Study in Poland from Ukraine

Visas & entry

National long-stay (type D) study visa

Processing time

2–8 weeks

Where to apply

Polish consulate in Lviv / Kyiv (consular operations adjusted due to war)

Proof of funds

≈ 701 PLN/month (~€165/mo) statutory minimum + tuition + return travel; €2,000–4,000/year is a realistic buffer

Key documents

• acceptance letter
• proof of funds (bank statement <3 months old)
• health insurance
• accommodation
• return-travel funds

Source: study.gov.pl

Getting there

Kyiv / Lviv → Warsaw — overland only (no direct flights due to the war)

Typical price

€25–110 (bus)

Flight time

8–14 h

Airlines

FlixBus, TransTempo, Ecolines, Ukrainian Railways (to border)

Ukrainian airspace is closed — students travel overland; Rzeszów airport (~100 km from the border) is the nearest onward hub.

Prices vary — estimate from ukrainetravelnews.com

Cost of living

≈ €500–850/mo in Warsaw/Kraków, ~€350–550 in smaller cities; a discounted student transit pass is ~€12/mo. Estimate (study.gov.pl).

Full tuition & costs guide →

What it's really like

Ukrainians are by far the largest foreign community in Poland and the default 'familiar' migrant group — culturally close, often Polish-speaking within months, and deeply integrated into universities and the labour market. The near-universal 2022 solidarity had cooled by late 2024 (CBOS: ~53% still supportive, half of Poles feeling aid had become 'too extensive'), and benefit access is increasingly politicised. Day-to-day most students report a welcoming environment, though some encounter 'war fatigue', occasional resentment over benefits, and the same slow residence bureaucracy everyone faces.

Community: Largest migrant and student group — ~46,200 Ukrainian students in 2023/24 (≈43% of all international students), on top of 1M+ war refugees and a large pre-war labour diaspora.

Tips from students & forums

1. Apply for your temporary residence permit (karta pobytu) the moment you arrive — processing routinely takes 8–10 months and your visa can expire before the card is issued; the lodged application keeps your stay legal.

   careersinpoland.com ↗

2. If enrolled full-time, get the university to register you with ZUS so NFZ public health insurance is free — don't pay for private cover you don't need.

   welcome.uw.edu.pl ↗

3. Book the Lviv→Warsaw bus from Warszawa Zachodnia in advance and budget extra hours for the border — crossing on foot at Medyka/Shehyni is often faster than staying on the bus.

   roadiscalling.com ↗

Good to know

• Ukraine is the single largest source of international students in Poland — ~46,200 in 2023/24, about 43% of all foreign students.
• Since Feb 2022 there are no direct Ukraine–Poland flights; all travel is overland.