Poland

⇑Universities

Poland has one of the largest higher education systems in the EU. According to RAD-on, the official database run by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, there are currently 344 higher education institutions:

• 136 public institutions – 104 academic ones (including universities and universities of technology) and 32 vocational ones,
• 191 non-public (private) institutions,
• 17 church institutions.

Most public institutions are supervised by the Minister of Science (95). The others come under other ministries: culture – arts academies (19), health – medical universities (10), national defence (6), the interior (3), infrastructure – maritime universities (2) and justice (1).

You can check any institution and programme in RAD-on – the official database that shows whether an institution is operating and what it is authorised to teach. Programmes for international students are easiest to browse in the Study Finder run by NAWA, the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange.

Universities in Poland – profiles

⇑Study system

Levels of study are set by the Law on Higher Education and Science:

• first-cycle programmes – at least 6 semesters, ending with a bachelor's degree (licencjat); engineering programmes – at least 7 semesters,
• second-cycle programmes (master's) – 3 to 5 semesters,
• long-cycle master's programmes – 9 to 12 semesters, e.g. medicine or law,
• doctoral schools – 6 to 8 semesters.

A programme can have a practical profile (more than half of the ECTS credits for practical classes) or a general academic profile (more than half of the ECTS credits for classes linked to research). Part-time programmes may last longer than full-time ones. The academic year runs from 1 October to 30 September and is divided into two semesters.

Poland – bachelor's programmes
Poland – integrated (single-cycle) programmes
Poland – master's programmes
Poland – doctoral programmes

⇑Admission

There is no central admission system – each university runs its own admissions, usually through its online registration system (often called IRK). You create an account, choose your programmes, upload your documents and pay the application fee.

Universities must publish their admission rules by 30 June of the year before the academic year concerned, so you have more than a year to prepare. Each university sets its own registration dates. According to NAWA, admissions for bachelor's and master's programmes usually open in April or May and can last up to six months.

For a first-cycle or long-cycle programme you need a secondary school leaving certificate that gives access to higher education in the country where it was issued. Certificates issued in EU, OECD and EFTA countries, as well as IB and EB diplomas, are recognised in Poland by law; other certificates usually have to be recognised by a regional education authority (kuratorium) first. If your certificate is not in Polish or English, add a translation.

For a second-cycle programme you need a first-cycle degree; the university sets the criteria (grade average, interview, exam).

Admission results are public. If you are refused, you can appeal to the rector.

If you come from outside the EU, apply as early as you can: you need your admission letter to apply for a visa, and consulate appointments can take a long time (see: Residence and formalities).

⇑Entrance exams

In Poland, school leaving exam results replace entrance exams: Polish applicants are admitted on their matura results, and applicants with foreign certificates according to the university's rules – usually on the grades in their certificate. A university may hold an additional exam only when it needs to check:

• artistic ability – e.g. for music, fine arts or acting,
• physical fitness – e.g. for physical education,
• special aptitudes that school leaving exams do not test.

Such exams cannot cover subjects that are part of the school leaving exam. Check the admission rules of your programme – for English-taught programmes they explain exactly how foreign certificates are assessed.

⇑Language

Most programmes are taught in Polish. If you want to study in Polish, the university will ask you to prove your language skills – for example with a state certificate in Polish as a foreign language (certyfikatpolski.pl) or by completing a preparatory course. The required level is in the admission rules.

The number of programmes taught in English is growing – you can find them in NAWA's Study Finder. For these, universities usually ask for proof of English, e.g. IELTS or TOEFL; the required level is in the admission rules.

Remember that programmes taught in a foreign language usually charge tuition, also at public universities and also for EU citizens (see: Tuition fees).

⇑Residence and formalities

EU/EEA and Swiss citizens enter with an ID card or passport – no visa is needed. If you stay in Poland for longer than 3 months, you must register your residence with the voivode (the regional government office) for your place of residence – at the latest on the day after 3 months have passed since your arrival. You apply in person. As a student you attach a certificate from your university, proof of health insurance and a written statement that you have enough money to support yourself. Registration and the certificate are free, and the certificate is valid for 10 years. Note: NAWA describes the certificate as having unlimited validity – if this matters to you, check the current rule with the voivode's office.

Students from outside the EU/EEA usually enter on a national (D-type) visa for study. You apply at a Polish consulate; NAWA says the decision takes up to 15 days, but getting an appointment can take much longer, so start early. You will need, among other things, your admission letter, health insurance and proof of funds. Once in Poland – and before your visa expires – you apply for a temporary residence permit for the purpose of study at the voivode's office; since 27 April 2025 applications are submitted online only, through the MOS system. The first permit for first-year students is issued for 15 months, later ones for the length of your studies plus 3 months (up to 3 years). You have to show that after paying for accommodation you have more than PLN 1,010 a month if you live alone (PLN 823 per person in a family), plus money for your journey home (2026).

Health insurance: if you are insured in another EU country, bring your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Students from outside the EU can buy private insurance before arriving or sign a voluntary insurance agreement with the National Health Fund (NFZ) – according to NAWA, this costs around €15 a month for students.

⇑Tuition fees

Full-time programmes taught in Polish at public universities are free for Polish citizens, citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland, holders of the Pole's Card (Karta Polaka) and other foreigners who study on the same terms as Polish citizens.

However, the law allows public universities to charge fees for, among other things:

• part-time programmes (weekend or evening classes),
• programmes taught in a foreign language,
• repeating classes because of poor results,
• classes outside the study programme,
• admission, the student ID card, duplicate documents, student residences and canteens.

According to NAWA, tuition for programmes in English usually ranges from €2,000 to €6,000 a year, depending on the university and programme (MBA programmes around €8,000–12,000). Non-public universities set their own fees. Check the amount on your chosen university's website.

Students from outside the EU who do not study on the same terms as Polish citizens pay at least €2,000 a year for first-cycle, second-cycle and long-cycle programmes taught in Polish, too. Doctoral schools charge no tuition and pay all full-time doctoral candidates a scholarship.

⇑Accommodation and living costs

According to NAWA, a student in Poland usually spends PLN 1,500–2,000 a month (around €330–430):

• student residence – PLN 400–600,
• food – PLN 700–900,
• public transport – PLN 50–60.

NAWA does not say which year these figures are from – in Warsaw, Kraków or Wrocław, especially if you rent a room, you will spend more. Even so, living in Poland as a student is relatively affordable.

Places in student residences are allocated by the university – you will find the rules and application deadlines on its website. Universities may charge for residences and canteens.

⇑Scholarships

Polish universities offer non-repayable financial support – but not all of it is open to every international student:

• rector's scholarship – for outstanding academic results or scientific, artistic or sporting achievements (at least at national level); it is open to students of any nationality. Winners of international olympiads receive it in their first year if they start university in the year they finish school,
• social scholarship – if the monthly income per person in your family does not exceed PLN 2,099.70 net (2026/27); among foreigners, only certain groups qualify, e.g. citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland, permanent residents, holders of the Pole's Card and holders of a C1 certificate in Polish,
• scholarship for students with disabilities,
• hardship grant – if you find yourself in a difficult situation for a while.

The social scholarship and the rector's scholarship together cannot exceed PLN 3,667 a month. You can receive support for a total of 12 semesters across first-cycle, second-cycle and long-cycle programmes. Doctoral candidates in doctoral schools receive a doctoral scholarship.

NAWA also runs scholarship programmes for international students, e.g. Banach scholarships for students from selected developing countries and the General Anders Programme for people of Polish origin – details on nawa.gov.pl. You can also spend a semester or year in Poland through Erasmus+ with your home university.

⇑Working while studying

EU/EEA and Swiss citizens can work without any permit. According to NAWA, full-time students from outside the EU/EEA who hold a student visa or a temporary residence permit don't need a work permit either, and there is no limit on working hours. The same applies after you graduate from a full-time programme in Poland.

Two things are worth knowing:

• if you are under 26 and work on a contract of mandate (umowa zlecenie) while you have student status, you don't pay social security or health insurance contributions; the exemption does not apply if you also have an employment contract with the same employer, and you must tell the employer when you finish your studies or turn 26,
• tax relief for young people – if you are under 26 and a Polish tax resident, income from employment contracts, contracts of mandate, graduate internships and apprenticeships is exempt from income tax (PIT) up to PLN 85,528 a year.

Poland – why work there?
How to find a job abroad?

⇑Useful links

• Study in Europe – Poland – the official country profile on the European Commission's portal,
• Study in Poland – NAWA's portal for international students: programmes, tuition fees, living costs, Study Finder,
• Study in Poland – visa and residence – visas and residence permits for students from outside the EU,
• MOS – the online system for residence permit applications,
• NAWA – programmes for foreign students – scholarships and Polish language courses,
• Ministry of Science and Higher Education – laws, student support, announcements,
• RAD-on – the official database of institutions and programmes,
• ENIC-NARIC – recognition of qualifications in Europe,
• Eurodesk – free information on studying, traineeships and volunteering in Europe.