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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Tougher new rules regulating the entry of foreign students to Poland and giving local authorities the ability to block work permits for immigrants in certain professions have gone into force in Poland.
The measures are part of a clampdown on migration by Donald Tusk’s government, which claims that the previous Law and Justice (PiS) administration was too lax on the issue.
“This is another step towards regaining control over migration and increasing the safety of Poles,” wrote the government on Saturday, announcing that the new rules would go into force on 1 June.
📰 KOMUNIKAT | W niedzielę, 1 czerwca wchodzą w życie nowe przepisy, które uszczelniają dostęp cudzoziemców do polskiego rynku pracy, uczelni oraz systemu wizowego. To kolejny krok w stronę odzyskania kontroli nad migracją i zwiększenia bezpieczeństwa Polek i Polaków.
— Centrum Informacyjne Rządu (@KPRM_CIR) May 31, 2025
The number of foreign students in Poland has risen rapidly in recent years, passing 100,000 in 2023, when they made up 9% of all students.
However, Tusk’s government argues that PiS, which was in office until December 2023, left the system open to abuse, with some migrants using student status as a backdoor to work in Poland or migrate to other EU countries.
An audit last year by the Supreme Audit Office (NIK) on irregularities in the visa system found that it was impossible to verify whether 17,000 student visas were issued correctly because the necessary information was not entered into the system and relevant documents are only stored by the foreign ministry for a year.
After the current government clamped down on visa abuses last year, the number of student visas issued by Poland fell significantly. Now, further measures have been put in place to help ensure that students are genuinely coming to study in Poland.
Far fewer visas for foreign students have been issued by Poland this year after a clampdown by the new government following reports of abuses under the previous administration.
The largest numbers of rejected applicants are from Iraq, Nigeria and Turkey https://t.co/OLTZHSHm8t
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) September 27, 2024
“We are open to everyone from all over the world who wants to study at Polish universities, but we are introducing requirements that will prevent this from being exploited by organisers of illegal immigration,” said Tusk, announcing the new rules.
Prospective students will have to prove that their proficiency in the language of instruction is at least at B2 level. According to data from 2023, around 60% of foreign students study in Polish, 37% in English and 3% in another foreign language.
Under the new rules, universities are legally required to verify a candidate’s qualifications while the National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA), a state agency, must confirm they they have passed high-school graduation exams.
Meanwhile, the number of foreign students who can be enrolled at a Polish university is now capped at 50% of all students. Universities will also be required to inform the relevant consulate if a student does not commence their studies.
The new migration rules in force since yesterday also pertain to economic migrants. In particular, they give local authorities greater say over what kind of workers can come.
The head of a district authority, known as starosta in Polish, will be able to specify a list of professions and types of work in their area for which permits cannot be issued to foreigners.
Meanwhile, penalties for illegally employing foreigners have been increased from between 1,000 and 30,000 zloty (€235 to €7,050) up to between 3,000 and 50,000 zloty.
The number of foreigners in Poland’s social insurance system rose 6% in 2023 to reach 1.13 million. Immigrants now make up almost 7% of all those in the system
The largest increases were recorded by Belarusians, Ukrainians, Indians, Colombians and Nepalis https://t.co/eA1QVo0ydH
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) January 27, 2024
At the same time, Poland has implemented the EU Blue Card Directive, which introduces new rules for highly qualified third-country nationals, including expanded mobility and residence rights.
Poland has experienced levels of immigration in recent years that are unprecedented in the country’s history and among the highest in the European Union. The country’s largest foreign national groups are Ukrainians (67.3%), followed by Belarusians (11.5%) and Georgians (2.3%).
During the period in which the PiS government was in power, Poland issued more first residence permits to immigrants from outside the EU than any other member state for seven years running.
Poland’s government has approved a tough new migration strategy that will include temporarily suspending the acceptance of asylum claims if "immigrants threaten to destabilise the state"
Four left-wing ministers voiced dissenting opinions against the plan https://t.co/xiCy3Qa052
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) October 15, 2024
Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Agata Pyka is an Assistant Editor at Notes from Poland. She specialises in Central and Eastern European affairs, cybersecurity, and investigative reporting. She holds a master’s degree in political communication from the University of Amsterdam, and her work has appeared in Euractiv, the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), and The European Correspondent, among others.
