The Poland government scholarship for international students is a set of programmes run by NAWA, the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange. For a funded master’s degree, the two main ones are the Banach NAWA Programme (PLN 2,500 a month, for 36 developing countries) and Poland My First Choice (PLN 2,000 a month, for 41 mostly high-income countries). Both waive tuition at public universities. Students of Polish origin have the Gen. Anders Programme, and postdoctoral researchers have Ulam NAWA.
All of the 2026 student calls have closed. The Banach call closed on 8 May 2026 and Poland My First Choice on 29 May 2026, and results are out. The deadlines are 8 May 2027 for Banach and 29 May 2027 for Poland My First Choice, and for Banach you will usually need proof of admission to a Polish university when you apply.
Poland government scholarship programmes compared
| Programme | Who it is for | Level | Monthly payment | 2026 deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banach NAWA | Citizens of 36 listed developing countries | Full-time master’s (optional 1-year Polish preparatory course) | PLN 2,500 | 8 May 2026, 15:00 Warsaw time (closed); deadline 8 May 2027 (based on this year’s date; confirm on the official page when the call opens) |
| Poland My First Choice NAWA | Citizens of 41 listed countries, plus residents of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan | Full-time master’s | PLN 2,000 | 29 May 2026, 15:00 Warsaw time (closed); deadline 29 May 2027 |
| Gen. Anders | People of Polish origin or Pole’s Card holders | Bachelor’s, master’s, long-cycle master’s (taught in Polish) | Set in each call | 21 May 2026 (master’s), 9 July 2026 (bachelor’s and long-cycle) (closed); deadlines 21 May and 9 July 2027 |
| Zawacka NAWA | Students and staff from partner countries under bilateral agreements | Full or partial study, doctoral school, research stays | Set by the agreement | 30 May 2026 (closed); deadline 30 May 2027 |
| Ulam NAWA | Researchers with a PhD working abroad, applied for by a Polish host | Postdoctoral research, 6 to 24 months | Salary up to PLN 17,000 | 15 May 2026, 15:00 CET (closed); deadline 15 May 2027 |
The Ignacy Łukasiewicz Scholarship Programme, which many sites still advertise, sits in NAWA’s list of closed programmes. The last call I could find closed on 16 March 2020. If you came looking for Łukasiewicz, Banach is the current master’s scholarship for developing countries.
Banach NAWA scholarship: eligible countries and benefits
The 2026 call covered 36 countries, split into four groups. The call closes early for a group once it reaches 300 applications (groups 1 to 3) or 200 applications (group 4), so applying in the first days matters.
| Group | Countries (2026 call) |
|---|---|
| Group 1 | Albania, Argentina, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Kosovo, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Peru, Serbia, Ukraine |
| Group 2 | Armenia, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Uzbekistan, Vietnam |
| Group 3 | Angola, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Palestine, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Tunisia |
| Group 4 (cap of 200 applications) | Azerbaijan, Nigeria |
Colombia, Ethiopia and South Africa appear on some older lists but were not in the 2026 call. The list changes, so check the new call before you plan around it.
- PLN 2,500 a month for up to 12 months a year, during the preparatory course and the degree.
- Free tuition at public universities. Private universities set their own fees.
- A one-off travel lump sum paid with the first instalment.
- A free one-year Polish preparatory course on the Polish track, or a Polish language and culture course on the English track.
Who qualifies for Banach
- A bachelor’s degree from one of the listed countries obtained in 2024 or later, or a final-year student graduating by 15 July 2026 (for the 2026 call).
- No master’s degree already, and no earlier NAWA master’s scholarship.
- English at B2 for English-taught programmes, Polish at B2 for Polish-taught programmes, or Polish at B1 for the preparatory course.
- Proof of admission to a participating Polish university, except on the preparatory course track. NAWA says the programme does not restrict the field of study.
How Banach applications are scored
| Criterion | Points | Minimum to pass |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s grade average | 0 to 70 | 50 |
| Video self-presentation (1 to 3 minutes) | 0 to 30 | 20 |
| Recommendation from a Polish embassy (optional) | 0 to 10 | None |
| Total | 110 | 70 |
Grades carry most of the weight. The embassy letter is the only optional criterion and is worth up to 10 points, so contact your nearest Polish embassy early in the year and ask how it issues them.
Poland My First Choice scholarship
This programme is for citizens of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Korea, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States and Uruguay, plus residents of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
- PLN 2,000 a month for up to 12 months a year (raised from PLN 1,800 from January 2026).
- Free tuition at public universities.
- A one-off travel allowance from PLN 1,000 to PLN 6,500, depending on your citizenship.
- B2 in the language of instruction. You apply to the university yourself; NAWA does not handle admission.
It is small. NAWA announced 25 winners for the 2026 call.
Documents for a Poland government scholarship application
| Document | Banach | Poland My First Choice |
|---|---|---|
| Passport data page | Yes | Yes (EU citizens may use an ID card) |
| Bachelor’s diploma and transcript with average grade, or a certificate from your university if still studying | Yes | Yes |
| Proof of admission to a Polish university | Yes (not for the preparatory track) | Through your own university application |
| Language certificate | Yes, from NAWA’s accepted list | Yes |
| Video self-presentation, 1 to 3 minutes | Yes | Check the new call |
| Cover letter | No | Yes (2024 call) |
| Polish embassy recommendation | Optional, up to 10 points | No |
Documents not in Polish or English need a certified translation. NAWA accepts one application per person, submitted online in its IT system.
How to prepare for the 2027 NAWA calls
- Pick programmes now: Search study.gov.pl for English-taught master’s programmes at public universities and note each admission deadline.
- Book a language test: Get a B2 certificate from NAWA’s accepted list before the call opens.
- Apply to the university: Most Polish universities open admission for international applicants early in the year. You need an admission decision or confirmation for Banach.
- Ask for an embassy letter: For Banach, contact the Polish embassy in your country about a recommendation.
- Record your video: Explain why this field, why Poland and what you will do with it. No other people in the frame.
- Apply on day one: Submit on programs.nawa.gov.pl as soon as the call opens, before your country group fills up.
Comparing countries? Our guides to the Slovakia National Scholarship Programme and Netherlands government scholarships cover two other European government routes.
Poland government scholarship FAQs
Is the Poland government scholarship fully funded?
Banach and Poland My First Choice cover tuition at public universities and pay a monthly stipend, but they do not include housing. In my judgement, PLN 2,000 to 2,500 a month is enough for a student dorm and food in most Polish cities, with little left over.
Can I apply for the Banach scholarship without IELTS?
You need a B2 certificate from NAWA’s accepted list for English-taught study. Check the annex to the new call for the tests and documents NAWA accepts.
When does the 2027 Banach call open?
The 2026 call was published on 13 April and closed on 8 May, so the deadline is 8 May 2027. Watch nawa.gov.pl from March 2027.
Can I get a Poland government scholarship for a bachelor’s degree?
Only through the Gen. Anders Programme, which is for people of Polish origin or Pole’s Card holders studying in Polish. Banach and Poland My First Choice are for master’s only.
Sources and updates
Banach country groups, caps, amounts, eligibility, scoring and documents come from NAWA’s official Banach 2026 call for applications (Announcement 16/2026) and its information for applicants on nawa.gov.pl. Poland My First Choice amounts, travel bands and the 1 January 2026 rise to PLN 2,000 come from NAWA’s call pages and Announcement 47/2025; the 2026 deadline and country list come from a guide that quotes Call 19/2026, and the 25 winners from NAWA’s results notice. Gen. Anders and Zawacka deadlines come from the University of Warsaw’s NAWA scholarships page. Ulam NAWA figures come from Research in Poland’s announcement of the 2026 call. The Łukasiewicz programme’s status comes from NAWA’s closed-programmes page. Checked on 24 October 2026. I will update this page when NAWA publishes the 2027 calls.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
