International students are responsible for ensuring that they comply with all entry and residence requirements throughout their stay in Poland.
Citizens of EU Member States, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland do not require a visa to enter Poland. However, if their stay in Poland exceeds three months, they are generally required to register their stay with the competent voivodeship office.
Visa and residence requirements for other international students depend on their nationality, current residence status, purpose of stay and planned duration of stay. Students should check the requirements applicable to their individual situation before travelling to Poland and obtain the appropriate visa or residence document, where required.
Comprehensive information about Polish visas, required documents and application procedures is available on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
Visas – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland
Information on entry, legal stay and residence procedures in Poland is available from the Office for Foreigners:
MOS – residence procedures in Poland
If you have any questions concerning your individual visa situation, please contact the Polish embassy or consulate competent for your country of residence before travelling.
A list of Polish diplomatic missions and consular offices abroad can be found here:
For residence formalities after arrival, please consult the voivodeship office competent for your place of residence during the mobility:
- Kraków: Małopolska Voivodeship Office in Kraków – Foreigners’ Service Centres
- Wrocław: Lower Silesian Voivodeship Office in Wrocław – Foreigners’ Affairs
- Bytom: Silesian Voivodeship Office in Katowice – Foreigners’ Affairs
Please note that residence matters concerning students living in Bytom are handled by the Silesian Voivodeship Office in Katowice.
Non-EU students who hold a valid residence permit or long-stay visa for study purposes issued by another EU Member State may, under certain conditions, be eligible for the intra-EU student mobility procedure: