Information on changes to the rules for awarding certificates of proficiency in Polish as a foreign language without having to take an examination.
On 8 May 2025, the President of the Republic of Poland signed the Act of 4 April 2025 amending certain acts to eliminate irregularities in the visa system of the Republic of Poland (Journal of Laws, item 622).
The Act will enter into force on 1 July 2025, and introduces, among other things, amendments to the Act of 7 October 1999 on the Polish Language (consolidated text: Journal of Laws of 2024, item 1556), concerning the rules for awarding certificates of Polish language proficiency as a foreign language without the need to take an exam.
The amendments consist in specifying that a foreigner or a Polish citizen permanently residing abroad may obtain, upon application, a certificate of proficiency in Polish, without having to pass an examination in Polish as a foreign language, if he/she has graduated from a course of study conducted in Polish in a higher education institution operating in the higher education and science system of the Republic of Poland or from a post-secondary school, a post-primary school referred to in Article 18(1)(2)(a), (b) or (e) of the Act of 14 December 2016. - Education Law or an art school providing general education in the scope of a general secondary school, operating in the educational system of the Republic of Poland, and holds a secondary school certificate. In addition, such a person will be issued with a certificate attesting to his or her knowledge of Polish as a foreign language at a language proficiency level - respectively, in the case of completion of first-cycle studies - B2, second-cycle studies in Polish philology - C1, second-cycle studies in another field - B2, uniform master's studies - B2. (Source: https://www.prezydent.pl/)
Applications submitted from 1 July 2025 will be processed in accordance with the rules cited above.