Studying | Healthcare | Accommodation | Travel | Visa | Student Voice
Information about your chosen course and university can be found on the website of your chosen institution.
The Bureau for Academic Recognition and International Exchange lists all the state higher education institutions in Poland.
The Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland (CRASP) also publishes a searchable guide to English studies at universities and other higher educational institutions in Poland.
All international students coming to Poland require adequate health insurance.
If you come from a country within the EEA (excluding Switzerland) you should register for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from your home country before your depart for Poland. The EHIC will entitle you to free medical assistance in Poland according to the Polish state health regulations.
Citizens of non-EEA countries (including Switzerland) should purchase adequate health care and casualty insurance before your departure to Poland.
More information on the health state regulations in Poland can be found from the National Health Fund of Poland (narodowy fundusz zdrowia).
If you require medical supplies, it is strongly recommended that you pack extra supplies before you leave. Otherwise, find a pharmacy (apteka), which are marked with a green cross on a white background. Polish pharmacies also supply numerous homeopathic and other complementary medicines.
Many students choose to hire furnished flats or live in dormitories (zaczek and nawojka) during their visit to Poland. The international office at your host university will be able to provide further information on the options available to you.
Many visitors to Poland arrive by air, landing at either Okecie Airport in Warsaw; Balice Airport in Krakow; or Rebiechowo Airport in Gdansk. The other minor airports in Poland are: Poznan, Wroclaw, Szczecin, and Katowice.
Poland is covered by an extensive network of rail and coach services throughout the country. To find out more about train schedules, look at the Polish State Railway interactive timetable.
Buses, trams, trolleybuses, and the underground (only in Warsaw) make up the public transport system in Poland. Buses run on ordinary, fast and night lines, and tickets should be validated immediately upon boarding. Fare rates are different in different cities and tickets purchased in one city cannot be used in another.
There are various tickets available depending upon your travel needs, so check before you buy. If you are travelling with bulky luggage, or a dog, you will need an additional ticket which is the equivalent of a normal passenger fare. Note, there are steep on the spot fines if you travel without a valid ticket.
If you decide to drive in Poland, see the Polish Automobile and Motorway Federation, The Polski Zwiazek Motorowy (PZM) for further information.
Students with EEA citizenship do not have to apply for a visa if their period of stay within Poland does not exceed 3 months. However, if you intended to stay for longer then 3 months, you must apply for a temporary residence permit (zarejestrowanie pobytu trp) from the Voivode of provincial administration; ask your host institution for further guidance and information.
When applying for a temporary residence permit, you will need the following documents:
- A letter from the international office at your host university confirming that you are the student.
- Copy of your passport (all pages).
- Certificate of your legal accommodation (meldunek).
- The European Health Insurance Card (+ copy), if applicable. If you have private Health Insurance which is valid in Poland during the whole period of stay, you have to have it translated into Polish by a sworn translator.
- Four copies of the application form for registering the residence completed in Polish.
- 5 passport photographs (your left ear must be visible).
Citizens from non-EU/EEA countries require a visa to enter Poland, which is issued by the Polish Consulates or Embassies in your home country. You should apply for a long-term visa for the whole planned period of stay in Poland.
You will need the following documents when applying for a visa:
- A valid passport
- Visa application form
- Current passport photographs
- A letter of acceptance as a student from your host University with the dates of your study
Learn from the experiences of other students and share your experiences of going overseas at International Student Blogs and Forums.
