Poland Bets on Foreign Students to Fill Empty Lecture Halls
May 1, 2026
Category: International Students News Poland
Poland is stepping up efforts to attract international students. Science Minister Marcin Kulasek said that bringing in more foreign students is now key to keeping universities financially stable.
At the European Economic Congress in Katowice, Kulasek told the Polish Press Agency that the country has 1.2 million students, with over 100,000 already coming from abroad.
He explained that as local student numbers fall, universities need more international enrolment to make up the difference.
Empty seats, real stakes
Poland’s falling population has led to fewer local students, leaving universities with a smaller pool to draw from. To address this, the government is looking beyond its borders.
Kulasek highlighted new academic partnerships with Turkey, Vietnam, South Korea, and Uzbekistan as part of this approach.
A Polish academic team visited Tashkent last week for the third Poland-Uzbekistan Rectors’ Forum, strengthening ties with one of its newer target markets.
The message to students overseas is clear: Poland offers quality education at a lower cost than Western Europe. Kulasek said that this mix is already attracting strong interest from international applicants.
Last year’s visa mess
This year’s recruitment cycle is running smoothly — a clear contrast to 2025, when a new visa law disrupted the process.
The law, which took effect in the middle of last year’s recruitment period, required international applicants to submit a secondary school diploma and proof of language skills at B2 level (an upper-intermediate standard).
The sudden change caught many applicants off guard. Kulasek confirmed that the issues caused by the disruption have now been resolved.
Beds to fill
Poland is also investing in student housing to support the expected rise in international students.
The first round of a government subsidy programme attracted strong interest. The state development bank selected 14 universities and allocated over PLN 460 million (around EUR 108 million).
About 3,200 dormitory spaces will be built or upgraded this year.
Elite universities hold steady
The Research University Initiative, which gives 10 top-ranked Polish universities a 10% funding boost, will stay as it is for now.
Kulasek said that expanding the programme would require changes to higher education law, so the current setup will remain.
He described it as “a very desirable programme” and noted that universities still compete strongly for a place in it.
Border tech complicates the picture
Poland’s push to attract international students now overlaps with Europe’s new border control system, and the two do not always align smoothly.
Poland is one of 29 countries using the Entry/Exit System (EES), which became fully operational on 10 April 2026. The system uses biometric data, such as fingerprints and facial scans, to record non-EU nationals each time they cross an external border.
Students from Turkey, Vietnam, South Korea, and Uzbekistan — key countries Poland is targeting — fall under this system.
There is some relief. The EES does not apply to non-EU students travelling for studies if they hold a long-stay visa or residence permit.
However, this rule is not easy to understand, so universities will need to explain it clearly to avoid confusion among incoming students.
ETIAS adds to queue
A second system, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), will launch in the final quarter of 2026 — right in the middle of the next recruitment cycle.
ETIAS will require travellers from visa-exempt countries to apply for pre-travel approval before entering any of the 30 participating European countries, with a fee of EUR 20. It covers short stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period and does not replace a student visa.
Students on long-term programmes will need to deal with both systems. If they renew their passport during their studies, they will also need to apply for a new ETIAS authorisation.
The visa disruption in 2025 offers a clear lesson. Sudden changes to entry rules can disrupt recruitment plans.
EES and ETIAS introduce major procedural changes, so Polish universities may need to address them early in their admissions messaging.
There is also a benefit. EES includes automated border checks, and National Facilitation Programmes aim to make travel easier for frequent non-EU visitors.
This could help students who go home during breaks. For universities competing with those in Western Europe, smoother travel could become a strong selling point.
Recruitment race heats up
Poland is making a clear bet: affordable tuition, better facilities, and stronger international partnerships will attract students who might otherwise choose Western Europe.
Whether Europe’s new border systems create problems or pass with little impact will depend on how well universities, government agencies, and students prepare for what is already in place — and what is still to come.