Poland student visa: the official document checklist

In short: the National visa type D for studies for Poland asks for 15 documents from every applicant, and 8 more when they apply to you. This list follows the official checklist the Poland mission publishes for applicants in Pakistan, read on 16 October 2026. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)

Where applicants in Pakistan submit: In person at the Embassy of Poland, Street 24, G-5/4, Diplomatic Enclave II, Islamabad, after registering on e-konsulat.gov.pl (no walk-in; no post, fax or e-mail). Passport stays at the embassy during processing. Missing documents can be e-mailed within 7 days to islamabad.consulate@msz.gov.pl with subject 'Additional documents_STUDY VISA_[date]'. The embassy accepts only applicants legally resident in its area.

Photo: 'One color photo - specifications: passport type, white background 35mm x 45mm, no more than 6-month-old, taken en face ... with the face covering 70-80% of the photo', no headwear, no facial expression.

Passport: Issued within the previous 10 years; valid at least 3 months after the intended departure from the Schengen area; at least two blank pages; bring all previous passports.

Documents every applicant needs (15)

• Passport
  Issued within the previous 10 years; valid at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area; at least two blank pages. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
• All previous passports
  Plus copies of the data pages (first and last) and of pages with Polish/Schengen visas; copies on A4. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
• Visa application form
  Filled in via e-konsulat, printed with the bar code, no blanks, signed twice by the applicant (signature as in passport). (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
• One color photo
  35mm x 45mm, white background, not older than 6 months, face-on, face 70-80% of the photo, no headwear, no smile. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
• Applicant cover letter
  States purpose and length of travel, list of attached documents, other useful information. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
• Original certificate of admission or continuation
  Original, in the format set by the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 23 September 2019. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
• Proof of payment for studies issued by the educational institution When: If studies are free, a university confirmation for the whole year is mandatory instead. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
• Legalisation of Pakistani education documents
  Documents issued in Pakistan must be legalised by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland; apostille is not accepted. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
• Flight itinerary
  Copy of flight booking(s), both ways. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
• Travel medical insurance (TMI)
  One copy; insurer from the approved list at gov.pl/web/diplomacy/visas; not handwritten; name in Latin letters; valid in Schengen for the whole stay; 'minimum coverage is 30.000 euro'; covers emergency treatment, medical repatriation and repatriation of remains. Or proof of ZUS insurance. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
• Accommodation
  Original lease agreement, dormitory decision or other proof, showing monthly fees and full contact details. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
• Documents confirming sufficient financial means
  To cover 'costs of living (776 PLN/month of the intended stay)', accommodation and return travel '(2500 PLN)'. At least one of: traveller's cheques; credit card limit certificate; certificate of funds in a bank in Poland, another EU/EFTA state or Switzerland, sealed and signed ('it CANNOT be a bank located in Pakistan'); scholarship document. Financial documents are not returned. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
• Family Registration Certificate issued by NADRA
  In English or with a certified translation if in Urdu; original and photocopy. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
• Photocopy of applicant's national ID card
  Photocopy. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
• Language of documents
  Documents must be in original Polish or English; copies on A4; bring a copy of any original you want returned. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)

Documents that depend on your situation (8)

• Higher secondary certificate When: If admitted to first-cycle (bachelor) studies.
  Originals shown at the counter; legalised (apostille is not accepted) - documents issued in Pakistan must be legalised by the Embassy of Poland. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
• NAWA 'recognition statement' for the higher secondary certificate When: If admitted to first-cycle (bachelor) studies.
  Issued by the National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA), confirming the diploma entitles you to study in Poland. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
• Higher studies certificates/diplomas of graduation When: If admitted to second- or third-cycle (master/PhD) studies.
  Originals shown at the counter; legalised by the Embassy of Poland (apostille is not accepted for Pakistani documents). (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
• A document confirming granting of a national or foreign scholarship When: If you prove funds with a scholarship. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
• Notarized letter of sponsorship When: If a sponsor pays.
  Notarised; the sponsor must cover all travel, living and accommodation costs. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
• Certificate of employment with monthly salary statement (sponsor) When: If a sponsor pays (or the financial documents listed above). (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
• Refusal letters When: If any embassy or high commission has refused you a visa before. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)
• Birth certificate, parents' travel permission and parents' ID copies When: Only if you are under 18.
  Birth certificate and consent legalised/attested by MEA/MFA; at least one parent attends. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)

Documents the checklist recommends (1)

• Additional documents, e.g. English language test such as IELTS When: Optional, to support the purpose of the trip. (official source, checked 16 October 2026)

How to prepare each document

Passport

• Valid for the whole stay plus the margin the country asks (often 6 months beyond).
• At least two blank visa pages.
• Scan the photo page in colour, flat, all four corners visible.
• If you renewed it, keep the old passport too.

Official verification: Only the issuing authority can confirm a passport; we never call it genuine.

Previous passports and travel history

• Keep every old passport.
• Copy every page with a visa or an entry or exit stamp.
• List each trip with dates; declare every earlier refusal.

Visa application form

• Fill it online exactly as your passport (FF Assistant can fill it); print and sign the confirmation where asked.

Photographs

• Use the size and background the official checklist states (most ask a white or light background, face straight, no glasses).
• Recent: usually taken in the last 6 months.
• Same photo on the form and on paper.

Study cover letter

• One page addressed to the visa officer: who you are, what you will study, who pays, and that you will follow the visa rules.

Admission document

• The document the visa asks for (CAS, I-20, CoE, LoA, admission letter).
• Every detail must match your passport.

Official verification: The university can confirm it; ask its admissions office by e-mail.

Tuition deposit receipt

• Pay only to the account on the university's own website.
• Keep the bank transfer slip and the university's receipt.

Official verification: The university's receipt is the proof.

School certificates (Matric, Intermediate, O/A level)

• Attested as the country requires.

Official verification: The board that issued it, and the body that attests it.

Equivalence certificate

• Needed for O/A levels or foreign papers when the home system asks.

Official verification: The body that issued it.

Degree certificates

• Every degree the checklist asks for.
• Attested or apostilled as the country requires, then copied as asked.

Official verification: The body that attests degrees in your country, and the foreign ministry, keep records; we never call a stamp genuine.

Attestation or apostille

• The stamps the destination asks, in order (education body, then foreign ministry, then embassy where it asks).

Official verification: The bodies that stamped it keep records; we never call a stamp genuine.

Additional documents

• Anything else the checklist lists for your case; follow the checklist's own words.

Travel insurance

• Cover for the journey and the first days if the checklist asks (Schengen countries often do).

Official verification: The insurer.

Accommodation

• Housing contract, university hall confirmation or a host's letter, if the checklist asks.

Official verification: The landlord or university.

Bank maintenance certificate

• A letter from the bank: account holder, account open since, current balance, signed and stamped.

Official verification: The bank.

Scholarship letter

• The award letter with the amount and what it covers.

Official verification: The awarding body.

Sponsor's letter or affidavit of support

• Signed and dated, naming you, the relationship, the sponsor's job, and that the money is for your study.

Official verification: The notary's register.

Sponsor's income and tax papers

• Tax returns for 2 to 3 years, salary slips, an employer letter or business papers that explain the balance.

Official verification: The tax authority that issued the returns.

Family registration certificate (proof of who your parents are)

• Needed when a parent pays for you or the checklist asks for family details.
• English version or certified translation.

Official verification: Your country's civil registry.

National identity card (front and back)

• Scan both sides in colour.
• A side not in English needs a certified translation if the country asks.

Official verification: Only the national registry that issued it can confirm it.

Explanation of study or work gaps

• One page listing each gap of about six months or more, with a paper for each (job letter, medical note).

English (or other language) test result

• The test and score the university and visa accept (for the UK a UKVI SELT where asked).
• Valid on the date you apply.

Official verification: The test provider's online result check.

Birth certificate

• The computerised certificate from the civil registry.
• English version or a certified translation.
• Attested or apostilled if the checklist says so.

Official verification: The civil registry that issued it.

Certified translation

• Any paper not in English (or the country's language), translated by a qualified translator who signs and dates it.
• Keep the original and the translation together.

Official verification: The translator's registration.

These preparation points are practical guidance; the official checklist decides what is asked.

Related

• Poland student visa: cost, money and steps
• Getting your papers ready, country by country

ForiForeign prepares and guides; you file your own application and the Poland authorities decide. Checklists change: open the official source before you submit.

ForiForeign.com · admin@foriforeign.com · WhatsApp +92 310 5048760 · Information drawn from official sources shown on each rule; not legal advice.

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