Balice to London (KRK–LGW) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

Polish passport holders can enter the United Kingdom visa-free as visitors for up to 6 months. No advance application needed. Passport required (national ID cards are no longer accepted since October 2021, post-Brexit). At the UK border, you may be asked about the purpose of your visit, accommodation, return plans, and funds. Visitor status does not allow employment. Polish citizens with EU Settled Status or Pre-Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme use eGates and retain their right to live and work in the UK.

The UK left the EU in 2020, ending free movement. New visitors cannot work or stay beyond 6 months without a visa. For work, you need a Skilled Worker visa (employer sponsorship required). For study beyond 6 months, apply for a Student visa. The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system is being rolled out for visa-exempt nationalities, but EU citizens including Polish nationals are not yet subject to ETA requirements (as of early 2026). The UK plans to extend ETA to EU nationals in the future.

Direct flights from Warsaw to London Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, and Luton run about 2 hours 30 minutes on LOT, BA, Wizz Air, and Ryanair. Routes also operate from Krakow, Gdansk, Wroclaw, Katowice, Poznan, and Rzeszow. A large Polish community in the UK (over 900,000) means Polish shops, churches, and services are common in London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Edinburgh. The UK uses the British pound (GBP), trading at roughly 5.2 PLN per GBP 1. No mandatory vaccinations. Oyster or contactless payment works on all London transport.

The Gatwick Express departs the South Terminal every 15 minutes to London Victoria (30 min, from £21.50). Thameslink services are cheaper and provide direct access to Farringdon, City Thameslink, Blackfriars, and London Bridge; useful for destinations in the City and East London. Both terminal buildings are connected by a free inter-terminal monorail shuttle (2 min).Taxis from arrivals queue outside; metered fares to central London typically run £70–100 and can exceed this during peak hours. Uber and other ride-shares operate from a designated zone. Rental car desks are in both terminal buildings.

Temperate maritime climate. Winters (November–February) are cool and grey at 3–9°C, with fog, low cloud, and occasional light snow causing moderate delay risks. Summers (June–August) are mild at 18–25°C. Heat waves are increasingly common and can affect ramp operations. Rain falls year-round with no dry season.

Wind is a more frequent disruption factor than snow at Gatwick. The airport has a single active runway and is sensitive to crosswinds. Autumn storms (October–November) occasionally cause significant delays.