Study in Poland from Russia
A practical, honest guide for Russian students — visas, refusal rates, flights, costs and what life is really like. Backed by sources, not marketing.
Eastern Europe
2022/23 · GUS/NAWA
type D long-stay
2024 · proxy, see note
€200–500+ (via hub, one-way)
Visas & entry
National long-stay (type D) study visa
- Processing time
- 4–12 weeks (enhanced scrutiny)
- Where to apply
- Polish consulate in Moscow / St Petersburg / Kaliningrad — applications heavily restricted; students are among the few categories still accepted
- Proof of funds
- ≈ 701 PLN/month (~€165/mo) minimum + tuition + return; ~€2,000–4,000/year
Key documents
- acceptance letter
- proof of funds
- health insurance
- accommodation
- return-travel funds
Source: study.gov.pl
Visa refusal — the honest picture
7.5% Visa refusal rate (2024)
Schengen short-stay PROXY (7.5% in 2024) — but misleading: Poland suspends most Russian visa categories, students excepted
Important: Real-world difficulty for a Russian applicant is far higher than 7.5% implies; the EU also banned multi-entry Schengen visas for Russians.
Source: henleyglobal.com
Getting there
Moscow → Warsaw — no direct flights (mutual airspace closure); via Istanbul/Belgrade or overland through the Baltics
- Typical price
- €200–500+ (via hub, one-way)
- Flight time
- 8–20+ h
- Airlines
- Turkish Airlines (via IST), Air Serbia (via BEG)
No direct Russia–Poland flights since 2022; routings and prices are volatile.
Prices vary — estimate from en.wikipedia.org
What it's really like
Russians are a smaller, more sensitive group post-2022. Sentiment toward the Russian state is strongly negative, and Poland deliberately did not open its doors to Russians fleeing mobilisation, so the community skews toward anti-war, educated emigrants (IT, journalism, academia). Individual students are generally treated on their merits, but they navigate visa restrictions, occasional suspicion, and a need to distinguish themselves from Kremlin politics. The community is real but low-profile.
Community: Small student cohort — roughly ~1,400 Russian students (estimate). The broader anti-war émigré presence is smaller than in Germany or the Baltics.
Tips from students & forums
-
Confirm your category is currently accepted before applying — Poland suspends most Russian visa types, but students/exchange/medical are explicit exceptions; bring proof of enrolment.
fragomen.com -
Plan travel via Istanbul or Belgrade hubs and allow extra time/budget — no direct flights and routings change frequently.
en.wikipedia.org -
Apply for the temporary residence permit early; given enhanced scrutiny, gather all documents well before your visa lapses.
mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl
Good to know
- Poland suspends most national and initial Schengen visa categories for Russian citizens; students, exchange and medical categories remain accepted.
- No direct Russia–Poland flights since 2022 due to mutual airspace closure.
Frequently asked questions
Do Russian students need a visa to study in Poland?
Russian citizens need a Polish national long-stay (type D) study visa for programmes over 90 days. Typical processing: 4–12 weeks (enhanced scrutiny). Polish consulate in Moscow / St Petersburg / Kaliningrad — applications heavily restricted; students are among the few categories still accepted
How many Russian students are in Poland?
About 1,392 students from Russia were enrolled in Poland (2022/23, 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 Russian students
All 951 degrees in the catalogue are open to Russian applicants — these picks match what students from Russia 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 Russian-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).