Visa/Temporary Residence Permit Information
In order to study in Poland, each student will need to legalize his or her stay in the territory of the Republic of Poland.
Citizens of the European Union or countries from the European Economic Area do not need a visa to study in Poland. They can enter Poland with their IDs (a valid travel document, such as passport, or another document to prove their identity and citizenship). However, once they arrive they will need to register their stay if it exceeds 90 days. You should apply to the Podlasie Voivodeship Office for a Temporary Residence Permit.
If you are a non-EU citizen, you will need to obtain a visa at a Polish consulate in your home country before your arrival in Poland. Once you arrive in Poland, you will need to apply for a Temporary Residence Card in order to prolong your stay.
In order to apply for Temporary Residence Permit you need to create Profil Zaufany (Trusted Profile). The fastest way is via Internet Banking. For that you need an account in any Polish bank (Bank Pekao, mBank, Credit Agricole, Alior Bank, Bank Millennium). Apart from this you should apply for PESEL number (it is a unique, 11-digit identification number assigned to every person in Poland (both Polish citizens and foreign nationals)
You should apply for the residence permit no later than the last day of your legal stay in Poland (usually it’s 90 days since you arrived, depending on the visa you hold). Because the process takes a long time, we recommend you do this as soon as possible. Do not wait till the last moment! The entire TRC process can take up to 1.5 years. There is no way to speed this up. During the waiting period, if you leave Poland you will not be allowed back in.
Applications for a Temporary Residence Permit must be submitted online via the MOS system: https://mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl/en/
All documents have to be completed in Polish. Some documents may need to be translated by a sworn translator.
People who have obtained visas for the whole duration of their stay in Poland do not need to apply for a Temporary Residence Card.
You can download the detailed TRC Instruction here
Important links:
https://study.gov.pl/visa-application
Voivodeship Office website (Polish language only)
Remember that the visa application process may take a long time. Before you apply to our University, please make sure you have enough time to obtain a visa before your classes start.