General information

Within the meaning of Polish law, a foreigner is anyone who does not have Polish citizenship.

Persons who simultaneously hold a Polish passport (citizenship) and a passport of another country or several other countries are, by law, treated on the territory of the Republic of Poland as Polish citizens.

Principles of undertaking studies in Poland

First-cycle studies and uniform master’s studies

Candidates who have the following are eligible to apply for admission:

Polish secondary school diploma (matura),
or a legalized or apostilled school certificate or diploma,
or another document obtained abroad, which entitles to apply for admission to studies at universities of any type in the country where the institution that issued the certificate operates and it is recognized, in accordance with the regulations or on the basis of international agreements, as equivalent to the relevant Polish secondary school diploma.

Second-cycle studies

Candidates who have the following are eligible to apply for admission:

diploma of completion of first-cycle studies in Poland,
or a legalized or apostilled diploma,
or another university graduation document abroad, which entitles you to undertake second-cycle studies in the country where it was issued and is recognized – in accordance with the regulations or on the basis of an international agreement – as equivalent to the relevant Polish diploma of first-cycle studies.

Foreigners who have a foreign secondary school certificate or diploma may be admitted to education (studies) without the recruitment rules applicable to Polish citizens.If, in the recruitment procedure for a specific field of study, special predispositions are required, foreign candidates must prove that they have such talents or skills.

Foreigners who undertake studies at the Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University are required to pay tuition fees. Information on fees is specified here.

Persons who have the following status are exempt from paying for full-time studies in Polish

foreigner – a citizen of a Member State of the European Union, the Swiss Confederation or a Member State of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – a party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area and members of their families who reside in the territory of the Republic of Poland;
a foreigner who has been granted a permanent residence permit or a long-term resident of the European Union;
a foreigner who has been granted a temporary residence permit on the territory of Poland, in connection with the circumstances referred to in Article 159(1) or Article 186(1)(3) or (4) of the Act of 12 December 2013, on foreigners;
a foreigner who has refugee status granted in Poland;
a foreigner who enjoys temporary protection on the territory of Poland (in accordance with Article 2(6) of the Act of 12 March 2022 on assistance to Ukrainian citizens in connection with the armed conflict on the territory of this state, a citizen of Ukraine (referred to in Article 2(1) of the above-mentioned Act) is considered a person enjoying temporary protection in the Republic of Poland within the meaning of Article 106(1) of the Act of 13 June 2003, on granting protection to foreigners within the territory of the Republic of Poland);
a foreigner who has been granted subsidiary protection on the territory of Poland;
holder of a certificate that certifies knowledge of Polish as a foreign language at least at the C1 level, issued by the State Commission for the Certification of Proficiency in Polish as a Foreign Language;
holder of a valid Pole’s Card;
a person who received a decision on establishing Polish origin;
a spouse, ascendant or descendant of a Polish citizen residing in the territory of the Republic of Poland;
a foreigner who has been granted a temporary residence permit in connection with the circumstances referred to in Article 151(1) (for the purpose of conducting scientific research) or Article 151b section 1 (for the purpose of long-term mobility of a scientist) of the Act of 12 December 2013, on foreigners, or residing in the territory of the Republic of Poland in connection with the use of short-term mobility of a scientist under the conditions specified in Article 156b(1) of this Act, or holding a national visa for the purpose of conducting scientific research or development work.

A foreigner may also be exempt from fees on the basis of a decision of the minister or director of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) on granting a scholarship.

Additional admission criteria:

Studies in Polish

Candidates who apply for admission to studies on the basis of a foreign matura exam or a foreign diploma should have a certificate of knowledge of the Polish language at the level of at least B2, recognized by our University, or pass the central verification of Polish language knowledge organized by our University.

Studies in English (specialist theological studies):

Confirmation of knowledge of the English language at the appropriate level is carried out as follows:

The candidate presents one of the documents listed in the table (link).
A candidate who does not have any of the listed documents must proceed to verify the knowledge of the English language. Then, a certificate of knowledge of the English language at the appropriate level, or lack of it, is issued. Knowledge of the English language is carried out by a verification committee appointed by the head of the recruitment unit, which consists of academic teachers.

1.	A diploma confirming the completion of higher education conducted abroad or in the Republic of Poland – the language of instruction is recognized only if it was English
2.	Certificates confirming knowledge of foreign languages at least at B2 level on a global scale of language proficiency according to: “Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: learning, teaching, assessment (CEFR)”;
3.	University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations B2 First (previously under the name: Cambridge First Certificate in English (FCE)) – grade A or B, C1 Advanced (previously under the name: Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)) – grade A, B or C, C2 Proficiency (previously under the name: Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)) – grade A, B or C
4.	Educational Testing Service (ETS), Princeton, USA: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) – level B2: 75-93 pts. In the online version, Internet-Based Test (iBT) Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) – level C1: 94-109 pts. In the online version, Internet-Based Test (iBT) Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) – level C2: 110-120 pts. In the online version, Internet-Based Test (iBT)
5.	British Council, Cambridge English Language Assessment IDP IELTS Australia: International English Language Testing System (IELTS) – level B2: 5.5-6.5 pts. International English Language Testing System (IELTS) – level C1: 7-8 pts. International English Language Testing System (IELTS) – level C2: 8.5-9 pts.

Important information for foreigners

Persons with foreign citizenship may apply for admission to studies if:

have a valid visa or residence card or another document that gives them the right to stay on the territory of Poland
and are holders of an insurance policy in the event of illness or consequences of accidents for the period of education in Poland, or the European Health Insurance Card, or they can take out insurance in the National Health Fund immediately after starting their studies.

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