Visa cost

Poland student visa cost — National Visa (type D) for Study

$350 in fees nobody can skip , up to $700 if every situational extra applies . Checked August 2026.

How much does a Poland student visa cost in 2026?

Applying for a student visa in Poland — the National Visa (type D) for Study — costs $350 in fees you cannot skip: National visa (type D) application at the consulate ($232), Temporary residence permit stamp duty ($91) and Residence card issue fee ($27). Situational extras (renewing the residence permit for a further year and asking the consul to reconsider a refusal) add up to $350 more. Tuition, living costs and proof-of-funds sit outside this total. All amounts are US dollars, last checked August 2026.

National Visa (type D) for Study cost breakdown

Every line the Poland application puts on your card, in US dollars, as of August 2026.

Line item Amount (USD) What it is
National visa (type D) application at the consulate $232 EUR 200 on the consular tariff, not returned whatever the consul decides Poland in Nigeria — Consular fees
Temporary residence permit stamp duty $91 PLN 340, paid in advance when you submit the MOS application in Poland Office for Foreigners — Information on stamp duty and residence card issuance fees
Residence card issue fee $27 PLN 100, paid into a different bank account from the stamp duty Office for Foreigners — Information on stamp duty and residence card issuance fees
Mandatory total $350 What the National Visa (type D) for Study costs before any optional service.
Situational extras — only if they apply to you
Renewing the residence permit for a further year $118 PLN 340 stamp duty plus PLN 100 for a replacement card Office for Foreigners — Information on stamp duty and residence card issuance fees
Asking the consul to reconsider a refusal $232 EUR 200, the same as the application fee, lodged within 14 days of delivery Poland in Nigeria — Consular fees
If every extra applied $700 Worst case — most applicants pay none or one of these.

Amounts are US dollars. Poland bills in its own currency, so the exact charge moves with the exchange rate — the native figures are in the notes column where the fee schedule publishes them.

Things to watch

  • USD figures use PLN 1 = USD 0.269 and EUR 1 = USD 1.16, from the National Bank of Poland table A of 28 August 2026. Consulates bill the visa fee in local currency at their own posted rate.
  • The EUR 200 visa fee is the consular tariff figure; a 2024 Ministry of Foreign Affairs notice of an increase to EUR 135 has since been overtaken.
  • Tuition is paid to the university before you apply, not with the visa, and the first year's receipt is part of the visa file.
  • You must also prove PLN 776 a month of living costs plus PLN 2,500 for return travel; that money is evidenced, not spent on fees.
  • Travel medical insurance of at least EUR 30,000 is compulsory and priced separately by the insurer.
  • Staying on after graduation means a fresh residence permit application: stamp duty runs from PLN 340 to PLN 640 depending on the permit type, plus PLN 100 for the card.

How much bank balance do you need for a Poland student visa?

For the National Visa (type D) for Study, Poland asks you to show PLN 9,312 (about $2,503). The accepted form is Bank statement, sponsor's letter or scholarship award covering living costs and return travel, and it covers Twelve months of living costs at PLN 776 a month. This is money you show, not money you pay, so it never appears in the fee table above. The figure comes from Poland in Nigeria — D-type national visa, checked August 2026.

Poland in Nigeria — D-type national visa · checked August 2026

Poland student visa requirements

  • An original acceptance letter from an approved Polish university

    The institution must be approved by the minister responsible for internal affairs for admitting foreigners, or, where it is not subject to that approval, must not be under a decision banning it from admitting foreigners. The consul wants the original letter, not a scan.

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  • Proof that you paid the first year of tuition

    For paid programmes you supply a receipt covering the first year of study, or the full course if it runs under a year. A signed statement that you hold enough money to cover the course fees is accepted in place of the receipt.

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  • NAWA written information on your secondary school certificate

    Since 1 July 2025, first-year bachelor's and long-cycle master's applicants whose school certificate was not issued in the EU, OECD or EFTA must obtain a written information document from the National Agency for Academic Exchange confirming the certificate entitles them to study in Poland. Without it the student visa is refused.

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  • A B2 certificate in the language your course is taught in

    Polish consulates list a certificate of proficiency in the language of studies at level B2 or above among the study-visa documents. Which certificates count is set by the university, so confirm the accepted list with them before you book an appointment.

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  • Financial resources of PLN 776 a month plus PLN 2,500 for return travel

    A twelve-month stay means PLN 9,312 for living costs, PLN 2,500 for the journey home and documented accommodation costs on top. Acceptable evidence is a bank statement, a bank certificate of funds, a certified credit-card limit, a notarised sponsor's letter or a scholarship award.

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  • Travel medical insurance of at least EUR 30,000

    The policy must run for your whole intended stay and cover urgent medical care, emergency hospital treatment, medical repatriation and death, with the insurer paying providers directly. Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes the list of insurers whose products qualify.

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  • Written proof of accommodation for the whole visa period

    A rental agreement or booking stating the rent, covering the entire validity of the visa. If you will live with family or friends, they must register a formal invitation with the voivodeship office in Poland.

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  • A passport issued within the last ten years with two blank pages

    It must stay valid for at least three months past your expected return date. Some posts also ask for all your previous passports with copies of the used pages.

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  • Educational documents authenticated for use in Poland

    Your school-leaving certificate and any further diplomas or language certificates must carry an apostille or consular superlegalisation, depending on your country. Documents are accepted in Polish or English.

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  • An e-Konsulat registration whose data matches your documents exactly

    Registering under the wrong visa category, or making substantial changes to the application after registering, causes the application to be rejected. Spelling must match your passport and letters exactly.

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How to apply for a Poland student visa

  1. Get your acceptance letter and pay the first year's fees

    Apply directly to an approved Polish university and pay the tuition it charges for the first year. Keep the original acceptance letter and the payment receipt, since both go into the visa file.

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  2. Get your school certificate recognised through NAWA

    If your secondary certificate was not issued in the EU, OECD or EFTA and is not an IB diploma, request the written information document from the National Agency for Academic Exchange at dyplom@nawa.gov.pl. Consuls take no part in this and will not chase it for you, so start early.

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  3. Register on e-Konsulat and book a study-visa appointment

    e-Konsulat is the only official booking system for Polish consulates worldwide. Applications open six months before travel and should be lodged at least 15 calendar days ahead; study slots are released on a fixed weekly rhythm at each post.

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  4. Attend in person with originals and pay the EUR 200 fee

    Scans and photographs are not accepted at the counter. The consular tariff charges EUR 200 for a national visa application and the money is not returned whatever the consul decides.

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  5. Wait about 15 days for the decision

    A national visa is issued or refused within 15 days of submission, extended to 30 days where the file needs closer examination. The D visa is valid for a maximum of one year and lets you spend 90 days in any 180 in the rest of the Schengen area.

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  6. Apply through MOS for the residence permit once you arrive

    Studies lasting longer than the visa need a temporary residence permit, applied for electronically in the MOS system while you are still legally in Poland. Pay PLN 340 stamp duty and PLN 100 for the residence card into two separate bank accounts and attach both proofs of payment.

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  7. Attend the voivodeship office, then collect your residence card

    The voivode summons you no sooner than seven days after the notice to present your travel document, give fingerprints and sign. A complete application is decided within 60 days, after which you return once more to pick up the card.

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Poland student visa work rights, dependants and processing time

Work rights

Full-time students at a university approved by the minister responsible for internal affairs may work without a work permit, and Poland sets no weekly hour cap on that work. The exemption also covers you while you wait for the residence permit, provided you filed a complete application while you were still entitled to work. Once the residence permit is granted you have free access to the labour market and can run a business registered in CEiDG.

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Dependants

Family members can travel with you on their own national visas, and the money test changes when they do: PLN 600 a month for you and for each accompanying family member instead of PLN 776 for you alone, plus PLN 2,500 of return travel money for each person and documented accommodation. The residence-permit test in Poland works the same way, at PLN 1,010 a month if you have no dependants and PLN 823 for yourself and each dependant.

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Processing time

A national visa is issued or refused within 15 days of the application, extended to 30 days when the file needs closer examination. Some posts run longer: Islamabad works to 15 working days extendable to 45. The temporary residence permit you apply for after arriving is decided within 60 days of a complete application.

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After graduation

Graduates of a Polish university can apply once for a temporary residence permit to look for work or prepare to start a business, granted for nine months. You file it in person with the province governor during your legal stay in Poland, straight after graduating, showing medical insurance, an address in Poland and funds for your keep and your return journey. Graduates of full-time programmes need no work permit, and graduation exempts them from the labour market test.

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Language requirement

Polish consulates ask for a certificate showing B2 or better in the language your course is taught in, whether that is Polish or English. There is no single national test: the university decides which certificates it accepts, so check its list before you sit an exam.

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Poland student visa requirements for Indian students

Every Indian educational document needs an MEA apostille

Certificates and diplomas must be apostilled under the Ministry of External Affairs procedure and authenticated by the Regional Authentication Centre in the state that issued them. Budget several weeks for this before you book a visa slot.

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You lodge at a VFS centre and fill a second form

Study applications go through VFS Global visa application centres, and every study applicant must complete an extra VFS form at eforms.vfsglobal.com on top of the e-Konsulat application. Slots are allocated in registration order, three times a week through New Delhi and once a fortnight through Mumbai.

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Which post handles you depends on your state

New Delhi covers most of northern and eastern India, while Mumbai covers Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and the union territories in that block. Applying to the wrong post wastes the appointment.

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Poland student visa requirements for Nigerian students

Diplomas need consular superlegalisation, not an apostille

The Abuja checklist asks for the diploma used for admission, and any further education certificates such as English qualifications, with superlegalisation. That is a consular chain, so start it well before your appointment.

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There is no visa application centre and no agent

You apply directly at the Consular Section in Abuja after registering on e-Konsulat, and the consulate states it works with no agents or commercial visa agencies and that the only cost is its own fee. Consular fees are payable in euro cash only.

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Study files are read in 15 to 21 days

Abuja publishes a specific student turnaround of 15 to 21 days, longer than the general Schengen norm, and can extend to 30 days if documents need closer checking. Decisions are collected in person between 13:30 and 14:30.

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Poland student visa requirements for Pakistani students

A NADRA Family Registration Certificate is compulsory

Islamabad asks for the original and a photocopy of the NADRA certificate in English, or with a certified translation if it is in Urdu, for study applications. You must also bring every previous passport with copies of the used pages.

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Any past visa refusal must be declared with the refusal letter

If any embassy or high commission has ever refused you a visa, the refusal letter is a required document. There is no visa application centre: you register on e-Konsulat and attend the Islamabad embassy in person, with no walk-ins.

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Decisions run to 45 days and the appeal costs the same as the application

Islamabad decides within 15 working days from the date the fee is paid, extendable to 45 days rather than the usual 30. Reconsideration must be lodged in person within 14 days and costs PKR 65,771, the same as the original application.

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Poland student visa requirements for Bangladeshi students

Your application goes to the Polish Embassy in New Delhi

Poland has no visa section in Dhaka, so citizens and residents of Bangladesh lodge national visa applications through the Embassy in New Delhi, which also serves Afghanistan, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Plan for travel to India as part of the process.

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Poland student visa requirements for Nepali students

Your application goes to the Polish Embassy in New Delhi

Nepali citizens and residents are covered by the New Delhi consular district for national visas rather than by any post in Kathmandu. The study route there runs through VFS Global centres and needs the extra VFS form alongside the e-Konsulat application.

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Poland student visa requirements for Sri Lankan students

Your application goes to the Polish Embassy in New Delhi

Sri Lankan citizens and residents fall inside the New Delhi consular district for national visas. Note that this differs from the Schengen short-stay route, where Poland is represented in Colombo by the Embassy of Switzerland.

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United States
From $535 all-in
United Kingdom
From $1,760 all-in
Canada
From $175 all-in
Australia
From $2,250 all-in
Germany
From $190 all-in
France
From $183 all-in

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much is the Poland student visa fee?
The National Visa (type D) for Study application charge is $232 (National visa (type D) application at the consulate). Add the other mandatory items — Temporary residence permit stamp duty $91 and Residence card issue fee $27 — and the all-in mandatory total is $350. Optional extras add up to $350 on top.
How much bank balance is required for a Poland student visa?
PLN 9,312 (about $2,503), held as Bank statement, sponsor's letter or scholarship award covering living costs and return travel, covering Twelve months of living costs at PLN 776 a month. It is money you show rather than money you pay, so it is separate from the visa fees. On top of that you must show PLN 2,500 for return travel and document the cost of your accommodation. If family members stay with you the test drops to PLN 600 a month for you and for each of them. Once you are in Poland the residence-permit test is a different one, set out in the Interior Ministry's mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl guidance: more than PLN 1,010 a month after your actual housing costs. USD figure at PLN 1 = USD 0.269, NBP table A of 28 August 2026. Source: Poland in Nigeria — D-type national visa (August 2026).
Can you work on a Poland student visa?
Full-time students at a university approved by the minister responsible for internal affairs may work without a work permit, and Poland sets no weekly hour cap on that work. The exemption also covers you while you wait for the residence permit, provided you filed a complete application while you were still entitled to work. Once the residence permit is granted you have free access to the labour market and can run a business registered in CEiDG. Source: Moduł Obsługi Spraw — Performing work without a work permit (August 2026).
How long does a Poland student visa take?
A national visa is issued or refused within 15 days of the application, extended to 30 days when the file needs closer examination. Some posts run longer: Islamabad works to 15 working days extendable to 45. The temporary residence permit you apply for after arriving is decided within 60 days of a complete application. Source: Poland in Nigeria — D-type national visa (August 2026).
Can you bring your family on a Poland student visa?
Family members can travel with you on their own national visas, and the money test changes when they do: PLN 600 a month for you and for each accompanying family member instead of PLN 776 for you alone, plus PLN 2,500 of return travel money for each person and documented accommodation. The residence-permit test in Poland works the same way, at PLN 1,010 a month if you have no dependants and PLN 823 for yourself and each dependant. Source: Poland in Nigeria — D-type national visa (August 2026).
What's not included in the National Visa (type D) for Study fee?
Tuition, living costs and the money you have to show in your account are separate from the fees on this page. Use our cost-of-study calculator at /tools/cost-calculator for a complete budget.
When are these fees due?
Application and biometric fees are paid before submission. Health surcharges (UK IHS, Australian OSHC) are paid as part of the visa application. Some fees (Anmeldung in Germany, OFII in France) are paid after arrival.

Official sources

Last verified August 2026.