Study in Poland from Sweden
A practical, honest guide for Swedish students — visas, refusal rates, flights, costs and what life is really like. Backed by sources, not marketing.
Northern Europe (EU)
2022/23 · GUS/NAWA
visa-free entry
€20–60 (one-way est.)
Visas & entry
No visa — EU freedom of movement; register residence if staying >3 months
- Where to apply
- local voivodeship office (EU residence registration)
Key documents
- Swedish ID or passport
- EU residence registration certificate
- health insurance (EHIC or private)
Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
Getting there
Stockholm (ARN/NYO) → Warsaw (WAW/WMI)
- Typical price
- €20–60 (one-way est.)
- Flight time
- 1.7 h
- Airlines
- Ryanair, Wizz Air, LOT, SAS, Finnair
Direct ~1h40; cheap booked early, pricier last-minute.
Prices vary — estimate from kiwi.com
What it's really like
Swedes (and Scandinavians generally) are seen positively in Poland — well-off, cultured, welcome guests, with no modern tensions (the 17th-century 'Deluge' is now a historical curiosity rather than a real grievance). Swedish Erasmus students report Poles are friendly and open, and the language barrier is minimal since most young people speak good English. Polish prices and student quality of life impress Scandinavians.
Community: Sweden is a steady recruitment market for English-taught medicine; universities list it among the main source countries (with Norway, Ireland, Germany). Poland is a popular Erasmus+ destination for Swedes.
Tips from students & forums
-
Many Swedes study medicine in English in Poland because places at home are scarce and competition extreme; Polish MD programmes are cheaper and open to EU applicants, with the degree recognised in Sweden.
medlinkstudents.com -
Graduates of Polish medical schools can apply for residency/internships in Sweden, Norway and other EU countries — programmes are built for EU-wide recognition.
medlinkstudents.com -
Language is no barrier — a Swedish Erasmus student in Kraków stressed that almost everyone speaks very good English and meeting people was easy thanks to orientation weeks and active student life.
erasmusu.com
Good to know
- Sweden is among the main source countries for English-taught medicine in Poland — costs are a fraction of Swedish ones and Swedish medical places are tightly limited.
- A Polish medical degree is recognised in Sweden and the EU (Directive 2005/36/EC).
Frequently asked questions
Do Swedish students need a visa to study in Poland?
Swedish citizens do not need a visa to study in Poland — EU freedom of movement applies; you only register residence for stays over 3 months.
How many Swedish students are in Poland?
About 648 students from Sweden 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 Swedish students
All 951 degrees in the catalogue are open to Swedish applicants — these picks match what students from Sweden 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 Swedish-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).