Students from the EU and EEA

Citizens of the EU and EEA countries do not need a visa to study and stay in Poland. However, if your stay exceeds 90 days, you are obliged to register your address of residence with the Municipal Council (Urząd Miasta) within 3 months upon arrival, where you will receive an appropriate certificate and a PESEL (personal identity) number. 

Students from Non-EU/EEA countries

1. Citizens of some countries can come to Poland without a visa, but they will most likely still need it to stay for over 90 days and study.
2. There are two kinds of visa applicable to students: the Schengen visa (type C) and the national visa (type D). Type C is a short-term visa and allows its holder to stay in Poland for up to 90 days. Type D visa is a more long-term solution and entitles the holder to stay in Poland for up to one year. Remember to always check the exact validity period, numer of entries and other details on your own visa.
   
3. If you need a visa, you should apply for it at a consulate or embassy of Poland in your home country. You can find a Polish consulate in your home country on the website. In most cases, you need to make an appointment in their online system.
4. Prepare necessary documents. Those usually include the visa application form, passport, biometric photo, health insurance, proof of having sufficient means to support yourself, documents stating the purpose of your stay (letter of acceptance), documents certifying your payment for the tuition fee, documents stating you have secured accommodation, and possibly others. Each consulate may have different requirements, please check their website for detailed instructions. 
5. Your visa application is now complete and can be submitted to the consulate. The decision should generally be made within 15 days, however, it is best to allow at least a month just in case. If the consulate finds any deficiencies in your application, please follow their recomendations carefully. Keep their deadlines and procedures to ensure a positive outcome.
6. Once you are in Poland, please remember to register your address with the Municipal Council (Urząd Miasta) within 4 days of your arrival.
   

Temporary Residence Permit

Before your first visa expires, you need to apply either for another visa (granted by the embassy/consulate in your home country) or for a temporary residence permit (granted in Poland). The permit can let you stay in Poland for up to 15 months at first and then maybe even longer, but the procedure takes a long time (a few months is normal and fairly quick). If you apply for a TRP before your visa expires, you can receive a stamp in your passport confirming that your application is being processed and you can stay in Poland for the time it takes to receive the final decision. However, if you leave Poland during this time, you will not be able to re-enter the country just based on this, you will need a valid visa or residence permit.   

You can find more information on the website of the Voivodeship Office in Wroclaw.

Please remember that undocumented stay in Poland may have serious consequences, including deportation and a ban on entering Poland in the future, depending on the severity of the case. If you have any questions or doubts regarding the legal aspects of your stay in Poland, you can find out more on the website of the Voivodeship Office in Wroclaw.