Tuition-free study in Poland means a full-time, Polish-taught programme at a public university, and it is open only to the foreigners listed in Article 324 of the Law on Higher Education and Science: holders of the Karta Polaka (Pole's Card), holders of a C1 Polish language certificate, permanent residents, EU citizens and a few other groups. English-taught programmes are fee-paying for every non-EU citizen, and so are private institutions. Everyone else can look at scholarships (for Belarusian and Kazakh citizens, NAWA's Banach programme for master's study) and doctoral schools, where tuition is free and a stipend is paid. Below is the full list of exemptions, the documents involved and an honest look at what "free" study still costs.
| Route | Who can use it | What it gives |
|---|---|---|
| Article 324 exemption | Karta Polaka, C1 certificate, permanent residence, EU citizens and others | No fee for full-time Polish-taught study at a public university |
| C1 Polish certificate | Anyone who passes the state exam | The same exemption; the exam costs up to EUR 180 |
| Banach NAWA scholarship | Citizens of 36 countries including Belarus and Kazakhstan; Russia is not included | Tuition-free master's at a public university plus PLN 2,500 a month |
| Gen. Anders Programme (NAWA) | Karta Polaka holders or people with a decision confirming Polish origin; study in Polish | PLN 2,000 a month for bachelor's and long-cycle study; separate call for master's |
| Doctoral school | Anyone admitted through competition | Free tuition and a stipend |
| English-taught track | — | Always fee-paying for non-EU citizens |
What "free" means in Poland
The law allows public universities to charge foreigners for full-time Polish-taught study, and they do so unless the student is exempt. At the Medical University of Gdańsk, for example, a non-exempt foreigner pays PLN 5,300 ($1,380) per semester for a Polish-taught bachelor's or master's programme and PLN 26,900 ($6,990) per semester for Polish-taught medicine. An Article 324 exemption removes exactly this fee.
What the exemption does not cover:
- programmes taught in a foreign language, including English, which are charged as usual;
- part-time (extramural) study, which is fee-paying for Polish citizens too;
- private institutions, which set their own fees for everyone;
- repeated courses after failing and classes outside the programme;
- living costs, housing, insurance, the visa and the residence permit.
A free place does not exempt you from competition either. Exempt applicants are admitted under the university's admission rules and, if their school certificate is from outside the EU and OECD, they go through the NAWA statement procedure and the university's entrance exam. The procedure is explained in our guide to applying to universities in Poland.
Who studies free: the full Article 324 list
Article 324 of the Law on Higher Education and Science (as amended in 2025) exempts the following foreigners from fees for full-time Polish-taught study.
| No. | Category | Proof |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Citizens of the EU, Switzerland and EFTA, and their family members living in Poland | Passport or ID, proof of residence |
| 1a | UK citizens and family members covered by the Withdrawal Agreement and living in Poland | Status document |
| 2 | Holders of a permanent residence permit or EU long-term resident status | Residence card |
| 3 | Holders of temporary residence on four grounds of the Act on Foreigners: the EU Blue Card (Art. 127), long-term mobility of a Blue Card holder (Art. 137a), family reunification (Art. 159(1)) and two special cases under Art. 186(1)(3)–(4) | Residence card and the decision stating the ground |
| 4 | Refugees and persons under temporary or subsidiary protection in Poland | Status document |
| 5 | Holders of the state certificate in Polish as a foreign language at C1 or higher | Certificate |
| 6 | Holders of the Karta Polaka or of a decision confirming Polish origin | Card or decision |
| 7 | Spouses, parents and children of Polish citizens living in Poland | Marriage or birth certificate |
| 8 | Researchers with a research residence permit or visa | Decision or visa |
In addition, a rector may waive fees by administrative decision, and the minister or the NAWA Director may do so for scholarship holders. These waivers are discretionary and follow the rules of the university or programme.
Note that a temporary residence permit for studies is not on the list. If you arrive on a student visa for a fee-paying programme, you can switch to free study only when you acquire one of the listed grounds, such as a C1 certificate.
The Karta Polaka: who can get it and why it matters
The Karta Polaka confirms belonging to the Polish nation. It is not issued to Polish citizens or to people holding permanent residence in Poland. According to the Polish Embassy in Moscow, the conditions are:
- at least basic Polish and knowledge of Polish traditions;
- a written declaration of belonging to the Polish nation made before a consul;
- Polish nationality of the applicant, of one parent or grandparent, or of two great-grandparents, or a certificate of at least three years of active work in a Polish organisation;
- a language course certificate is not accepted as proof of Polish; the consul assesses your Polish in an interview unless you have a Polish school diploma or the state certificate.
The card is valid for ten years. For students it gives three things: the right to study in Poland, the Article 324 fee exemption and exemption from the consular fee for a national visa issued to use the card's rights.
Timelines depend on the consulate. The Polish Embassy in Minsk, for example, did not accept Karta Polaka applications from 1 August to 14 September 2026, and handles visa appointments for card holders by email for residents of its district. The Embassy in Moscow warns that adverts for Polish courses promising a card afterwards are false; only the consul decides.
The C1 Polish certificate: the exemption anyone can earn
This is the only exemption available without Polish roots or residence in Poland. The certificate is issued by the State Commission for the Certification of Proficiency in Polish as a Foreign Language, with exams held by accredited centres. Centres set their own fees within statutory maximums:
- B1–B2 for adults: up to EUR 150 ($170);
- C1–C2: up to EUR 180 ($204);
- certificate issue: the złoty equivalent of EUR 20 ($23).
B2 is enough for admission, but the fee exemption requires C1. A realistic plan is a year of intensive Polish before admission or a university preparatory course. If you do not have C1 at the start, your first year will be fee-paying; ask your university from which semester an exemption applies once you obtain the certificate.
How to claim the exemption, step by step
- Identify your ground. Pick the line in the Article 324 list that applies to you and make sure the document will be valid on the enrolment date.
- Prepare the proof. Karta Polaka, C1 certificate, residence card or marriage certificate with a Polish citizen: original and copy; the university may ask for a sworn translation of Russian-language documents.
- Declare it when registering. State the ground in the admission system form or in your enrolment documents, as the university's rules require, and upload the scan.
- Check the contract. Before signing, make sure no tuition fee is listed; if it is, write to the admissions office before any payment.
- Watch the document's validity. A Karta Polaka is valid for ten years, and for minors until one year after they come of age; if the ground lapses, the university may start charging fees.
Scholarships instead of an exemption
Banach NAWA. Master's study in Polish or English with a PLN 2,500 ($650) monthly stipend, a tuition waiver at public universities, a PLN 2,500 travel allowance and a preparatory course. The 2026/27 call closed on 8 May 2026, with results due by 31 July. Eligible countries include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and others; Russia is not on the list. Applicants need a bachelor's degree from one of the programme countries.
Gen. Anders Programme (Program dla Polonii). A NAWA scholarship for young people of Polish origin studying in Polish. Under call No. 13/2026 of 31 March 2026 for bachelor's and long-cycle master's study, applicants could be foreigners without Polish citizenship who hold a Karta Polaka or a decision confirming Polish origin, or Polish citizens with a second citizenship who completed school abroad. The school certificate must date from 2024 or later (or the applicant must be in the final school year). The scholarship is PLN 2,000 ($520) a month for up to ten months a year plus a one-off travel allowance that depends on the country: PLN 2,000 for Russia, PLN 1,000 for Belarus and PLN 3,000 for Kazakhstan. The call contains no separate exclusion for Russian, Belarusian or Kazakh citizens. Applications for 2026/27 closed on 9 July 2026 and NAWA announces results by 30 September 2026; master's study has its own call. NAWA decides on the scholarship.
Poland My First Choice. A master's scholarship for citizens of developed countries only, such as EU member states, the US, Japan and Korea. CIS countries are not eligible.
Doctoral schools. Tuition is free and every full-time doctoral candidate receives a stipend; admission is competitive and based on a research project and supervisor.
University discounts. Public and private universities offer merit or early-payment discounts on their own terms. These are not statutory exemptions; check the university's documents.
For a wider overview see scholarships abroad in 2026.
Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan: what is actually available
| Russian citizens | Belarusian citizens | Kazakh citizens | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Article 324 exemption | Yes, with a Karta Polaka, C1 or permanent residence | Same | Same |
| Banach NAWA | Not eligible | Eligible | Eligible |
| Gen. Anders Programme | Eligible with a Karta Polaka or a decision confirming Polish origin | Same | Same |
| Student visa | Consular posts in Russia accept applications from Russian citizens only in exceptional cases; the embassy names Karta Polaka holders among those whose applications are accepted | Through visa centres in Belarus | Embassy in Astana or Consulate General in Almaty |
Visa details are in our student visa guide for Poland. If no free route is open to you, compare paid options in the cost of studying in Poland.
What "free" study still costs
Even without tuition, a year in Poland needs money. Study in Poland estimates PLN 1,500–2,000 ($390–520) a month for a student in a dormitory, or $4,680–6,240 a year. The national visa is free for Karta Polaka holders and costs EUR 200 ($227) for others. The residence permit costs PLN 340 in stamp duty plus PLN 100 for the card ($114). The consul and the voivode also expect proof of funds above the PLN 1,010 monthly threshold after housing costs.
Common mistakes
- Confusing B2 with C1: B2 opens admission, only a C1 certificate removes the fee.
- Expecting a free English-taught programme: the law provides no such exemption.
- Treating a student residence permit as a ground for exemption: it is not on the Article 324 list.
- Believing promises of a Karta Polaka after a language course: the consul decides after an interview.
- Missing the Banach deadline: the 2026/27 call closed on 8 May 2026.
FAQ
Only when two conditions are met: the student falls under Article 324 of the Law on Higher Education and Science and studies full-time in Polish at a public university. The main grounds are a Karta Polaka, a C1 Polish certificate, permanent residence or EU long-term resident status. The university applies the exemption on the basis of your documents.
Legally yes, on the same grounds as other foreigners: a Karta Polaka, a C1 certificate or permanent residence. The Banach scholarship is not open to Russian citizens. The main obstacle is the visa: Polish consular posts in Russia accept applications from Russian citizens only in exceptional cases, and the consul decides on the visa.
No. B2 is the minimum for admission to a Polish-taught programme, while the fee exemption requires the state certificate at C1 or higher. With B2 you can enrol on a fee-paying basis and later, after obtaining C1, ask the university to apply the exemption; the university decides from which semester it applies.
Yes. Holders of the Karta Polaka or of a decision confirming Polish origin are exempt from fees for full-time Polish-taught study at public universities, and they do not pay the consular fee for a national visa. Admission is still competitive, and the admissions committee decides.
Not by law: foreign-language programmes are fee-paying for non-EU citizens. Free study in English is possible only with a scholarship, such as Banach NAWA for Belarusian and Kazakh citizens, or at a doctoral school, where tuition is free and a stipend is paid.
Yes. The exemption covers only tuition. Housing, food, insurance, the EUR 200 visa (free for Karta Polaka holders) and the PLN 440 residence permit are paid separately, and proof of living funds is required. The consul assesses whether the funds are sufficient.
Sources
- Law on Higher Education and Science, Articles 79, 323 and 324 (Dz.U. 2024 item 1571) and amendment of Article 324 by the Act of 24 April 2025 (Dz.U. 2025 item 619)
- Study in Poland (NAWA): tuition fees and free study
- Medical University of Gdańsk: fees for foreigners 2026/27 (PDF)
- Polish Embassy in Moscow: Karta Polaka, general information
- Polish Embassy in Minsk: Karta Polaka applications suspended 1 Aug – 14 Sep 2026 and visas for card holders
- State Commission for the Certification of Polish: exam fees
- NAWA: Banach programme and 2026/27 call (PDF)
- NAWA: Gen. Anders Programme 2026 and call No. 13/2026 (PDF, Polish), Poland My First Choice
Sources checked on 30 September – 1 October 2026. ECB reference rate of 30 September 2026: EUR 1 = USD 1.1355 = PLN 4.3690.
If you want to work through your route, send a request: checking your grounds for an exemption, document preparation and submission are provided under an agreement with StudyU, and the university decides on admission and on the fee exemption.
Next steps
- Applying to Universities in Poland: the 2025–2026 Rules Step by Step
- Scholarships abroad 2026: where international students study for free
- Student Visa for Poland in 2026: Rules for Russian, Belarusian and Kazakh Citizens
- Cost of Studying in Poland in 2026/27: Tuition, Living Costs, Visa Fees and a First-Year Budget
