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.
Eastern Europe
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
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.
Frequently asked questions
Do Belarusian students need a visa to study in Poland?
Belarusian citizens need a Polish national long-stay (type D) study visa for programmes over 90 days. Typical processing: 2–8 weeks. Polish consulate in Minsk / Brest / Hrodna (access reduced; many apply via third countries)
How many Belarusian students are in Poland?
About 12,678 students from Belarus were enrolled in Poland (2023/24, GUS/NAWA data).
How much does it cost to live in Poland as a student?
Roughly €630–1,210 a month for a student living alone in a one-bedroom flat, from Lodz (the cheapest of the 8 cities we track) to Warsaw (the most expensive); a university dormitory or shared flat usually brings that down to about €400–700. Estimate from Numbeo market data accessed 9 July 2026 — for a visa, rely on the sum the authorities specify.
English-taught programmes for Belarusian students
All 951 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 English test listed
Programmes whose admissions pages named no English test when we captured them. That is not a university statement that a certificate is unnecessary — confirm the current rule before you apply.
Affordable programmes
The lowest rates published for English-taught studies in the catalogue. Each figure is a university-wide rate its programmes inherit, not this programme's own fee.
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).