How to Get Admission to a Polish University as an International Student

Admission comes first, and it is a separate decision from the visa

To study in Poland as an international student, you first need a place on a degree programme. Each university runs its own admission process, sets its own deadlines and decides who to admit. Only after admission can students from outside the EU apply for a national visa for studies, which is decided by a Polish consul, not by the university.

Since 2025, Polish law has asked universities to check foreign candidates more carefully. Many applicants from outside the EU must now prove knowledge of the language of instruction at B2 level, some must provide a NAWA statement about their school certificate, and universities must hold entrance exams or interviews for many international candidates. Plan for these steps from the beginning.

Step 1: Choose a programme and check the institution

Start with the programme, not the city. Compare the language of instruction, the study mode, tuition, entry requirements and what graduates do afterwards. The official Study in Poland portal run by NAWA explains the overall process and links to institutions that teach in English and Polish.

Check the institution as well as the course. For a residence permit for studies, Polish law requires that the institution is approved by the Minister of the Interior for admitting foreign students, unless it is exempt from that approval. The same status affects whether full-time students can work without a work permit. Ask the international office directly and check the ministry's published list of approved institutions.

• Is the programme full-time or part-time, and is it taught in English or Polish?
• What are the tuition fees, and are they charged per year or per semester?
• Is the institution approved for admitting foreign students, or exempt from approval?
• What documents, exams or interviews are required, and by which date?

Step 2: Check that your previous education makes you eligible

For a bachelor's or long-cycle master's programme, your secondary school certificate must entitle you to apply for higher education in Poland. Since 1 July 2025, candidates whose certificate was not issued in an EU, OECD or EFTA country, under an international recognition agreement, or as an IB or EB diploma generally need a written statement from NAWA. NAWA issues it free of charge through its SYRENA system.

For a master's programme, the university assesses your bachelor's degree against its own admission rules. Foreign diplomas usually need an apostille or legalisation, depending on the issuing country, and translations if the university asks for them. NAWA's guide to apostille and legalisation explains which route applies, and our article on NAWA recognition and nostrification explains the difference between the procedures.

Step 3: Meet the language requirement

The Act of 4 April 2025 requires most foreign candidates who are not EU citizens to present, during admission, a document confirming knowledge of the language of instruction at B2 or higher; citizens of some other countries are also exempt. A regulation of 30 July 2025, in force since 1 August 2025, sets a closed list of accepted documents for Polish and for foreign languages. Universities may set a higher level for some programmes.

Do not assume that a test you have already taken will count. The list names specific certificates, and universities explain how they apply it. If the rule applies to you, check the regulation and the university's admission page before booking an exam, and leave time for the result to arrive before the application deadline.

Step 4: Apply, sit exams or interviews, and track deadlines

Most universities use an online admission system where you register, upload documents and pay an application fee. Since the 2025 reform, many international candidates for first-cycle and long-cycle programmes must also pass an entrance exam or a qualifying interview. Read the admission rules for the exact format and date.

Deadlines differ between universities, and international recruitment rounds can close well before the academic year starts. Because the NAWA statement, the language certificate and the visa all take time, many students start preparing a year in advance. If a round has closed, ask whether there is a later intake rather than trying to compress the visa stage.

Step 5: After admission, prepare for the visa stage

When you are admitted, the university issues documents confirming your admission, and you pay tuition if the programme is fee-paying. A regulation of the Minister of Science of 21 May 2026 sets the official template for the certificate that an institution issues about admitting a foreign student. Ask the international office which documents you will receive and when, because your visa appointment depends on them.

Remember that the university's role does not end at admission. Under the 2025 rules, universities must inform the consul when an admitted foreign student does not start their studies. The admission and the visa therefore need to describe the same plan, and our step-by-step guide to the student visa explains what happens next.

A realistic planning timeline and next steps

A practical order is: shortlist programmes, check eligibility and the NAWA requirement, book the language exam, apply and sit any exam or interview, receive admission, pay tuition and then book the visa appointment. Budget planning should start at the same time, and our guide to the cost of studying in Poland can help.

Planning to study in Poland? If you are applying from Bangladesh, Auranik's International Education & Admission Support can help with university and course research, eligibility review, application preparation, document checklists and motivation-letter guidance. For other situations, contact Auranik to discuss what assistance is available. Admission decisions always remain with the university.