Poland has introduced new visa regulations for foreign students, requiring them to provide high school diplomas as a condition for obtaining student visas. This decision, announced by Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, is a response to a “student visa scandal” that emerged in May 2024. The scandal revealed that some Polish universities had been admitting large numbers of students from countries such as Rwanda, Türkiye, and Zimbabwe without proper verification of their eligibility.
These students often used their visas to work within the Schengen zone rather than attending their courses. To address this issue, Sikorski emphasized that presenting a high school diploma is a standard requirement under existing regulations, which should have been routinely applied.
As of August 11, students from countries including Algeria, India, Iraq, Ethiopia, and South Sudan must now present their high school diplomas when applying for a Polish student visa. The Polish Embassy has warned that visa applications not meeting this requirement will be refused.
In addition to this measure, Poland is considering further tightening visa regulations, which may include restricting foreign students' access to the labor market, raising the minimum funds required for visa applications, and requiring funds to be held in a blocked account.