Foreign candidates
Changes in the admission process for foreign candidates
– applicable from July 1st, 2025
According to the Act of 4 April 2025 on amending certain acts in order to eliminate irregularities in the visa system of the Republic of Poland, the rules of admission of foreign candidates have changed. All information below concerns the ongoing admission for the academic year 2025/2026 – make sure to read it carefully and prepare the necessary documents.
The admission changes for first-, second-, and long-cycle studies referred to in the act shall enter into force on July 1st, 2025. Candidates who enrol after this date shall be obliged to deliver additional documents according to the following information.
Who will be affected by the changes?
The obligation to deliver additional documents, and their type, are closely related to your situation – your citizenship and the country in which you obtained your education are also crucial.
The changes in the rules of admission consider candidates who do not have Polish citizenship and at the same time:
- are not citizens of the EU Member State, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland or Great Britain;
and / or:
- for first- and long-cycle studies: finished high school abroad and have a secondary school certificate obtained outside of Poland, EU, OECD and EFTA countries, IB diploma, EB diploma, Ukraine, China (concerns only the Gaozhong certificate);
- for second-cycle studies: finished first-, or long-cycle studies abroad and have a higher education diploma issued by a higher education institution outside of Poland, the EU, OECD and EFTA countries, China (xuesi diploma) or Ukraine.
All additional documents listed below must be delivered to the Faculty Admissions Committee as soon as possible after successfully passing the entrance examination. In the next stage, the candidates who are admitted to studies shall receive the message from the MERK system with the information on the deadline for enrolment to first- and second-cycle studies. The e-mail will also include an additional document of your declaration to enrol or your resignation from enrolment. You will be also informed where you should send the required documents.
EU, OECD or EFTA countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, South Korea, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, USA.
Additional documents necessary for enrolment:
Citizens of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Great Britain
|
EDUCATION |
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS |
|
Obtained in Poland |
Additional documents resulting from the change of the regulations are not required. |
| A secondary school certificate or a higher education diploma issued in the EU, OECD, EFTA countries, Ukraine or China (concerns only the Gaozhong certificate);
IB and EB secondary school final examinations (matura) A recognised higher education diploma issued in countries other than the EU, OECD, EFTA countries, or Ukraine |
Additional documents resulting from the change of the regulations are not required. |
|
A secondary school certificate issued in countries other than listed above An unrecognised higher education diploma issued in countries other than listed above |
Certificate confirming at least a B2 level of the language of the studies (according to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education regulations’ list). AND For first-, and long-cycle studies: confirmation that a secondary school certificate entitles to study:
For second-cycle studies: confirmation that the higher education diploma entitles to undertake second-cycle studies: information to that diploma issued by the director of NAWA. |
Citizens of other countries
|
EDUCATION |
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS |
|
Obtained in Poland |
Additional documents resulting from the change of the regulations are not required. |
| A secondary school certificate or a higher education diploma issued in the EU, OECD, EFTA countries, Ukraine or China (concerns only the Gaozhong certificate);
IB and EB secondary school final examinations (matura); A recognised higher education diploma issued in countries other than the EU, OECD, EFTA countries, or Ukraine |
Certificate confirming at least a B2 level of the language of the studies (according to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education regulations’ list). |
|
A secondary school certificate issued in countries other than listed above An unrecognised higher education diploma issued in countries other than listed above |
Certificate confirming at least a B2 level of the language of the studies (according to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education regulations’ list). AND For first-, and long-cycle studies: confirmation that a secondary school certificate entitles to study: information issued to that certificate by the director of the National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) or the decision of the school superintendent on the recognition of the secondary school certificate based on the previous regulations. For second-cycle studies: confirmation that the higher education diploma entitles to undertake second-cycle studies: information to that diploma issued by the director of NAWA. |
Information about documents
Certificate confirming knowledge of the Polish language (for candidates applying for admission to studies conducted in Polish)
The list of documents confirming at least a B2 level of Polish language is published in the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of July 30, 2025, on the types of documents certifying knowledge of the language in which education is provided at higher education institutions
Only documents indicated in these regulations shall be accepted during enrolment after the entry into force of the act and ordinance.
- State Committee for the Certification of Proficiency in Polish as a Foreign Language – schedule of examination sessions in 2025.
- List of entities eligible to organize exams of Polish language as a foreign language
Certificate confirming knowledge of the language of the studies (for candidates applying for admission to studies conducted in foreign languages)
The list of documents confirming at least B2 level of language other than Polish is published in the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of July 30, 2025, on the types of documents certifying knowledge of the language in which education is provided at higher education institutions
Only documents indicated in these regulations shall be accepted during enrolment after the entry into force of the act and ordinance.
A document confirming eligibility to study (information issued by the director of NAWA, decision of the school superintendent)
From July 1st, 2025, the director of NAWA (National Agency for Academic Exchange) shall issue information on certificates, diplomas or other documents confirming eligibility to apply for admission to studies. Information from the director of NAWA applies only to the particular certificate or diploma – candidates must apply for it to NAWA. General information printed from the publicly available KWALIFIKATOR system shall not be accepted.
! Information regarding the procedure for obtaining information from the director of NAWA is published on the NAWA’s website: secondary school certificate.
It is possible to attach a previously issued decision of the school superintendent on recognition of the secondary school certificate to foreign secondary school certificates during application for admission to first-, and long-cycle studies. Information regarding the decision of the school superintendent and the procedure for getting it is available below.
Student visas
Changes implemented by the act on amending certain acts in order to eliminate irregularities in the visa system of the Republic of Poland also apply to the procedures of obtaining student visas. If you must get a visa to come to Poland, follow the information on the consulate website where you plan to apply.
Note: The Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Krakow does not assist with the visa obtaining process!
Frequently asked questions
In the case of enrolment after 1st July, read the questions and answers below.
- Do I have to upload additional documents resulting from the regulations change to the Electronic Registration System (MERK)?
No. The original confirmation of knowledge of the language of studies and appropriate information from the director of NAWA (or the decision of the school superintendent) must be presented to the Faculty Admissions Committee as soon as possible after successfully passing the entrance examination. After receiving the message from the MERK system on the admission to studies, you shall complete the enrolment and provide the required documents.
- I have the decision of the school superintendent confirming my eligibility to study, but I will enrol after 1st July. Do I have to obtain information issued by the director of NAWA?
No. You can use information issued by the director of NAWA, as well as the decision of the school superintendent issued under the previous rules.
- My first-cycle studies diploma was recognised. Do I have to obtain the decision of the director of NAWA?
No. In such case the information issued by the director of NAWA is not necessary.
First-cycle studies
Apostille / Legalisation of foreign secondary school diplomas issued outside Poland (not applicable to IB and EB diplomas)
Foreign secondary school diplomas obtained outside Poland (except for the International Baccalaureate (IB) and European Baccalaureate (EB)) shall be certified with an apostille or legalized. Foreign documents certified in this way shall be recognised as valid on the territory of Poland. For documents that were issued in countries that are parties to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 (Journal of Laws of 2005 No. 112, item 938), an apostille is required. You can find the list of countries and institutions responsible for issuing apostilles in these countries here. For instance, if the diploma was issued in Ukraine, an apostille shall be obtained from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in Kyiv. Remember that an apostille is a document which is issued in a language other than Polish, which means that it shall be translated into Polish if the candidate applies for studies in the Polish language.
Legalisation, together with an apostille, is another form of certification of documents issued outside Poland. A document shall be legalized when obtaining an apostille is not possible, because the document was issued by a country which has not adopted the Hague Convention mentioned above. If a secondary school diploma was issued in such a country, the legalisation must be obtained from an institution responsible for legalisation in this country, usually the ministry of foreign affairs or the ministry of education. After obtaining the required confirmation, you should report to the Polish consulate, which will then legalise the document.
Recognition of secondary school diplomas (decision of school superintendent)
Some of secondary school diplomas are recognised in Poland by virtue of law and do not require any additional procedures to apply for studies. This applies to diplomas issued in EU, OECD and EFTA member states, as well as those from countries with which Poland has international agreements on recognition of education.
OECD, EFTA and EU countries are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Colombia, Costa Rica, South Korea, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Mexico, Norway, New Zealand, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, USA, and the United Kingdom.
Poland has an agreement on mutual recognition of education with the following countries: China (only GAOZHONG document is exempt from the procedure), and Ukraine. All remaining countries require the decision of school superintendent.
Secondary school diplomas issued in the remaining countries, including Belarus, require the additional procedure to be recognised for higher education studies in Poland. Such decisions are made by school superintendents. To obtain a decision, candidates living in Poland should report to the school superintendent in the region (voivodship) where they reside; candidates living outside Poland shall report to the Małopolskie Voivodship Education Authority in Krakow.
https://nawa.gov.pl/uznawalnosc/kontynuacja-nauki-w-polsce/studia-i-stopnia-lub-studia-jednolite
Second-cycle studies
Apostille / legalisation of the documents
Diplomas of higher education obtained outside Poland shall be stamped with an apostille or legalized. Foreign documents certified in this way will be recognised as valid on the territory of Poland. For documents issued in countries that are parties to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 (Journal of Laws of 2005 No. 112, item 938), an apostille shall be obtained. You can find the list of countries and institutions responsible for issuing an apostille in these countries here. For instance, if the diploma was issued in Ukraine, an apostille shall be issued by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in Kyiv. Please note that an apostille is issued in a language other than Polish, which means that it must be translated into Polish before submission.
Legalisation, together with an apostille, is another form of certification for documents issued outside Poland. Legalization is required when obtaining an apostille is not possible, typically because the document was issued by a country which has not adopted the Hague Convention mentioned above. If a diploma has been issued in such a country, legalisation shall be obtained at the responsible institution in this country, usually at the ministry of foreign affairs or the ministry of education. After obtaining the required confirmation, you should report to the Polish consulate, which will eventually legalise the document.
Note: An apostille must be stamped on the original document. An apostille on a certified copy will not be accepted.
Graduation diploma
To apply for studies in Poland, you need to present a higher education graduation diploma that grants the right to undertake second-cycle studies in the country where it was issued. If a candidate has not yet obtained the diploma by the admission deadline, he/she can submit a certificate of completion of studies with a statement agreeing to provide a copy of the diploma with its original available for inspection no later than September 26, 2025.
The diploma must indicate the right to pursue further education within a second-cycle degree programme. If this information is not included on the diploma, the candidate shall provide a document confirming such entitlement.
NOTE: Regardless of entitlement, diplomas issued outside Poland must be stamped with an apostille or legalized.
The following higher education graduation diplomas do not require any additional authentication to undertake second-cycle studies:
Azerbaijan Magistr (Magistr Dərəcəsi)
Austria Bachelor, Master of Arts, Master of Science
Bangladesh Bachelor (Pass), Bachelor (Honours)
Belarus diploma of higher education (diploma of Specialist), Master’s diploma
China xueshi (学士学位, Bachelor), shuoshi (硕士学位, Master)
Francje Licence, Licence professionnelle, Master recherche, Master professionnel
Spain Graduado, Título Superior de Enseñanzas artísticas, Máster Universitario, Máster en Enseñanzas artísticas
India Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science oraz Master – all graduated at least at Second Class/Division level, with at least 55%
Iraque Bachelor of Arts–(بكالوریوسآداب), Bachelor of Science (معلو بكالوریوس), Master (ماجستیر)
Iran Bachelor (Karshenasi, Lisans, کارشناسی), Discontinuous Bachelor (Karshenasi napayvasteh, کارشناسیناپیوسته), Discontinous Master (Karshenasi-arshad napayvasteh, كارشناسيارشدهتسویپان)
Jordan Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science – both graduated with at least “good” note, Master of Arts, Master of Science
Kazakhstan Bakaławr (Бакалавр), Magistr (Магистр)
Kyrgyz Republic Bakaławr (Бакалавр), Magistr (Магистр)
Columbia Titulo profesional, Licenciado, Magíster
Lithuania Bakalauras, Profesinis Bakalauras, Magistras
Mexico Licenciado, Tituloprofesional, Maestro
Germany Bachelor, Master
Nigeria Bachelor (honours) graduated with at least 3,0 note, Master of Arts, Master of Science
Pakistan Bachelor (honours) – after 4-year studies, Professional Bachelor, Master of Science, Master of Philosophy
Russia Bakaławr (Бакалавр), Magistr (Магистр), Specjalist (Специалист)
Syria Bachelor(الإجازة), Master(الماجستیر)
Turkey Bachelor Degree (Lisans Diplomasi), Master Degree (Yüksek Lisans Diplomasi)
Ukraine Bakaławr (Бакалавр), Specjalist (Специалист), Magistr (Магистр)
Uzbekistan Bakalavr
The United Kingdom Bachelor (with Honours), Master
Italy Laurea (L/L3), Diploma Accademico di primo livello, Laurea Specialistica/Magistrale (LS/LM), Diploma Accademico di secondo livello
https://nawa.gov.pl/uznawalnosc/kontynuacja-nauki-w-polsce/studia-ii-stopnia
Additional information for candidates for first- and second-cycle degree studies
Translations of documents
To apply for studies conducted in Polish, all documents issued in a language other than Polish shall be translated into Polish by:
- a Polish sworn translator (included in the list of sworn translators of the Polish Ministry of Justice, available here);
- a sworn translator from an EU member state (if such an institution exists in a given country);
- a Polish consul, relevant to the country issuing the document or the legal system under which the document was issued;
- a diplomatic representation or consular post accredited in Poland from the country where the document was issued or under whose legal system it was issued.
Translations by a translation company are acceptable but shall be certified by a Polish diplomatic mission or a sworn translator. Translations certified by a notary public will NOT be accepted. If a document is stamped with an apostille, it shall also be translated.
To apply for studies conducted in English, documents shall be translated either into Polish or into English.
Passport or identity card (EU countries)
During in-person registration, a candidate must confirm his/her identity by presenting his/her passport (citizens of the European Union can alternatively use their EU citizen identity card). If registration is conducted by an authorised person, he/she shall present the copy of the candidate’s document, which does not have to be translated or certified by a notary public.
For EU citizens, the passport (or EU citizen ID card) serves as the basis for undertaking full-time studies in Poland without paying tuition fees.
Health insurance
All foreign students must have health insurance to take up studies. It is recommended that an insurance document presented during registration is valid for at least the first year of studies in Poland and covers the costs of medical treatment for the whole insurance period. More information on health insurance and insurance options can be found under the tab Health insurance.
Foreign students must maintain insurance coverage for the entire duration of their studies. Therefore, if the insurance provided for the first year expires, a new proof of insurance must be submitted to the Faculty Office immediately.