A national of the European Union, a national of the member country of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – parties to the agreement of the European Economic Area – as well as a national of the Swiss Confederation staying in the Republic of Poland for a period exceeding 3 months has the obligation to register his/her stay.

The EU national has the right of stay for a period longer than 3 months if he/she meets one of the following requirements:

• he/she studies or does a professional training course in Poland,
• he/she is covered with a general medical insurance or is entitled to health care services on the basis of provisions on coordination, pursuant to Art. 5 Point 23 of the Act on Healthcare Services Financed from the Public Funds of 27 August 2004,
• he/she has financial resources which are sufficient to provide for himself/herself and his/her family members in Poland and which do not come from social assistance.

In order for an EU national to register his/her stay in the Republic of Poland or to obtain a residence card, the EU national should file an application in the provincial office competent for the place of stay of the EU national.

Required documents to register the stay:

• an application (1 original) to be downloaded from the webpage of the Małopolska Provincial Office click here,
• a photocopy of a valid travel document (the page with personal details) or another document confirming his/her identity and citizenship,
• a confirmation of a temporary stay registration,
• documents or written declarations confirming that the foregoing conditions of stay have been met.

Additionally, for a student or a person doing a professional training course:

• a certificate from a public or non-public institution of higher education confirming admission to an institution or referral to a professional training course,
• a document confirming medical insurance coverage or rights to avail of healthcare services pursuant to regulations on coordination of social security systems,
• a written declaration that the person has sufficient financial resources to provide for himself/herself and his/her family members, without the necessity to avail of social assistance services, or a certificate confirming that the person has such financial resources (800 PLN per month).

The documents should be submitted in person in:
Wydział Spraw Cudzoziemców [Department of Foreigners' Affairs]
Małopolskiego Urzędu Wojewódzkiego w Krakowie [of the Małopolska Provincial Office in Krakow]
Oddział Organizacji, Ewidencji i Obywateli UE [Organizations, registry and EU Citizens Unit],
ul. Przy Rondzie 6, Kraków
e-mail: ue@muw.pl
See the detailed information on: https://www.malopolska.uw.gov.pl/default.aspx?page=EU_citizens

Third-country nationals (outside the EU)

Under the applicable regulations, a foreigner is any person who does not hold Polish citizenship. Every foreigner is obliged to legalise their stay for the entire duration of their stay in Poland.
• A temporary residence permit for studies should be applied for no later than the last day of legal stay in Poland; earlier submission is recommended due to preparation time and long processing.
• Legal stay during the procedure is confirmed by an electronic certificate issued via the Moduł Obsługi Spraw (MOS).
• The permit is granted by administrative decision, followed by issuance of a residence card.
• The residence card, together with a valid passport, allows entry to Poland and travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days within any 180-day period.
• The permit is available to individuals staying in Poland whose main purpose is full-time Bachelor’s, Master’s, long-cycle Master’s studies, or doctoral education for more than 3 months.

From 27 April 2026, applications for a temporary residence permit for studies must be submitted electronically to the Małopolska Voivode via the MOS system (Moduł Obsługi Spraw): Information on the launch of the MOS System - a portal for electronic submission of applications for residence permits in Poland

To submit an application for a temporary residence permit for the purpose of studies, an attachment completed by the university is required. While filling out the application in the MOS system, the following email address must be provided: mos@uafm.edu.pl

Detailed information:
https://mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl/en/
https://infoopt.pl/studia-stacjonarne/
https://www.gov.pl/web/udsc-en/mos-QA

EU citizens
The citizens of the member states of the European Union are entitled to the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which is honoured in Poland. Students are obliged to get EHIC in their home countries prior to arriving in Poland. EHIC enables them to obtain medical benefits from medical providers which have signed contracts with Polish National Health Fund and may be identified by the logo of NFZ with the inscription Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia at the main entrance to their premises.
More information is available on the website of the Polish National Health Fund www.nfz.gov.pl

Non-EU citizens
Students who do not have the EHIC or any other health insurance can contact the Department of International Co-operation in National Health Fund in Krakow in order to sign an insurance agreement.

Department of International Co-operation
National Health Fund
ul. Batorego 24, 31-135 Kraków
phone no.: (+48) 12 298 83 40
e-mail: wf06@nfz.gov.pl
See the detailed information on: www.nfz-krakow.pl

It is also possible to enter into an insurance scheme in the home country of the candidate prior to travelling to Poland.

DORMITORY

Basecamp by Xior Kraków
The six-floor building was created as a special place for students who expect high comfort and lots of amenities, in the newly renovated building formerly known as Telpod – producer of electronic components.

https://www.basecampstudent.com/pl/student/krakow/

Zeitraum Student House

ul. Koszykarska 33, Kraków – https://students.zeitraum.re/en/location/koszykarska/.