Please be kindly advised that due to legal amendments introduced to Polish law as a result of the Act on

the elimination of the irregularities in the visa system providing the reform of the national student visa

system, effective as of July 1, 2025 a foreigner who does not hold a secondary school diploma or other

equivalent document entitling him/her to apply for admission to study issued by educational institution

in one of the following:

 

(1) European Union Member States,

(2) Member States of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD),

(3) Member States of the European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA) - parties to the agreement on the

European Economic Area.

(4) an IB (International Baccalaureate) diploma issued by the International Baccalaureate Organization in

Geneva or

(5) a certificate issued abroad by secondary schools or equivalent educational institutions recognized by

the country on whose territory they operate, and recognized under the principles set out in relevant

international agreements

 

in order to apply for a student visa as of July 1, 2025 is obliged to:

- retrieve an additional document from National Agency for Academic Exchange (Narodowa

Agencja Wymiany Akademickiej) called “written information” to the effect that the high school diploma

being in his/her possession entitles the person indicated in the diploma to study in Poland;

- the aforementioned written information document has to be submitted along with the

application for a student visa as well as other required documents by foreign students admitted to the

1st year of study at the first degree studies or to the 1st year of study at the uniform master's studies;

- inability to present the document indicated above will result in refusal of the student visa.

 

Foreigners who already hold the administrative decision issued by the Education Superintendent on

recognition of their high school diploma present it instead of the written information.

 

Consuls do not participate in the process of recognizing secondary school diplomas. They do not provide

assistance in this regard, nor do they mediate between a foreigner and an university or National Agency for

Academic Exchange in the transfer of documents.

For your convenience please find enclosed the e-mail address of the National Agency for Academic

Exchange which may be reached at: dyplom@nawa.gov.pl