Foreign candidates
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, 2024.
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
Certified 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.