University of Warsaw admissions 2027: requirements, deadlines and costs

To start at the University of Warsaw in autumn 2027 you register online on irk.uw.edu.pl and are ranked on a score built from your school-leaving results, with a qualification threshold such as 50 points for the English-taught International Relations programme. The rules for that intake are already published in Senate resolution no. 278 of 20 May 2026 for the academic year 2027/2028; the registration dates published so far are those of 2026/2027.

The University of Warsaw admissions office states that to apply for any programme you must register on irk.uw.edu.pl within the deadline and then take part in the qualification for the programme you chose. Five facts decide most applications from abroad.

The University of Warsaw has already fixed the rules for the 2027 intake. That Senate resolution sets the conditions, procedure and dates of admission for first-cycle, long-cycle and second-cycle studies in the academic year 2027/2028, with annex 1 for each programme, annex 2 for foreign certificates and annex 4 for applicants covered by the 2025 visa-law rules. The registration schedule, the IRK offer, the document lists and the fee information are still those of 2026/2027, the latest published; the 2027/2028 IRK dates are not yet published.

Rules that catch applicants out

The first trap concerns certificates from outside Europe. A foreigner who starts first-cycle or long-cycle studies on the basis of the rector's administrative decision and holds a school certificate issued in a country outside the EU, EFTA or OECD (IB and EB diplomas excluded) must meet extra conditions. Under annex 4 of the 2027/2028 resolution, the second stage of that route is an entrance exam that tests knowledge or aptitude for the chosen programme, on top of the NAWA information and the B2 language document.

Kazimierz Palace, University of Warsaw

The second trap is language. For Polish-taught programmes, the University of Warsaw rules for 2026/2027, the latest published on this point, require a candidate with a foreign certificate to certify Polish at least at level B2. The Karta Polaka gives the right to free full-time study in Polish, but the University of Warsaw does not accept it as proof of Polish.

The third point is money. The University of Warsaw charges no fees for full-time Polish-taught studies to citizens of EU member states and other groups it lists, while English-taught programmes such as International Relations are tuition-based. The University of Warsaw sets the amounts in a separate fee act, covered in the tuition chapter.

The University of Warsaw says it is the best-placed Polish university in the international rankings and cites 289th place in the QS World University Rankings 2027 as its latest result. Every position below is the University of Warsaw's own claim, attributed to the university. The university was founded in 1816.

On its rankings page the University of Warsaw writes that in the Times Higher Education, QS and Academic Ranking of World Universities tables it does best of all Polish universities, and that in Polish national rankings it competes only with the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, the two taking first place in turn.

The University of Warsaw lists the following positions on the same page. Read them as the university describing itself; the editions are the ones the university names.

The University of Warsaw's subject results are strongest in the humanities: in its own summary of the QS subject tables, ancient history and modern languages come first. For a social-science applicant, the university places political science and international relations at 151-200 in that table.

Founded in 1816

The University of Warsaw was founded in 1816 under the name Royal University of Warsaw. Its history page traces its beginnings to two schools of the Napoleonic era: the School of Law of 1808 and the School of Medicine founded a year later.

The University of Warsaw lists Nobel laureates among its alumni, among them Olga Tokarczuk, prose writer, poet and psychologist, who won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Size: students, staff and faculties

The University of Warsaw's English facts page gives its community as 36,300 students, 1,742 doctoral candidates, 3,662 international students and doctoral candidates, and 8,090 employees. The page does not say which year these figures describe.

The same University of Warsaw facts page says the university has 25 faculties and over 30 research units.

The University of Warsaw does not publish an admit rate. For 2026/2027 it published two other measures: candidates per place, for example 32,8 for medicine and 5,1 for the English-taught International Relations programme, and the points of the last admitted candidate on each programme. Both describe the 2026/2027 competition; neither is a minimum for 2027.

The University of Warsaw publishes the number of candidates per place for full-time first-cycle and long-cycle studies in the 2026/2027 recruitment. The figures below are printed as the university prints them, with a decimal comma.

Candidates per place is not an admit rate. One person can register for several University of Warsaw programmes, and the English-taught International Relations figure is marked in the table as covering more than one round, so the ratio counts registrations against places rather than the share of people admitted.

Points of the last admitted candidate in 2026/2027

The University of Warsaw also publishes the points of the last person admitted (progi punktowe) on each full-time first-cycle and long-cycle programme in the 2026/2027 recruitment, round by round. These are results, not requirements: they move every year with the number and the scores of applicants.

Read these points next to the gate. Under the 2027/2028 rules the English-taught International Relations programme sets a qualification threshold of 50 points, and in 2026/2027 its last admitted candidates scored between 50 and 68,8 depending on the round. The threshold gets you into the ranking; the level of the people admitted with you depends on who else applies.

The University of Warsaw does not publish an admit rate for any programme, and it has not yet published the place limits for 2027/2028.

The University of Warsaw ranks first-cycle applicants on a weighted score from school-leaving exams, W = a * P + b * M + c * J + d * X, and under the 2027/2028 rules each of the nine English-taught first-cycle programmes sets a qualification threshold of 50 points. For International Relations the weights are 20% Polish, 25% mathematics, 30% a foreign language and 25% one elective.

The University of Warsaw explains the formula on its IRK programme pages for 2026/2027: W is the candidate's final result, P the result in Polish, M in mathematics, J in a foreign language and X in an additional matura subject, and a, b, c and d are weights set in multiples of 5%. Each programme fixes its own subjects and weights in annex 1 of the Senate resolution for 2027/2028.

Example: the International Relations formula for 2027/2028

Annex 1 for 2027/2028 lists four required components for the Undergraduate Programme in International Relations for candidates with a matura from 2005 to 2027: Polish, mathematics, one foreign language and one elective subject chosen from a list. For Polish and mathematics a basic-level result counts x 0,6 and an extended-level result x 1.

The University of Warsaw annex 1 gives the International Relations programme separate columns for the IB diploma, the European Baccalaureate and a foreign matura (matura zagraniczna), so a candidate without a Polish matura is scored on equivalent subjects; the IB, EB and foreign-certificate chapter explains the conversions. You do not choose the best combination yourself: the University of Warsaw says the IRK system calculates the most favourable configuration from the exams you enter in the Education tab of your account.

What the qualification threshold means

The University of Warsaw defines the qualification threshold as the minimum number of points needed to appear on the list of qualified candidates for a programme, and adds that passing the threshold does not guarantee admission. Admission then depends on the place limit and on the other candidates' scores: the University of Warsaw's page for candidates from abroad adds that no matura result guarantees qualification, because the committees build ranking lists from the candidates' results within the place limit of each programme. In the 2026/2027 IRK offer, the International Relations threshold was already 50 points for candidates with a matura from 2005 to 2026.

• American Studies: threshold 50 points (2027/2028)
• Archaeology (Studies in English): threshold 50 points (2027/2028)
• Business and Management: threshold 50 points (2027/2028)
• European Politics and Economics: threshold 50 points (2027/2028)
• Finance, International Investment and Accounting: threshold 50 points (2027/2028)
• International Studies in Philosophy: threshold 50 points (2027/2028)
• Social and Public Policy: threshold 50 points (2027/2028)
• Undergraduate Programme in Political Science: threshold 50 points (2027/2028)

The University of Warsaw distinguishes required subjects from scored subjects. A scored subject (przedmiot punktowany) is optional: not having it does not exclude you, but it lowers your result and therefore your chances.

Old matura and bilingual matura

For candidates with the old matura, the 2027/2028 International Relations rules count a subject passed without a level (brak poziomu) x 0,8. A bilingual matura in a foreign language is converted to an extended-level result with the formula R = D x 4/3, as the University of Warsaw page for bilingual-matura candidates states.

Olympiad laureates and finalists

The University of Warsaw olympiad page for 2026/2027, the latest published there, lets laureates and finalists of olympiads claim an exemption from the qualification procedure through their IRK account. On some programmes only part of the laureates get a full exemption, for example those in the first ten places by points. In the 2026/2027 recruitment the University of Warsaw honoured certificates issued no earlier than the school year 2022/2023.

On its page for IB and EB candidates, the University of Warsaw converts an IB subject grade of 7 points into 100% of a Polish matura result, down to 2 points = 30%, and a European Baccalaureate mark of 9,00 - 10,00 into 100%; HL subjects count as extended level and SL as basic. Other foreign certificates are converted with the country tables in annex 2 of the 2027/2028 rules, and for countries not in that table the admission committees of the university's organisational units decide.

The University of Warsaw sets out the IB and EB conversion on its page of important information for candidates with an IB or EB diploma. The table compares each grade with the Polish new matura from 2005-2025; the rows below are printed as the University of Warsaw table reads, with the decimal comma.

IB levels: HL and SL

The University of Warsaw counts IB subjects at the level printed on the diploma: SL as SL and HL as HL, with Mathematical Studies SL counted as SL. For languages, Ab initio or B SL count as SL, while A (SL or HL), literature and performance, and B HL count as HL. For Polish on the IB diploma the page spells it out: A (HL or SL) and B HL are treated as HL, the extended level, and Ab initio and B SL as SL, the basic level.

IB and EB holders enter in the Education tab of IRK all subjects and results of the written exams, because oral exams are not taken into account, and attach scans. In the 2026/2027 recruitment these could be added until 14 July 2026 for full-time first-cycle studies, or until 14 September 2026 in the September round; both dates have passed, and the 2027/2028 dates are not yet published.

European Baccalaureate levels

For EB languages, the University of Warsaw counts L1, L4 or L5 as the basic level and L1+3, L2 or L3 as the extended level. Other EB subjects taken for 2 or 3 periods of 45 minutes count as basic, and 4 or 5 periods, plus 5+3 for mathematics, as extended.

Language A and L2+3: the bilingual level

A foreign language other than Polish taken at L2+3 on the EB diploma, or at level A or literature and performance on the IB diploma, counts as a bilingual-level result. The University of Warsaw converts it to the extended level with R = D x 4/3, where D is the bilingual result and R the extended result, and the extended result cannot exceed 100%.

Other foreign certificates: annex 2 for 2027/2028

The University of Warsaw's conversion page for 2026/2027, the latest published there, sets the general rules. Subjects count at the level that matches the basic or extended level of the Polish new matura. A result without a stated level is converted with W = Wk x 0,8. A converted result must be greater than zero, and if you could not take a required subject, the committee may count another subject it considers equivalent. The committees convert the results and set the final result in a way adapted to the scoring of the Polish new matura.

For the United Kingdom, annex 2 adds that when you have no AS-Level or A-Level result in a subject, the committee may count a result from at most one GCSE subject. The annex 2 tables also print percentage scales for A-Levels, the Abitur and Ukrainian exams; check the cell for your own grade in annex 2 itself before relying on it. For a country that annex 2 does not list, the conversion is decided by the admission committees of the university's organisational units, within the general rules of the resolution and annex 1. Matters the annex does not regulate follow the general rules of the resolution and the programme rules in annex 1.

Annex 2 of the 2027/2028 rules prints these further rows for single exams:

• Austria: Reifeprüfungszeugnis exams x 1.
• Netherlands: VWO-Diploma exams x 1.
• Lithuania: state exams (Brandos Atestatas) x 1.
• Sweden: Högskoleförberedande Examen x 1.
• United Kingdom: AS-Level exams x 0,6.
• Turkey: school subjects x 0,8 on a scale of 0-100, where 0-49,99% counts as 0% and results from 50% to 100% are carried over according to the candidate's result.

Which subjects a foreign-certificate holder needs

Each programme in annex 1 has its own column for candidates with a foreign matura. For the Undergraduate Programme in International Relations in 2027/2028 the four required components are Polish or the original language of the matura (20%), mathematics (25%), a modern foreign language (30%) and one elective (25%). If mathematics is not on your certificate, you can replace it with one of economics, biology, chemistry, physics, geography or computer science. The IB column for International Relations uses the same weights of 20%, 25%, 30% and 25%.

Since the act of 4 April 2025, a foreigner who starts first-cycle or long-cycle studies at the University of Warsaw with a school certificate from a country outside the EU, EFTA and OECD (IB and EB diplomas excluded) must bring the written information of the NAWA director, a B2 document in the language of the programme and a passed entrance exam. Under annex 4 of the 2027/2028 rules this route has two stages of 100 points each, and the exam details are announced in IRK by 31 March 2027. The rules do not apply to Polish citizens.

The University of Warsaw bases these requirements on the act of 4 April 2025 amending certain acts to eliminate irregularities in the Polish visa system. The route covers a foreigner admitted to first-cycle or long-cycle studies by the rector's administrative decision who holds a foreign school document, other than an IB or EB diploma, issued in a country outside the EU, EFTA and OECD and not covered by an international agreement.

Who is covered: citizenship plus the country of the certificate

The University of Warsaw sums up the test as citizenship plus the country that issued the certificate. Its table on additional requirements for candidates with foreign documents reads as follows.

The University of Warsaw adds two points to that table. The rules do not apply to Polish citizens, and every candidate, whatever the route, is also bound by the admission requirements of the Senate resolution for the given academic year, which for the 2027 intake is the 2027/2028 resolution.

What you must provide

• The document issued abroad together with the written information of the NAWA director about it, or a decision of the education superintendent if that procedure began before 30 June 2025.
• A document certifying the language of instruction at least at level B2, from the ministerial list, uploaded as a scan in IRK within the registration period. Without that confirmation the candidate receives 0 (zero) points for the whole procedure.
• A positive result in an entrance exam that tests the knowledge needed to start studies at that level.

The two-stage procedure for 2027/2028

Annex 4 of the University of Warsaw rules for 2027/2028 applies to the foreigners referred to in art. 70 of the Law on Higher Education and Science, and makes their first-cycle and long-cycle qualification two-stage.

Each stage of the annex 4 route is worth 100 points, and the first stage carries a weight of 50% of the final result unless annex 1 sets another weight for the programme. The weight of the entrance exam set in annex 1 cannot be lower than 20% of the final result. Admission also requires the B2 document and the NAWA written information. The final result is the sum of the results of both stages, and the exam stage result cannot be lower than 50 points unless annex 1 sets another threshold. The reliefs in the Senate resolution on olympiad laureates for 2027/2028 apply accordingly to the first stage.

Annex 4 keeps one door open: graduates of the University of Warsaw Foundation Year may be admitted under § 35 of the resolution. The programme-by-programme exams are described in the chapter on entrance exams and interviews.

Most University of Warsaw first-cycle programmes select on school-leaving exam results alone, but some add an entrance exam or an interview, and the recruitment fee then rises from 85 zł to 100 zł. Under the 2027/2028 rules, foreigners covered by annex 4 sit an entrance exam on every English-taught programme named below: oral for International Relations, Political Science, European Politics and Economics and Social and Public Policy, written for Business and Management, and an online test for Finance, International Investment and Accounting.

For candidates with the Polish new matura, an IB diploma or an EB diploma, the University of Warsaw counts only the results of written exams. Some programmes add exams that test aptitude for the subject. In the 2026/2027 June-July round these additional entrance exams, and for candidates from abroad the exams and interviews that check Polish, took place on 16-17, 20 July 2026. The 2027/2028 exam dates are not yet published.

Entrance exams under annex 4, 2027/2028

The exams below apply only to the foreigners referred to in annex 4, that is candidates with a school certificate from a country outside the EU, EFTA and OECD (IB and EB excluded); other candidates on these programmes are ranked on their school-leaving results. Annex 1 of the University of Warsaw rules for 2027/2028 sets the form for each programme.

International Relations publishes the most detail. The oral exam has a maximum of 100 points and a pass mark of 50 points. Its scope is a list of questions that begins with "What is your understanding of international relations?", "Who are the major actors in contemporary international relations?" and "What is public international law?".

For International Relations the first stage, calculated from school-leaving results, must reach at least 50 points before you can sit the exam. Each stage weighs 50% of the final result. Missing the minimum in any stage gives 0 (zero) points for the whole procedure and disqualifies the candidate.

Exam details by programme in annex 1, 2027/2028

Annex 1 of the 2027/2028 rules repeats the annex 4 exam rules inside each English-taught programme, for the foreigners referred to in annex 4. Where annex 1 sets its own figure, it differs by programme:

• American Studies: a two-stage procedure with an oral second stage, which may also be held through Google Meets; at least 60 points in the first stage are needed (below that, 0 points for the whole procedure), the exam gives 0 to 100 points with 50 needed to pass and has 4 questions, and each stage weighs 50% (arithmetic mean).
• Business and Management: a written exam on economics and management; at least 50 points in the first stage, a maximum of 100 and a pass mark of 50 points in the exam, 50% weight for each stage; missing a minimum means 0 points for the whole procedure and disqualification.
• European Politics and Economics: oral exam, up to 100 points with a pass mark of 50 points, a first stage of at least 50 points and 50% weight for each stage.
• Finance, International Investment and Accounting: an online single-choice test with a pass mark of 50 of 100 points, a first stage of at least 50 points and 50% weight for each stage.
• International Studies in Philosophy: an oral exam held remotely on Google Meet, in English, on one text the candidate chooses from a list; four questions worth 25 points each, 100 in total, with 50 to pass, first stage at least 50 points and 50% weight for each stage.
• Social and Public Policy: oral exam, up to 100 points with a pass mark of 50 points, a first stage of at least 50 points and 50% weight for each stage.
• Political Science: oral exam, up to 100 points with a pass mark of 50 points, a first stage of at least 50 points and 50% weight for each stage.

Polish checked by exam or interview

For Polish-taught programmes, the University of Warsaw language page for 2026/2027, the latest published, says the admission committee may verify Polish by an exam or interview where the programme rules provide for it. That page addresses Polish citizens with foreign certificates and citizens of EU, EFTA countries or the United Kingdom with EU, EFTA or OECD certificates. The Polish-language chapter lists the documents that prove level B2.

SAT, ACT and AP

The University of Warsaw uses SAT, ACT and AP results only inside the conversion of a US school-leaving certificate: annex 2 of the 2027/2028 rules counts SAT, ACT and AP exams x 1, on a scale that depends on the exam, while High School Diploma subjects count x 0,5. The University of Warsaw states no SAT or ACT requirement for other candidates.

You apply to the University of Warsaw through its online system IRK (Internetowa Rejestracja Kandydatów), paying the recruitment fee published for 2026/2027: 85 zł per programme, or 100 zł where an exam or interview applies. The latest published schedule is that of 2026/2027: the main round ran from 9 June 2026 to 9 July 2026, with results on 22 July 2026. The 2027/2028 dates are not yet published.

The University of Warsaw admissions office says that to apply you register on irk.uw.edu.pl within the deadline and take part in the qualification for the programme you chose, and that there are no age limits. There is also no limit on the number of programmes you register for: the order in which you sign up does not affect your result, and results appear separately for each programme.

IRK registration, step by step

• Create a personal IRK account. The account identifier is your IRK candidate ID number and the login is your e-mail address.
• Fill in your education in the Education tab (Wykształcenie): the exams you passed and their results. IRK then calculates the most favourable configuration for each programme.
• Sign up for the chosen programme or programmes according to the recruitment schedule of each programme.
• Pay the recruitment fee for each programme to the individual bank account IRK generates for you, in PLN or a foreign currency.
• Follow your results on your IRK account and, if you qualify, submit the required documents in the period set for your programme.

Dates of the 2026/2027 rounds

The University of Warsaw schedule for full-time first-cycle and long-cycle studies in 2026/2027 is the latest one published. All the dates below have passed; they show the rhythm a 2027 applicant can expect, not the 2027/2028 dates.

An additional August-September round followed in 2026/2027, with IRK registration from 19 August 2026 to 10 September 2026. The schedule notes that recruitment for English-taught programmes may also run on other dates.

The Undergraduate Programme in International Relations shows what that means. In the 2026/2027 IRK offer it ran three rounds: 03.02.2026 to 23.02.2026, 10.04.2026 to 11.05.2026, and 09.06.2026 to 09.07.2026. The 2027/2028 rounds for the English-taught programmes are not yet published.

Recruitment fee

The University of Warsaw recruitment fee is 85 zł for one programme, level and form of study, and 100 zł if a written exam, oral exam or interview applies to you. Pay it well in advance, and no later than the end of the day after the last registration day for that programme. The fee is refunded on request in the cases the University of Warsaw lists, for example when a programme is not launched because too few candidates applied.

Documents after you qualify

Candidates who qualify submit, among other documents, the original or a certified copy of the school-leaving certificate, or of the certificate together with the statement of matura results. Foreigners add, where it applies, a document confirming the right to study free of charge. Foreign certificates also need legalisation or an apostille and a sworn translation, covered in the chapter on legalisation and recognition.

Is the 2027/2028 schedule published?

The University of Warsaw has published Senate resolution no. 278 of 20 May 2026 on the conditions, procedure and dates of admission for 2027/2028, but the IRK registration dates for 2027/2028 are not yet published. The schedule, the IRK offer and the document lists on the recruitment site are those of 2026/2027, the latest published.

Under the University of Warsaw rules for 2026/2027, the latest published on this point, a candidate for a Polish-taught programme with a foreign matura, an IB or EB diploma or a degree obtained abroad must certify Polish at least at level B2. The 2026/2027 list of accepted documents names a state certificate, an ECL or telc certificate, a preparatory course of at least 9 months, a Polish matura, or an IB or EB diploma with a Polish exam.

The rule sits in the University of Warsaw admission resolution as amended for 2026/2027. It covers candidates holding a foreign matura, an IB diploma, an EB diploma or a degree obtained abroad, and applies unless annex 1 sets special language requirements for the programme. The University of Warsaw language page addresses Polish citizens with foreign certificates and citizens of EU and EFTA countries or the United Kingdom with EU, EFTA or OECD certificates.

The Karta Polaka does not count. The University of Warsaw explains that the Karta Polaka confirms the right to free full-time study in Polish, but is not a document proving the level of Polish needed to study for people with a foreign certificate.

When the committee checks Polish itself

For the candidates the language page addresses, the admission committee may verify Polish by an exam or interview, where the rules of the programme provide for it, or in especially justified cases accept another document proving Polish. In the 2026/2027 main round the University of Warsaw held these exams and interviews for candidates from abroad on 16-17, 20 July 2026; the 2027/2028 dates are not yet published.

Candidates under the 2025 visa-law rules

The 2026/2027 list above does not apply to foreigners covered by the additional requirements of the act of 4 April 2025, that is candidates with a school certificate from outside the EU, EFTA and OECD (IB and EB excluded). They must present a Polish document from the list in the regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education, at least at B2.

Under annex 4 of the 2027/2028 rules, those candidates upload a scan of that B2 document in IRK within the registration period, and without it they receive 0 (zero) points for the whole procedure. A Polish-taught programme is therefore out of reach on this route without a document from the ministerial list.

Under the 2027/2028 rules the University of Warsaw teaches nine first-cycle programmes in English, each a full-time programme of 3 years, and Psychology can be studied in Polish or in English as a 5-year long-cycle programme. To enter an English-taught programme you prove English at least at B2; the latest published list of accepted documents, for 2026/2027, asks for at least 5,5 in IELTS, 72 in TOEFL iBT or 59 in PTE Academic.

Annex 1 of the University of Warsaw Senate resolution for 2027/2028 marks each programme below as studies in English (Studia w języku angielskim). All nine first-cycle programmes are full-time and general academic; Psychology is a long-cycle master's programme that annex 1 allows in either language.

Every other first-cycle programme in annex 1 is taught in Polish and needs Polish at level B2, as the Polish-language chapter explains. The University of Warsaw also publishes wider counts of programmes in English that include second-cycle studies; the chapter on what to study sets them out.

English certificates and minimum scores

The University of Warsaw list of documents that confirm English at least at B2 is the one for the academic year 2026/2027, the latest published. It addresses Polish citizens and citizens of EU or EFTA countries or the United Kingdom who hold certificates issued in EU, EFTA or OECD countries, and each of them presents one document from the list.

The University of Warsaw names TOEFL only in its internet-based version, and TOEIC only with all three parts at the minimum. The 2026/2027 list also accepts these documents: a certificate of a preparatory course for study under the Act on Foreigners, lasting at least 9 months, attesting English in four skills at level B2, C1 or C2; a degree in English philology or applied linguistics with a supplement showing at least 500 hours of English; a degree taught in English with English as the language of instruction; and a certificate of qualification as a sworn translator of English.

School qualifications that count instead of a test

The same 2026/2027 University of Warsaw list accepts school documents as proof of English, so many applicants need no separate test:

• An IB diploma where English was the main language, that is the language of teaching and examination.
• An EB diploma where English was taken as the first language (L1) or the second language (L2) and was the language of teaching and examination.
• A Polish new matura with an extended-level English result of at least 60%, unless annex 1 sets a higher threshold for the programme.
• A secondary-school certificate that states English as the language of instruction, or, if the certificate does not say so, an extra document stating the language of instruction. A certificate from a country where English is an official language does not need that extra document, although the committee may ask for it in case of doubt.
• A University of Warsaw Foundation Year certificate at least at level B2.

The International Relations page in the 2026/2027 IRK offer shows the matura rule at work: candidates whose extended-level matura English result was below 60% must upload a document confirming English to their IRK account, in the Education tab.

International Relations: B2 or zero points (2027/2028)

For the Undergraduate Programme in International Relations, annex 1 for 2027/2028 adds its own rule: candidates without a Polish matura must present a document confirming English at least at B2. Without that proof the candidate receives 0 (zero) points for the whole qualification procedure and is disqualified. This rule is written for International Relations; each other programme has its own entry in annex 1.

Annex 1 for 2027/2028 carries a similar rule in the other English-taught programmes that list it:

• American Studies: with a Polish new matura, an extended-level English result of at least 60% counts as proof; with the old matura the same 60% at the extended level applies; candidates without a Polish matura present a document honoured by the University of Warsaw confirming English at least at B2.
• Business and Management: applicants for programmes taught in English must also confirm English; only candidates who confirmed English at least at B2 stay in the qualification, and without that confirmation they receive 0 points and are disqualified.
• European Politics and Economics: candidates without a Polish matura present a B2 document; only candidates who confirmed English at least at B2 stay in the qualification, and without it they receive 0 points and are disqualified.
• Finance, International Investment and Accounting: candidates without a Polish matura present an honoured document confirming English at least at B2, and without it they receive 0 points and are disqualified.
• International Studies in Philosophy: only candidates who confirmed English at least at B2 are considered, and without that confirmation they receive 0 points and are disqualified.
• Social and Public Policy: candidates without a Polish matura present a B2 document, and without it they receive 0 points and are disqualified.
• Political Science: candidates without a Polish matura present a B2 document, and without it they receive 0 points and are disqualified.

Candidates under the 2025 visa-law rules

The 2026/2027 list does not apply to foreigners covered by the additional admission requirements of the act of 4 April 2025, that is candidates with a school certificate from outside the EU, EFTA and OECD (IB and EB excluded). Those candidates present an English document from the list in the regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education.

Under annex 4 of the University of Warsaw rules for 2027/2028, a candidate on that route who has no B2 confirmation in the language of instruction receives 0 (zero) points for the whole procedure. The chapter on the visa-law rules explains who is covered and how the two-stage selection works.

A school-leaving certificate from abroad must be legalised, translated and recognised in Poland as equivalent before the University of Warsaw admits you on it; an apostille replaces legalisation if the issuing country is party to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961. Certificates from EU, EFTA-EEA and OECD countries, IB and EB diplomas and certificates covered by international agreements are recognised by law; for other certificates the NAWA director has issued the written information since 1 July 2025.

The University of Warsaw states that a candidate from abroad needs a secondary-school certificate (matura) for first-cycle or long-cycle studies, and that the certificate must entitle the holder to start studies at that level in the country that issued it. Three steps then make it usable in Poland: legalisation or an apostille, a sworn translation and recognition.

Legalisation or apostille

Legalisation confirms that a document complies formally with the law of the place where it was issued, or that the signatures and seals on it are authentic. The University of Warsaw lists who can legalise a school certificate: the Polish consul responsible for the country in which, or in whose education system, the certificate was issued, or that country's diplomatic or consular post accredited in Poland or in another EU, EFTA-EEA or OECD state.

If the issuing country is party to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 abolishing the requirement of legalisation, an apostille attached to the document replaces legalisation. The University of Warsaw names one exception: certificates and university diplomas from Austria need no apostille, under a separate agreement on legal assistance.

Recognition by law or through NAWA

For first-cycle and long-cycle studies the University of Warsaw distinguishes two routes of recognition. A certificate is recognised by law, without confirmation by any other institution or authority in Poland, or it needs an administrative procedure of the education superintendent or the individual written information of the NAWA director.

A holder of a certificate recognised by law has the same entitlement to apply for higher education in Poland as in the country whose education system issued it. Since 1 July 2025 the education superintendents (kuratoria oświaty) no longer handle recognition of entitlement to study based on foreign certificates; under the act of 4 April 2025 the NAWA director issues the written information on the applicant's request.

Candidates who already hold a superintendent decision recognising their foreign certificate do not need the NAWA information as well, the University of Warsaw adds. For holders of certificates from outside the EU, EFTA and OECD, the NAWA information is also one of the extra conditions of the 2025 visa-law route described in its own chapter.

Sworn translation

The University of Warsaw requires a sworn translation of the foreign school certificate into Polish, or into English for English-taught studies. The translator must be on the list of sworn translators kept by the Polish Minister of Justice, or be registered as a sworn translator in an EU member state or an EFTA state party to the EEA agreement, among the options the University of Warsaw lists.

The sworn translation covers the school-leaving certificate, the list of grades and the legalisation or apostille, in the language in which the chosen programme is taught.

Documents a qualified candidate submits

A candidate who qualifies submits the documents on paper within the period the University of Warsaw sets for the programme. For a foreign certificate the list includes:

• The original or a certified copy of the certificate obtained abroad, or of the IB or EB diploma, so that the University of Warsaw can make a copy and certify it.
• The legalisation or apostille of the school-leaving certificate and of the list of grades.
• A sworn translation, into the language of the programme, of the certificate, the list of grades and the legalisation or apostille.

The University of Warsaw page of required documents does not name the academic year it applies to. The IRK registration chapter gives the document dates of 2026/2027, the latest published.

The University of Warsaw has 25 faculties and, on its Polish studies page, 277 programmes across first-cycle, second-cycle and long-cycle studies, most of them taught in Polish. For an applicant from abroad without Polish the choice is narrower: the nine English-taught first-cycle programmes of the 2027/2028 rules, plus Psychology, which annex 1 allows in Polish or in English.

The University of Warsaw publishes two different counts of its programmes in English, on two different pages. Neither is a count of first-cycle programmes: the Polish studies page counts first-cycle and second-cycle programmes together, and the English facts page does not say which levels its figure includes.

Read the two English counts side by side rather than picking one. The Polish University of Warsaw page states 54 programmes in English at first and second cycle, in full-time and part-time form; the English facts page states 42 English-language programmes. Neither page names the year its figure describes.

English-taught first-cycle programmes

Annex 1 of the University of Warsaw rules for 2027/2028 lists nine first-cycle programmes taught in English: American Studies, Archaeology (Studies in English), Business and Management, European Politics and Economics, Finance, International Investment and Accounting, International Studies in Philosophy, Social and Public Policy, International Relations and Political Science. All nine are full-time; the English requirement chapter lists them with their length and the certificates they accept.

University of Warsaw Library

The English-taught list sits in the social sciences, economics and the humanities. Law and computer science, for example, are not on it, so at the University of Warsaw they mean a Polish-taught programme and the Polish B2 requirement.

Example: the Undergraduate Programme in International Relations

The University of Warsaw describes its International Relations programme, run by the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies, as a unique 3-year first-cycle degree (BA), full-time, with a strong methodological and theoretical component. Students study international relations together with law, economics, history and culture, taught by academics from Poland and from other European and non-European universities.

The International Relations page in the 2026/2027 IRK offer, the latest published, adds that students may apply for a semester abroad under the Erasmus+ programme and bilateral agreements with universities around the world, naming Mexico, the USA, Brazil and India among the examples.

The Foundation Year

The University of Warsaw admission rules mention a University of Warsaw Foundation Year in two places. Annex 4 of the 2027/2028 resolution says that Foundation Year graduates may be admitted on the terms set in § 35 of the resolution, and the 2026/2027 English requirements list accepts a Foundation Year certificate at least at level B2 as proof of English.

The admission rules do not set out the Foundation Year itself: its length, its fee or its entry conditions. Ask the University of Warsaw admissions office about those terms before you plan a year around it.

The University of Warsaw charges foreigners tuition set for each programme, and for students starting in 2026/2027, the latest published year, the amounts are fixed in a separate act in Monitor UW rather than on the admissions pages. Full-time Polish-taught study is free for EU, Swiss and EFTA-EEA citizens, valid Karta Polaka holders and the other groups the university lists, while in the 2026/2027 IRK offer International Relations is a tuition-based programme, European Politics and Economics states that studies are paid, and American Studies and International Studies in Philosophy state that studies are paid for students from outside the EU, the EFTA-EEA states and Switzerland. On top of that, every applicant pays the recruitment fee published for 2026/2027: 85 zł per programme, or 100 zł where an exam or interview applies.

The University of Warsaw states that foreigners who take up studies there pay tuition, and that the amount is set for each programme. Its fees page for 2026/2027 links two acts in Monitor UW: the fees for foreign students starting in 2026/2027 and the fees for students starting in 2026/2027. The admissions pages of the University of Warsaw do not state the amounts themselves, and the fees page lists no act for students starting in 2027/2028.

Which English-taught programmes charge tuition

Programme pages in the 2026/2027 IRK offer, the latest published, state the tuition status. International Relations is a tuition-based programme, and European Politics and Economics states that studies are paid. American Studies and International Studies in Philosophy state that studies are paid for students from outside the EU, the EFTA states party to the EEA agreement and Switzerland.

Read the free-study rules below with this table in mind: they cover full-time studies in Polish. For the other English-taught programmes (Political Science, Business and Management, Finance, International Investment and Accounting, Archaeology, Social and Public Policy, and Psychology taught in English), check the fee line on the IRK programme page of the year you apply for, and check every programme again once the University of Warsaw publishes its 2027/2028 offer.

Who studies free of tuition

The University of Warsaw does not charge tuition for full-time studies in Polish to the following groups, as listed on its page on studying in Poland:

• Citizens of an EU member state, of Switzerland or of an EFTA state party to the EEA agreement, and members of their families, living in Poland.
• Citizens of the United Kingdom covered by the EU-UK withdrawal agreement, and members of their families, living in Poland.
• Holders of a permanent residence permit or EU long-term resident status, and holders of the temporary residence permits named in the Polish Act on Foreigners.
• Foreigners with refugee status granted in Poland, temporary protection in Poland or subsidiary protection in Poland. Ukrainian citizens covered by the act of 12 March 2022 whose stay counts as legal until 4 March 2027 count as beneficiaries of temporary protection.
• Holders of a certificate of Polish as a foreign language at level C1 or higher issued by the State Commission for the Certification of Proficiency in Polish as a Foreign Language.
• Holders of a valid Karta Polaka and people with a decision confirming Polish origin.
• The spouse, ascendant or descendant of a Polish citizen, living in Poland.
• Foreigners with a residence permit or national visa for scientific research, in the cases the list names.

A scholarship can also remove the fee: the University of Warsaw states that a foreigner may be exempted from fees by a decision of the minister or of the NAWA director granting a scholarship. The scholarships chapter covers that route.

Karta Polaka gives free access to full-time Polish-taught study, but it is not proof of Polish: the B2 requirement in the Polish language chapter still applies. A foreigner who qualifies hands in a document confirming the right to study free of charge, where it applies.

Paying tuition: instalments and the fee rules

The University of Warsaw answers in its questions for foreign candidates that tuition can be paid in instalments, under the rector's order on fees for educational services. The general rules for charging fees and for exemptions are in rector's order no. 130 of 30 September 2019, whose consolidated text was announced on 18 August 2021.

Recruitment fee and student ID

The University of Warsaw charges the recruitment fee for each programme, level and form of study you register for: the amount you pay must match the number of programmes you chose. The recruitment fee is 100 zł where a written exam, an oral exam or an interview applies, and 85 zł where the exam or interview only checks Polish or English, as the university's fees page states.

You pay the recruitment fee in złoty or in a foreign currency into an individual bank account that IRK generates for you; the registration chapter covers the deadline and refunds. In a particularly justified case you can ask the rector to waive the fee, at least seven days before registration for that programme closes.

The electronic student ID costs 22 zł. You pay it only after you qualify and hand in the proof of payment with your other documents.

The University of Warsaw points applicants from abroad to two scholarship schemes run outside the university: the scholarship programmes of NAWA, the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange, for foreign students, and the Visegrad Scholarship of the International Visegrad Fund. A NAWA scholarship can also remove the tuition fee: a foreigner may be exempted from fees by a decision of the minister or of the NAWA director granting a scholarship. The admissions pages do not set out the social scholarship or the rector's scholarship for foreigners.

The scholarships page of the University of Warsaw admissions office names the two schemes, gives their contact details and links to the NAWA site. The University of Warsaw does not state on that page the amounts, the deadlines or the eligibility rules of either scheme: those are set by NAWA and by the International Visegrad Fund in Bratislava.

NAWA scholarships and the tuition fee

The University of Warsaw states on its page on studying in Poland that a foreigner may be exempted from fees on the basis of a decision of the minister or of the NAWA director granting a scholarship. For an applicant to a fee-paying programme, such as the English-taught first-cycle programmes in the fee chapter, this is the scholarship route to a degree without tuition that the admissions pages name.

A NAWA scholarship does not replace admission. The University of Warsaw answers in its questions for foreign candidates that NAWA scholarship holders must go through the recruitment procedure under the rules and dates set for all candidates in the Senate resolution on admission for the year concerned. For entry in autumn 2027 that resolution is no. 278 of 20 May 2026, for the academic year 2027/2028.

The Polish requirement also stays in place for NAWA scholarship holders. The University of Warsaw says that NAWA scholarship holders applying to a Polish-taught programme must present a document confirming Polish at least at level B2. A scholarship holder who completed a one-year preparatory course at a designated unit at least at level B2 can use the certificate of that course as one of the accepted documents; the Polish language chapter lists the others.

Social and rector's scholarships

The University of Warsaw admissions pages do not say whether a foreign student can receive the social scholarship (stypendium socjalne) or the rector's scholarship (stypendium rektora), and they give neither the amounts nor the conditions of either. The University of Warsaw recruitment page for 2026/2027, the latest published, sends candidates with questions on dormitories, material aid and other social matters to the Biuro ds. Pomocy Materialnej, the university office for student material aid. Ask that office about your own case before you count on university aid in your budget.

Scholarships for a semester abroad

Some University of Warsaw programme pages in the 2026/2027 IRK offer, the latest published, describe outgoing scholarships for students who are already enrolled. The American Studies page says that under Erasmus+ you can spend 1 or 2 semesters at one of the partner universities abroad, and that a bilateral agreement with the University of Florida in Gainesville also lets you apply for a scholarship to go to the United States.

The University of Warsaw Psychology page says that part of the programme can be completed at another university through Erasmus+, the MOST programme or bilateral agreements, and that Psychology students can draw on a wide range of outgoing scholarships. These schemes pay for time abroad during the degree; they do not cover the University of Warsaw tuition fee itself.

For information on dormitories the University of Warsaw admissions page on life in Warsaw says to contact the Biuro ds. Pomocy Materialnej, the university office for student material aid. The University of Warsaw does not publish the number of dormitories or the price of a place on its admissions pages, so ask the office for both before you budget.

A dormitory place is a question for the Biuro ds. Pomocy Materialnej, not for the admissions committee: the page says to contact that office for information on dormitories. Ask it who may apply, how to apply, what a place costs and by which date you must apply for the year you arrive.

The student life chapter covers the campuses, health insurance and public transport in Warsaw.

Auditorium Maximum, University of Warsaw

The University of Warsaw runs a Welcome Point, an information point for foreign students coming to the university, and its admissions pages set out the basics of living in Warsaw: every student must hold valid medical insurance during the stay in Poland, and students up to the age of 26 at a Polish university get a 50% discount on public transport tickets.

The Welcome Point website, www.welcome.uw.edu.pl, is where the University of Warsaw gathers the most important information on studying at the university and on staying in Warsaw. The University of Warsaw page on life in Warsaw also links the municipal student guide "Studiuj Warszawę".

Three campuses across Warsaw

The University of Warsaw has 3 university campuses in different parts of Warsaw, around which university life is concentrated. The Main Campus lies on the Royal Route in the city centre and houses the university authorities and most of the humanities and social science faculties. The Ochota Campus is the seat of the units working in the exact and natural sciences, and the Służewiec Campus is home to the Faculty of Management, among others.

Health insurance

Every University of Warsaw student needs medical insurance, and what counts depends on where you come from. The University of Warsaw page on life in Warsaw sets it out by group:

The University of Warsaw refers students to the website of the Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia, the Polish National Health Fund, for more on what public cover includes. The visa and residence chapter covers the documents for your stay in Poland.

Getting around Warsaw

The University of Warsaw describes Warsaw as a city with a well-developed public transport network, where trams, buses and the metro reach every part of the city quickly and easily. The student discount is not limited to the University of Warsaw: students up to the age of 26 studying at a Polish university are entitled to a 50% discount on public transport tickets.

International students at the University of Warsaw

The University of Warsaw Polish facts page says that 4 thousand foreigners study at the University of Warsaw on degree programmes or as academic exchange scholarship holders, and that foreigners made up 7,2% of all students; the page does not name the year of these figures. Foreign students on first-cycle, second-cycle and long-cycle studies most often chose Finance, International Investment and Accounting, the Undergraduate Programme in International Relations, management, Data Science and Business Analytics, and psychology, among others.

The University of Warsaw lets a foreigner take up studies only with a visa, a residence card or another document entitling them to stay in Poland, together with health cover, but it does not arrange the visa: the University of Warsaw does not mediate in the visa procedure, and for the visa you contact the Polish diplomatic post in your country.

The visa is a separate matter from the extra admission conditions for school certificates from outside the EU, EFTA and OECD. Those conditions come from a 2025 act on the visa system, but they concern your certificate, your language document and an entrance exam, and they have their own chapter. The steps below concern your right to stay in Poland.

The admission decision comes before the visa

The University of Warsaw admits a foreigner by a formal decision: foreigners also receive an administrative decision of the Rector on admission to studies. Asked about a preliminary acceptance letter for a visa, the University of Warsaw answers that a decision on admission can be issued only after you pass the qualification and deliver all the required documents. Decisions are delivered through IRK with an official confirmation of receipt (UPO), and a candidate cannot opt out of electronic delivery.

What you show when you hand in documents

The University of Warsaw asks for a visa at the document stage in one case only. It states that at the stage of handing in documents a visa must be shown only by candidates who are staying in Poland on that visa, and that other candidates may present the visa at the faculty after they arrive in Poland to study. The University of Warsaw list of required documents asks for confirmation of legal stay from foreigners who are in Poland.

Health insurance on arrival

Health cover is one of the conditions for a foreigner to take up studies at the University of Warsaw: you need an insurance policy against illness or accidents for the period of study in Poland, or a European Health Insurance Card, or to join the Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia insurance immediately after starting your studies. Every student must hold valid medical insurance during the stay in Poland; the student life chapter sets out what the University of Warsaw says for students from inside and outside the EU and EFTA.

Candidates who are minors

A candidate who is still a minor hands in extra documents at the University of Warsaw. If they qualify, minor candidates submit, with the other required documents, the consent of their legal representative or representatives to their taking up studies, together with an information clause on the processing of personal data. Each legal representative signs the clause separately, and the minor candidate's birth certificate is shown for inspection. The University of Warsaw provides templates of the consent and the clause on its page for minor candidates.

The University of Warsaw fits two kinds of applicant for autumn 2027: one with Polish at least at level B2 who wants the wide Polish-taught offer, and one with English at least at B2 choosing among the nine English-taught first-cycle programmes of the 2027/2028 rules, each with a qualification threshold of 50 points. The general B2 rules are those of 2026/2027, the latest published on this point; the 2027/2028 registration dates are not yet published.

On both routes the University of Warsaw ranks candidates on their recruitment results within each programme's place limit. It names no matura result that guarantees admission, and each programme has one shared place limit for Poles and foreigners.

Which route fits you

Where your school certificate was issued decides which University of Warsaw rules apply. A foreigner with a certificate from outside the EU, EFTA and OECD, IB and EB diplomas and the other listed exceptions aside, falls under the act of 4 April 2025 on the Polish visa system, which adds the NAWA written information, a B2 document in the language of the programme from the ministerial list and a passed entrance exam. These extra requirements do not apply to Polish citizens.

Next steps for autumn 2027 entry

University of Warsaw programmes taught in English may keep their own calendar: the 2026/2027 schedule notes that recruitment for studies in English may also run on other dates, and International Relations opened its first round of that cycle on 03.02.2026. Check your programme's IRK page early.

The main risks

• The visa-law route. Annex 4 for 2027/2028 has two stages: school results worth 100 points, then an entrance exam worth 100 points. You need at least 50 points in the first stage to sit the exam, and no B2 document means 0 (zero) points for the whole procedure.
• Polish at B2. The Karta Polaka gives free full-time study in Polish but is not proof of Polish.
• Round dates. The 2026/2027 main and August rounds have passed; they show the rhythm of a cycle, not the 2027 calendar.
• Competition. Passing the threshold does not guarantee a place. In 2026/2027 the last admitted candidate on Business and Management had 77,72 points: that year's result, not a 2027 minimum.
• Tuition. The University of Warsaw sets tuition for foreigners for each programme in a separate fee act and gives no amounts on its admissions pages.

Official pages of University of Warsaw, UCAS, gov.uk and the ranking publishers. Applicant reports, where shown, are self-reported and labelled.

Facts and figures | University of Warsaw · Fakty i liczby | Uniwersytet Warszawski · Załącznik nr 1 · Liczba kandydatów w przeliczeniu na jedno miejsce w rekrutacji na studia stacjonarne I stopnia i · Harmonogram rekrutacji – Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Zasady studiowania w Polsce - Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Opłata rekrutacyjna – Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Załącznik nr 2 · Akty prawne 2027/2028 – Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Międzynarodowe rankingi szkół wyższych | Uniwersytet Warszawski · Historia UW | Uniwersytet Warszawski · Progi punktowe przyjęć na studia stacjonarne I stopnia i jednolite studia magisterskie w rekrutacji na rok · Undergraduate Programme in International Relations, stacjonarne, pierwszego stopnia - IRK · Pytania i odpowiedzi – kandydaci zagraniczni – Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Kandydaci z maturą dwujęzyczną – Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Laureaci i finaliści olimpiad oraz laureaci konkursów 2026/2027 – Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Ważne informacje dla kandydatów z dyplomem matury IB lub EB – Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Zasady przeliczania wyników na zagranicznych świadectwach – Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Dodatkowe wymogi dla kandydatów z zagranicznymi dokumentami – Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Załącznik nr 4 · Pytania i odpowiedzi – Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Wymagania dotyczące znajomości języka polskiego w roku akademickim 2026/2027 – Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Wymagania dotyczące znajomości języka angielskiego (na studia w języku angielskim) – Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Uznanie równoważności zagranicznego wykształcenia – Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Legalizacja zagranicznych dokumentów o wykształceniu – Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Tłumaczenie zagranicznego dokumentu o wykształceniu – Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Wymagane dokumenty – Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Studia pierwszego i drugiego stopnia | Uniwersytet Warszawski · European Politics and Economics, stacjonarne, pierwszego stopnia - IRK · American Studies, stacjonarne, pierwszego stopnia - IRK · International Studies in Philosophy, stacjonarne, pierwszego stopnia - IRK · Opłaty – Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Opłaty za studia – Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Stypendia – Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Rekrutacja na rok akademicki 2026/2027 - Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Psychologia (Psychology), stacjonarne, jednolite magisterskie - IRK · Życie w Warszawie – Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Welcome Point na UW – Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Kandydaci niepełnoletni – Biuro ds. Rekrutacji UW · Poz. 173

Photos: Main gate of the University of Warsaw: photo Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons · Kazimierz Palace, University of Warsaw: photo Bartosz MORĄG, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons · University of Warsaw Library: photo Adrian Grycuk, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, Wikimedia Commons · Auditorium Maximum, University of Warsaw: photo Adrian Grycuk, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, Wikimedia Commons