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Student visa for Poland
Money to show for the visa: PLN 1,010 a month living costs, over a 15-month first permit, plus rent, travel and tuition. Work while you study: No work permit needed and no hour cap, for full-time students. Checked against the official pages on 24 September 2026.
The numbers
- Money you must show
- PLN 1,010 a month living costs, over a 15-month first permit, plus rent, travel and tuition
- Visa fee
- €80 national D visa, plus PLN 340 + PLN 100 for the residence permit
- Work while you study
- No work permit needed and no hour cap, for full-time students
- Stay after you graduate
- 9 months, once only, non-renewable
Your consulate's checklist may quote a lower figure. The voivodeship office applies this one. Budget to the higher.
Lubuskie Voivodeship Office, updated 3 July 2026, checked 2026-09-24
EU Immigration Portal / voivodeship offices, checked 2026-09-24
Part-time and extramural students DO need a work permit.
EU Immigration Portal, Poland, checked 2026-09-24
Polish migrant information service (Małopolska), checked 2026-09-24
Worth knowing: The funds test is assessed over a 15-month first permit and rent, travel and tuition must be shown on top of PLN 1,010 a month.
The visa, and a trap in the paperwork
Non-EU students staying over three months need a national D visa with annotation "09", obtained at the consulate before travel, then converted to a temporary residence permit for studies after arrival.
- D visa: €80. Officially issued within 30 days, but the consulate checklist warns it may extend to 60, and applying within 60 days of travel is at your own risk. Appointments go through e-KONSULAT.
- Travel medical insurance is mandatory, minimum €30,000 cover, Schengen-wide, for the whole stay.
- Residence permit, PLN 340 stamp duty plus PLN 100 for the card. Should conclude within 60 days of a complete application, though Warsaw and Kraków run long backlogs.
- Your first permit as a first-year student is 15 months, not 12.
Now the trap, and it is worth reading twice. The funds requirement is calculated over that 15-month period, not a year:
- PLN 1,010 a month if you live alone (PLN 823 per person with family)
- plus 15 × your monthly rent and utilities
- plus return travel: PLN 200 to a neighbouring country, PLN 500 elsewhere in the EU, PLN 2,500 outside the EU, waived if you hold a return ticket
- plus tuition
So the living-cost element alone is 15 × PLN 1,010 = PLN 15,150, and a realistic total for a student renting at PLN 1,000 a month is around PLN 32,000-35,000 (roughly €7,500-8,100) plus tuition.
Meanwhile, some consulate checklists still quote PLN 701 a month. Two different legal standards are genuinely in play: the entry regulation the consulate applies, and the Foreigners Act the voivode applies, but the consulate figure also appears simply out of date. Budget to PLN 1,010 over 15 months, because even if the consulate accepts less for the visa, the voivode will apply the higher figure a few months later when you convert to a residence permit. Students who budget to the consulate figure get the visa and then fail the permit.
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens
No student visa is needed: citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland may live and study in Poland. For more than three months you normally register your residence after you arrive, and show that you are enrolled, insured and can support yourself.
Where to apply
At the embassy or consulate of Poland that covers your country, or through the visa application centre it names. Book early: in the busiest months appointments can be weeks away. Apply only through the official website; nobody can sell you a faster place in the queue.
Government scholarships to study in Poland
- Banach Scholarship Programme closed for this round
- Poland My First Choice Programme closed for this round
- General Anders Programme closed for this round
Which of these are open to your nationality
By nationality
From Algeria
From Armenia
From Azerbaijan
From Bangladesh
From Brazil
From Cameroon
From Canada
From China
From Colombia
From Egypt
From Ethiopia
From Georgia
From Ghana
From India
From Indonesia
From Iran
From Iraq
From Japan
From Jordan
From Kazakhstan
From Kenya
From Lebanon
From Malaysia
From Mexico
From Morocco
From Nepal
From Nigeria
From Pakistan
From Philippines
From Russia
From Saudi Arabia
From Senegal
From South Africa
From South Korea
From Sri Lanka
From Syria
From Tanzania
From Tunisia
From Türkiye
From Uganda
From Ukraine
From United Arab Emirates
From United States
From Uzbekistan
From Vietnam
From ZimbabweQuestions students ask
How much money do I need to show for a Poland student visa?
PLN 1,010 a month living costs, over a 15-month first permit, plus rent, travel and tuition. Your consulate's checklist may quote a lower figure. The voivodeship office applies this one. Budget to the higher. (Lubuskie Voivodeship Office, updated 3 July 2026, checked 2026-09-24).
How much is the student visa fee for Poland?
€80 national D visa, plus PLN 340 + PLN 100 for the residence permit.
Can international students work in Poland?
No work permit needed and no hour cap, for full-time students.
Can I stay in Poland after I graduate?
9 months, once only, non-renewable.
Do EU citizens need a student visa for Poland?
No. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens may live and study in Poland without a student visa. For a stay of more than three months they normally register their residence after arriving.
This page is general information from official sources, not immigration advice. For a decision about your own case, the official source or a regulated adviser is where that belongs.