Poland Introduces Stricter Migration Rules for Foreign Students & Workers

Poland has introduced stricter migration rules for foreign students and workers who want to enter the country for study and employment purposes, respectively.

Under the new rules that entered into force on June 1, 2025, these two groups of foreign nationals will now have to meet a number of criteria to be eligible for Poland’s residence or work permit, Schengen.News reports.

As explained by the authorities, international students applying for a Polish national visa will be required to submit a document that proves that they have knowledge at the B2 level of the language in which their programme of study will be delivered.

Through this measure, Poland aims to ensure that international students are entering the country for academic purposes only and not use this path for other reasons, such as for work purposes or irregular stay within the bloc.

To have better control over those entering the country for study purposes and detect those who do not meet the rules, the Polish authorities said that they have also increased cooperation with university leaders.

In line with the new rules, university leaders in Poland must notify the relevant authorities when a student who has been granted a visa and residence permit is not attending studies.

Stricter Criteria for Foreign Workers Too

When it comes to foreign workers, even though they are necessary for the country’s economy, it has been noted that stricter regulations will apply to them, too.

The head of the counties in Poland will now be responsible for creating a list of professions for which work permits will not be granted to foreigners.

Through this measure, the Polish authorities want to give the chance to the nationals of the country to fill in these positions, thus securing easier access to employment for Polish citizens.

In addition, the measure also aims to ensure controlled, safe, and legal migration to Poland.

Poland was the top country granting the highest number of residence permits to foreign nationals in 2023. Data from the EU official site for statistics, Eurostat, shows that Poland issued a total of 642,789 residence permits in 2023, which represents 17.2 per cent of total permits issued in the EU.

The majority of permits Poland issued in 2023 to foreign nationals were for employment purposes. During that year, Poland granted 427,162 residence permits for employment purposes.

As for students, data show that Poland issued 30,926 residence permits for education purposes in 2023.