Poland

Tuition

Full-time, Polish-taught programmes at public (state) higher education institutions are free of charge for EU/EEA students who study on the same terms as Polish citizens. For non-EU/EEA students, official guidance gives average published fees of around EUR 2,000 per year for Bachelor's, Master's and long-cycle programmes and around EUR 3,000 per year for postgraduate, doctoral, artistic and specialist programmes at public institutions; across public and private higher education institutions overall, fees typically range from about EUR 2,000 to EUR 6,000 per year depending on the programme, with MBA programmes averaging roughly EUR 8,000-12,000 per year. Fees can also apply to EU/EEA students on English-taught programmes or at private institutions, so the exact fee should always be confirmed with the chosen institution. ^[1]

Visa

National long-stay visa (type D) for entry, followed by a Temporary Residence Permit for study purposes for the duration of the studies — 40 hours per week (guideline; no statutory cap for full-time students with a valid visa/residence permit, no work permit required). ^{[2] [3]}

Applications

Poland has almost 380 public and private higher education institutions, each running its own admissions process. Admission campaigns for most Bachelor's and Master's programmes typically open in April or May and can run for up to six months, and the academic year begins in early October. Because timelines and required documents differ by institution and programme, applicants should always confirm the exact deadline directly with their chosen university. ^{[4] [5] [6]}

Application portals

• Study in Poland - STUDYFINDER (NAWA)
• Internetowa Rejestracja Kandydatów (IRK) - University of Warsaw

Language

Polish. Polish is the main language of instruction at Polish universities, but a substantial and growing number of Bachelor's, Master's and doctoral programmes are taught fully in English - searchable via the official STUDYFINDER database - particularly in fields such as business, engineering, IT and medicine. The share of English-taught options varies by institution and field, so applicants should verify the language of instruction for the specific programme they are interested in. ^[5]

Health insurance

Students from the EU/EEA can use public healthcare in Poland free of charge by presenting a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) together with proof of identity. Students from outside the EU/EEA are advised to arrange private international health insurance before arrival; if they arrive without cover, they are required to sign a voluntary insurance agreement with the National Health Fund (Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia, NFZ), at a cost of around EUR 15 per month, to gain access to public healthcare facilities. This is general orientation information, not individual insurance or legal advice. ^[7]

Universities

• University of Warsaw (Uniwersytet Warszawski), Warsaw ^[9]
• Jagiellonian University (Uniwersytet Jagielloński), Kraków ^[10]
• Warsaw University of Technology (Politechnika Warszawska), Warsaw ^[11]
• AGH University of Krakow, Kraków ^[12]
• Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań ^[13]

Scholarships

• The gen. Anders Programme (NAWA) — A scholarship programme run by Poland's National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) that enables foreign nationals to pursue a full Bachelor's or Master's degree at a Polish higher education institution, funded through recurring annual calls for proposals. ^[14]
• Poland My First Choice Programme (NAWA) — A NAWA scholarship programme that supports foreign nationals enrolling in full-time degree studies at Polish higher education institutions, administered through recurring annual calls for proposals. ^[15]
• Banach NAWA Scholarship Programme — A NAWA scholarship programme for foreign students studying in Poland, run through recurring recruitment cycles with new calls for proposals published regularly. ^[16]
• Erasmus+ — The EU's programme for education, training, youth and sport funds study-abroad and traineeship periods at partner institutions, including exchange semesters in Poland, through grants that contribute to travel and living costs during the mobility period. ^[17]