Eastern Europe
Study in Poland from Belarus
A practical, honest guide for Belarusian students — visas, refusal rates, flights, costs and what life is really like. Backed by sources, not marketing.
2023/24 · GUS/NAWA
type D long-stay
2024 · proxy, see note
€30–90 (bus/train)
Visas & entry
National long-stay (type D) study visa
- Processing time
- 2–8 weeks
- Where to apply
- Polish consulate in Minsk / Brest / Hrodna (access reduced; many apply via third countries)
- Proof of funds
- ≈ 701 PLN/month (~€165/mo) minimum + tuition + return; ~€2,000–4,000/year realistic
Key documents
- acceptance letter
- proof of funds
- health insurance
- accommodation
- return-travel funds
Source: study.gov.pl
Visa refusal — the honest picture
1.16% Visa refusal rate (2024)
Schengen short-stay PROXY — Belarus had ~98.84% approval in 2024, one of the lowest refusal rates
Important: Partly reflects EU goodwill toward Belarusians fleeing political repression. Type D data not public.
Source: schengenvisainfo.com
Getting there
Minsk → Warsaw — no direct flights (EU airspace closed to Belarusian carriers); overland via Terespol/Brest or via Vilnius
- Typical price
- €30–90 (bus/train)
- Flight time
- 8–14 h
- Airlines
- FlixBus, Ecolines, Belarusian Railways (to border)
Students travel overland; Vilnius is a common alternative air hub. Border waits at Terespol can be long.
Prices vary — estimate from en.wikipedia.org
Cost of living
≈ €500–850/mo in Warsaw/Kraków, ~€350–550 in smaller cities; the Kalinowski stipend (~€290/mo) covers a meaningful share. Estimate.
What it's really like
Belarusians are the second-largest foreign community and are generally viewed sympathetically, especially post-2020 as many fled the Lukashenko regime. Poland actively supports them through the Kalinowski Scholarship — the largest European aid programme for Belarusian students barred from studying at home. They integrate quickly given linguistic and cultural proximity. Frictions are mostly bureaucratic (slow permits, reported scholarship-payment delays in 2023/24) rather than social.
Community: Second-largest student group — ~12,700 Belarusian students in 2023/24 (≈11.8%); the Kalinowski Scholarship has supported 2,700+ since 2006.
Tips from students & forums
-
If you're politically active or barred from study at home, apply to the Konstanty Kalinowski Scholarship — it covers tuition, a ~1,240 PLN/month stipend, insurance, visa and residence-permit costs.
en.wikipedia.org ↗ -
Budget for possible scholarship payment lags reported in 2023/24 — keep a personal buffer for the first months.
en.wikipedia.org ↗ -
Lodge your temporary residence permit application immediately on arrival — processing can take 8–10 months and the receipt keeps your stay legal.
migrant.info.pl ↗
Good to know
- Belarus is the second-largest source of foreign students in Poland — ~12,700 in 2023/24 (≈11.8%).
- The Konstanty Kalinowski Scholarship is the largest European aid programme for young Belarusians barred from studying at home.
English-taught programmes for Belarusian students
All 963 degrees in the catalogue are open to Belarusian applicants — these picks match what students from Belarus most often look for. Tuition shown per year where the university publishes it.
No IELTS required
Programmes at universities that state no language certificate is required — always confirm the current rule with the university.
Affordable programmes
Tuition-free and lowest published-tuition degrees in the catalogue.
Universities behind these picks
Each profile has step-by-step application instructions, admissions contacts and every English-taught programme the university offers.
Browse the full catalogue by field of study, city, university or use the programme finder.
Ready to find your programme?
Compare Belarusian-friendly, English-taught Bachelor's and Master's across Polish universities.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-13. Visa-refusal figures are Schengen short-stay proxies unless stated; Poland does not publish national (type D) study-visa refusal rates per country. Flight prices and monthly budgets are estimates from aggregators and study.gov.pl and change over time. Entries ranked 31+ are added for search coverage of countries Poland does not publish separate student counts for; their studentsInPoland.count is null by design unless a published figure exists (the Perspektywy/GUS "Studenci zagraniczni w Polsce 2023" report covers some).