work visas were illicitly sold through intermediaries connected to consulate officials. However, an official investigation found that only a few hundred visas were improperly handled—not the “thousands” alleged. The fallout saw one deputy minister and several go-betweens indicted.
To address the issue, a parliamentary committee was set up in 2024 to probe the visa-issuing process, and Poland’s State Audit Body (NiK) flagged procedural lapses over the years. Still, the Polish government insists its visa operations remain transparent and lawful.
While critics, particularly within the EU, may seize on such claims to question Poland’s integrity, this appears to be yet another instance of exaggerated accusations aimed at undermining the nation’s image. Poland has made it clear that it won’t tolerate corruption, and any credible evidence will be addressed. As for the EU, perhaps it should focus on cleaning up its own house before pointing fingers.
