Legalization of foreign documents of education
Legalization is the certification of a document’s formal conformity with the law binding in the place of its issue or of the authenticity of the seals and signatures placed on the document. Legalization of a document by the relevant authorities in the country in which it was issued increases its credibility.
- A. Legalization with Apostille
If a country in which a given document was issued is a party to the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, concluded in The Hague, the document’s legalization is replaced by an Apostille certificate attached to it. The list of countries – parties to the Convention and the institutions authorized to issue the Apostille is available here.
- B. Normal Legalization
If a country in which a given document was issued is not a party to the aforementioned Convention, the document’s legalization remains the responsibility of a Polish consular office in that country. Depending on the type of a document, Polish consular offices will use one of the three categories of legalization clauses: full legalization, standard legalization, authentication.
- More information about legalization or apostille is available here.
- The list of Poland’s missions abroad is available at: https://www.gov.pl/web/diplomacy.
Translation by a sworn translator
All official documents issued abroad should be translated into Polish by:
- a Polish sworn translator registered on the list of translators published by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Poland. The list of Polish sworn translators may be found here.
- the consul of the Republic of Poland in the country in which documents were issued
- a person registered as a sworn translator in an EU member state, an EFTA member state, an EOG member state, or an OECD member state.
- an accredited diplomatic representative to Poland, or the consular office of the country in whose territory, or within whose educational system the documents in question were issued.
Education documents
- Enrollment for the first-cycle (BA) programmes is carried out on the basis of secondary education certificate which has been deemed to be equivalent to the Polish secondary education certificate by virtue of the law, or pursuant to a relevant international agreement, or on the basis of an approval given by a Board of Education in Poland, or NAWA’s Director information.
- Foreigners may apply for admission to first-cycle studies or long-cycle studies on the basis of a document issued abroad, which is not a document confirming the right to apply for admission to studies, referred to in art. 326a (1) of the Law on Higher Education and Science – upon presentation of written information from the NAWA’s Director about the foreign document confirming the right to apply for admission to the studies referred to in art. 70 (5b) of the Law on Higher Education and Science of July 20, 2018 or upon presentation of an administrative decision of the Board of Education confirming the right to apply for admission to first-cycle studies and long-cycle studies in cases where the proceedings for the recognition of a foreign document in terms of the right to apply for admission to higher education were initiated before June 30, 2025.
More information about the Recognition of Academic Qualifications may be found:
on the website of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange: https://nawa.gov.pl/en/recognition/recognition-for-academic-purposes
- on the ENIC-NARIC network website: http://www.enic-naric.net/
Health insurance
All foreign students should have an insurance policy for sickness and accident in Poland. Such a policy should cover at least the first year of studies, amounting to 30,000 EUR for medical treatment throughout the insured period.
In the case of the holders of the Card of the Pole or students who have been recognized as persons of Polish origin within the meaning of the repatriation regulations, an insurance can be paid by the university. For this purpose, they should contact Office for Scholarships and Medical Insurance (Biuro Stypendiów i Ubezpieczeń Zdrowotnych), Main Building, room 215 (second floor).
An insurance policy can be confirmed in the following way:
- an insurance policy with Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia NFZ, ul. Wadowicka 8W Kraków (the National Health Fund)
Persons who are not holders of the Card of the Pole may sign a contract with Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia and make premium payments on their own. A copy of a contract along with payment confirmations should be submitted to Unit for Teaching Administration (Dział Nauczania).
NOTE!
To sign a contract with NFZ (the National Health Fund), a student needs the following documents: a certificate confirming admission to studies, PESEL number, a document confirming a student’s residence (e.g. a residence hall).
Prior to a visit to Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia, please check what documents are required for applying for an insurance policy.
The necessity to check required documents applies, in particular, to persons underage!
http://www.nfz.gov.pl/dla-pacjenta/zalatw-sprawe-krok-po-kroku/jak-ubezpieczyc-sie-dobrowolnie/
- An insurance policy covering the costs of medical treatment in Poland in the amount of 30,000 EUR.
An insurance policy issued abroad must be translated into the Polish language.
A certificate issued by an employer, confirming the payment of a premium.
European Health Insurance Card (in respect of EU citizens)
Legalization of stay
All foreign students who wish to study in Poland are required to legalize their stay.
- The citizens of the EU and Switzerland are only required to register their stay;
Non-EU foreigners must hold an entry visa or a temporary residence permit.
Full-time programme – see the document (pdf)
Part-time programme – see the document (pdf)
- Open your account on the Online Candidate Admission platform (Internetowa Rekrutacja Kandydatów – IRK) at irk.uek.krakow.pl.
- Mandatorily upload to the IRK system the scans of the following documents:
– certificate of graduating from secondary school (secondary education) with a list of subjects (transcript) and additional exams,
– translation of the certificate into the Polish language (if possessed),
– a copy of passport (page with photo),
– information confirming that the certificate entitles you to undertake studies in the country in which it was issued – it does not apply to documents issued in Ukraine,
– proof of English language proficiency: English certificate – it does not apply to candidates from the EU who hold a certificate issued in the EU. - Enroll in your chosen major programme(s) of study.
- Make payment of the admission fee (amount and individual account number available on your IRK account).
Please, note!
Make sure you meet qualification requirements – remember that only properly completed and paid-for forms are considered in the admissions process.
After the announcement of the list of candidates eligible for admission, persons expressing their will to undertake studies at the KUE shall submit the following documents:
- Secondary school certificate (legalized, translated and recognized) with a list of subjects (transcript) and additional exams – original and photocopy,
- Statutory declaration confirming that the secondary-school certificate entitles the holder to apply for admission to university studies of any kind in the country in which the secondary-school certificate was issued – original and photocopy – not applicable to certificates issued in Ukraine.
Declaration is not required if the proper information can be found on the graduation certificate of secondary education. - NAWA’S Director information or an administrative decision of the Board of Education /recognition -“nostryfikacja”/ confirming eligibility to apply for admission to studies – not applicable to foreign certificates recognised by law or on the basis of a proper international agreement -original and photocopy.
- Proof of English language proficiency: English certificate (original and photocopy) – it does not apply to candidates from the EU, who hold a certificate issued in the EU.
- Printout of personal questionnaire – from Online Candidate Admissions platform (Enrollment applications – Documents and further steps). Before printing the questionnaire, check that the data entered is correct. The candidate’s photo must be printed on the questionnaire (the photo must be uploaded to the IRK beforehand).
- Photocopy of passport (page with photograph) – original for view.
- Statement about citizenship (the form is available in the downloads tab.)
- In the case of a person underage – a parent’s or legal custodian’s statement expressing their approval for a legal commitment to the Krakow University of Economics (the form is available in the downloads tab.)
Please, note:
Another person/The Representative may submit documents on behalf of the candidate. In such a case authorization is required (it does not need to be certified by a notary public). Form of power of attorney is posted in the downloads tab. and on Online Candidate Admission platform (IRK) – Enrollment applications – Documents and further steps.
The Representative is obligated to deliver:
- fulfilled form of power of attorney,
- personal ID/passport,
- copy of candidate’s passport,
- all required documents for admission (from Step 2).
Before the beginning of studies, admitted persons shall deliver:
- original and photocopy of visa/residence permit, EU citizens – registration of stay;
- original and photocopy of health insurance covering the entire period of studies in Poland or copy of a European Health Insurance Card or insurance from the National Health Fund.
IMPORTANT:
- Student ID Card will be available after submission of the documents required at the third step.
- If the admission limits for particular full-time programmes are not met, additional recruitment will be carried out in September. The schedule of additional recruitment and available programmes with vacancies will be announced on the university’s website after the first recruitment deadline is closed.
- Qualification does not mean admission. Admission to studies is confirmed by entry to the student’s list, after delivery and verification of required documents from the second step.
- A candidate will be admitted to studies upon submission of documents and provided that:
– secondary school final exam entered in the personal questionnaire will be consistent with the results converted from the secondary-school certificate presented at the second stage (applies only to candidates qualified for admission on the basis of the results from the secondary school certificate)
or
– the candidate has obtained a positive result from the qualification test of basic mathematical knowledge - Failure to submit documents required at the 2nd step implies the removal of a candidate from the list of persons qualified for admission.
- Documents required at the Step 2 should be delivered in a special file folder which a candidate receives upon submitting documents.
- A candidate who is a student of the first cycle programme of a given major at the Krakow University of Economics may not apply for admission to the same major programme.