• temporary residence permit,
• permanent residence permit,
• long-term resident’s EU residence permit
is available to the users from April 27, 2026.
Under the applicable legal regulations, a foreign national is any person who does not hold Polish citizenship. Every international student is obliged to legalise their stay for the entire period of their stay in Poland.
A citizen of a Member State of the European Union is entitled to enter and stay in the territory of Poland for a period of up to 3 months on the basis of a valid travel document (passport or ID card).
These regulations also apply to citizens of Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland, and the Swiss Confederation (Member States of the European Free Trade Association – EFTA).
If an EU/EFTA citizen intends to stay in Poland for a period exceeding 3 months, they are obliged to register their stay.
The application for registration of residence must be submitted in person at the Voivodeship Office, no later than the day following the expiry of three months from the date of entry into Poland.
Registration is free of charge.
Where to take care of the matter:
Małopolska Voivodeship Office in Kraków, Department of Foreigners.
Submission of an application is possible only after prior appointment booking.
More information: link.
Temporary protection for Ukrainian citizens holding a PESEL number with UKR status has been extended until 4 March 2027.
More information: link.
As of 4 May 2026, Ukrainian citizens who jointly meet the following conditions:
- on the date of submitting the application for a CUKR residence card, they hold a valid PESEL UKR;
- on 4 June 2025, they held a valid PESEL UKR;
- on the date of issuance of the CUKR residence card by the Voivode, they will hold a valid PESEL UKR;
- they have held UKR status continuously for at least 365 days;
may apply for a residence card with the annotation “Previously a holder of temporary protection” (the so‑called CUKR residence card).
A visa is a document that must be applied for before arrival in Poland.
Visa applications are examined by a consul.
Schengen Visa
A Schengen visa is a short‑term visa issued for stays of up to 90 days within any 180‑day period.
It authorises entry into Poland and free travel within the Schengen Area.
National Visa with the Annotation “Student” (Purpose No. 11)
A national visa with the annotation “student” is a long‑term visa authorising its holder to enter and remain in Poland continuously for a period of not less than 3 months and not longer than 1 year.
It also authorises free movement within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days within any 180‑day period.
Who Can Obtain a Visa for the Purpose of Studies?
A national visa with the annotation “student” may be granted to a person whose main purpose of stay in Poland is to undertake:
- full‑time first‑cycle (Bachelor’s) studies,
- second‑cycle (Master’s) studies,
- long‑cycle Master’s studies, or
- education in a doctoral school.
An application for the first “student” visa may be submitted by a person who jointly meets the following conditions:
- has participated in the recruitment process,
- has been qualified and enrolled in studies in accordance with the recruitment schedule, or
- is continuing full‑time studies at the first‑cycle, second‑cycle, long‑cycle Master’s level or in a doctoral school.
Supplementing the Application – Documents Prepared by the University
A document confirming admission to studies is the “Certificate issued by the unit conducting studies on admission to studies or continuation of studies.”
To obtain it:
- contact the Admissions Office at rekrutacja@uj.edu.pl if you have just been admitted, or
- after commencing studies, contact the faculty office responsible for your programme.
In addition, you may need the following documents for the national visa application with the annotation “student”:
- proof of payment of tuition fees, if your studies are fee‑based (obtainable from your faculty office);
- confirmation of a place in a student dormitory, available only if you participated in the recruitment process and were granted a place.
Contact: stypendia@uj.edu.pl.
More information: akademiki.uj.edu.pl.
General information on the visa procedure:
https://www.gov.pl/web/diplomacy/visas
Detailed information on preparing the application must be obtained from the consulate where the visa application is submitted.
- do not delay submitting your application for a temporary residence permit – the examination of the application may take several months;
- the legality of stay in Poland while awaiting the decision is confirmed by an Electronic Certificate of Application Submission issued via the MOS system (Moduł Obsługi Spraw).
You may apply for a temporary residence permit for the purpose of studies no later than the last day of your legal stay in Poland.
As preparation of the application and documents may take considerable time, early submission is recommended.
The application is examined by the competent Voivode.
The residence permit is granted in the form of an administrative decision.
After the permit is granted, a residence card is issued.
During its validity period, the residence card, together with a valid passport, entitles its holder to enter Poland and to travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180‑day period.
Who Can Obtain a Temporary Residence Permit?
A temporary residence permit for the purpose of studies may be granted to a person who resides in Poland and whose main purpose of stay is to pursue:
- full‑time first‑cycle studies,
- second‑cycle studies,
- long‑cycle Master’s studies, or
- education in a doctoral school
for a period longer than 3 months.
How to Submit an Application?
As of 27 April 2026, applications for a temporary residence permit for the purpose of studies must be submitted to the Małopolska Voivode electronically via the MOS system (Moduł Obsługi Spraw):
mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl
Note:
Before submitting the application, you must create a Trusted Profile (Profil Zaufany), which requires a PESEL number. Therefore, it is recommended to begin preparations at least 30 days in advance.
Supplementing the Application – Documents Prepared by the University
When filling in the application in the MOS system, provide the following Jagiellonian University e‑mail address: mos@uj.edu.pl
A special attachment will be sent to this address. The University is obliged to complete it within 30 days.
Only after the attachment has been signed will you receive an e‑mail stating “The application can now be submitted.”
Only from the moment of effective submission is your stay considered legal.
The online procedure applies only to submitting the application.
At the request of the Voivode, you must appear in person to:
- provide fingerprints and a specimen signature,
- present the original passport and documents, and
- supplement missing documents, if necessary.
You may also need the following documents:
- proof of payment of tuition fees (for fee‑based studies);
- confirmation of being granted a place in a student dormitory (if applicable).
Contact: stypendia@uj.edu.pl
More information: akademiki.uj.edu.pl
Detailed information on the conditions for granting a temporary residence permit for the purpose of studies is available on:
- the MOS portal: https://mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl/
- the website of the Department of Foreigners of the Małopolska Provincial Office in Kraków:
https://infoopt.pl/studia-stacjonarne/
More information from Office for Foreigners:
Information about MOS system - in Polish
Information about MOS system - in English
Information about MOS system - in Russian
Information about MOS system - in Ukrainian
MOS - FAQ - in Polish
MOS - FAQ - in English
MOS - FAQ - in Russian
MOS - FAQ - in Ukrainian
If your stay in Poland is legal and its main purpose is to undertake or continue part-time studies for a period longer than three months, you may apply for a zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy ze względu na inne okoliczności (a temporary residence permit issued due to other circumstances) for the purpose of studying. Participants in Polish language courses are also eligible to apply for this type of residence permit.
Temporary residence permit issued due to other circumstances for the purpose of studying
An application for a temporary residence permit should be submitted no later than the last day of your legal stay in Poland. Since preparing the application and the required documents may be time-consuming, we recommend doing so in advance. Once submitted, the application is processed by the competent voivode.
The residence permit is granted in the form of an administrative decision. Once the permit has been granted, the applicant is issued a residence card. As long as it remains valid, the residence card, together with a valid passport, entitles its holder to enter Poland and to travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days within any 180‑day period. The permit is granted for the duration of the studies, but for no longer than 12 months.
To be eligible to apply for a temporary residence permit for the purpose of studying, an individual must meet all of the following criteria: participate in the university admissions process, be admitted to the study programme, and enrol in the programme within the time frame specified in the part-time studies application schedule. Individuals continuing their part-time studies are also eligible to apply for this type of permit.
How to submit an application?
An application for a temporary residence permit must be submitted electronically to the Małopolska Voivode via the MOS system (Moduł Obsługi Spraw): https://mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl/.
Please note that to submit an application, you must first create a Profil Zaufany (Trusted Profile). Since the set up procedure requires a PESEL number, we recommend beginning the preparations for the application procedure approximately 30 days in advance.
How to obtain a PESEL number
How to set up a Profil Zaufany (Trusted Profile)
Completing the application: documents prepared by the University
Zaświadczenie o przyjęciu na studia lub o kontynuacji studiów (a certificate confirming admission to or continuation of studies issued by the faculty unit responsible for the study programme) is a document confirming the individual’s admission to the study programme. If you have been recently admitted to a study programme, please contact the Admissions Office at rekrutacja@uj.edu.pl to obtain this document. Once the semester has begun, please contact your programme office directly. In order to obtain a national visa, you may additionally be required to submit the following documents:
- proof of payment of tuition fees. To obtain this document, please contact your programme office directly.
- confirmation of being granted a place in a student dormitory. This document may be obtained only if you have participated in the student housing application process and have been allocated a place in a dormitory. To obtain it, please contact stypendia@uj.edu.pl. For more information about student housing and dormitory applications, please visit uj.edu.pl.
Detailed information on the conditions under which a temporary residence permit for the purpose of studying may be granted can be found on the MOS website https://mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl/, as well as on website of the Department for Foreigners of the Małopolska Provincial Office https://infoopt.pl/studia-niestacjonarne/.