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The first mandatory step of the Polish route costs nothing. The written information from the director of NAWA about a Kazakhstani school certificate, without which you can neither enter the first year of a bachelor’s programme nor get a visa, is issued free of charge (NAWA procedure page).
And a single figure for “what a year of study in Poland costs” does not exist. The two largest lines, tuition and housing, depend on the university, the programme and the city, and the amounts published for them on the EEC website carry no date and no city. An undated figure in a family budget is worse than no figure at all: people budget with it, and it is already wrong.
The official fee data is as of 28 July 2026, with the source next to each amount.
What in the budget is known exactly and what is not
A fee published by the state and a ballpark from an agency’s experience are numbers of different quality, and they must not be added into one total.
| Budget line | Status of the amount | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate recognition at NAWA | Published: free of charge | Certificate nostrification |
| Apostille in Kazakhstan | State fee published in MRP | Apostille and sworn translation |
| Consular fee for the application | Published, but the source contradicts itself | Poland student visa |
| Sworn translation | The requirement depends on the procedure; open sources list no market price | Apostille and sworn translation |
| Medical insurance | Requirements are published; EEC publishes no prices for Poland | Insurance selection |
| Tuition and the admission fee | Set by the university | The admission rules of the specific university |
| Housing, deposit, commission | Depends on the city, the year and the market | Student housing in Poland |
| EEC support | The price list needs confirmation | Services |
The budget has to be counted from both ends. From the top down go the amounts that are already published and do not depend on the family’s choices. From the bottom up go the ones that appear only after the university, programme and city are chosen.
Official fees: the amounts that are published
This is the only part of the budget where the figure comes from a primary source, not from experience.
| Expense | Amount | Verified |
|---|---|---|
| NAWA written information about the certificate | 0, issued free of charge | 28 July 2026 |
| Apostille for a Kazakhstani education document | 0.5 MRP per document, 2,162.50 KZT at the 2026 MRP of 4,325 KZT | 28 July 2026 |
| Consular fee for accepting and processing the application | 80 EUR, cash in euros only | 28 July 2026 |
Two things matter about the apostille. The state fee is charged per document, so the certificate and its supplement are two payments. The tenge amount is tied to the MRP (Kazakhstan’s monthly calculation index), so 2,162.50 KZT is a 2026 figure, and from 1 January 2027 it gets recalculated. The processing time for a school certificate is 15 working days and affects the calendar, not the amount: the apostille guide.
What you need to know about the consular fee: the primary source contradicts itself. The student visa page and the announcement of 28 January 2020 name 80 EUR, while the consular fee table lists 135 in the national visa row. EEC does not take it upon itself to reconcile the two figures: confirm the amount at the consular section before submission, and bring cash in euros with a margin.
Recognition of a university diploma, unlike the school certificate, is paid: it is a separate procedure, and not everyone needs it. Who needs it and how much: do you actually need nostrification.
Tuition and the admission fee: the largest line
The cost of tuition depends on the university, on whether it is state or private, on the language and the programme, so there is no single figure for the country. Check it in the admission rules of the specific university for the specific year. There are examples by university on the Poland page, but they carry no academic year, and a tuition price without a year is useless for budgeting.
Can a Kazakhstani study without paying tuition: free study in Poland.
Two facts about payment that families learn later than they would like.
The admission fee does not count as tuition payment. The visa package requires bank confirmation of tuition paid for a period equal to the visa’s validity, and paying the registration fee does not replace that confirmation (consulate page).
Some universities require payment for the full year before issuing the visa documents. Kozminski University publishes this openly: international students who need a visa pay tuition for the full year before the university issues the invitation and the admission decision. If the visa is refused, the tuition is returned but the registration fee is not. As of 28 July 2026 this is the rule of one named university, not a general rule for Poland, but it is exactly what determines how much money must be in the account in August or September.
Housing, insurance and the flight
These three lines share one thing: the amount depends on choices, and none of them is included in the price of the agency’s services.
Housing. The first month of rent, the deposit, the agent’s commission and temporary accommodation are paid separately, and the temporary stay is paid by the student. In the first month’s budget they add up to the most unexpected sum. The breakdown: where a student can live in Poland.
Insurance. The policy is mandatory for the visa, and the requirements go beyond the coverage amount to what the coverage includes and what the insurer is obliged to do: a cheap travel policy may not qualify even with a formally sufficient amount. Selection runs through the insurance service.
The flight. The cost of the plane ticket is counted separately from visa support.
Money you have to show, not spend
A separate line that gets confused with expenses: when applying for the visa you must confirm you have funds for the first months of stay and for the return journey. This is not a payment but a requirement for the bank statement, and the amounts are set by regulation: Poland student visa. In the budget they count as money that must sit in the account by submission, not as costs of the year.
What is not included in EEC services
The surprise in a budget usually comes not from the price of a service but from what the service did not include.
| EEC service | What is counted separately |
|---|---|
| Visa support | Insurance, plane ticket, notary fees, consular fees |
| Housing and accommodation | First month of rent, deposit, agent commission, temporary accommodation |
On top of this come the payments to the university: the registration fee and tuition are paid to the university, not the agency. The current scope of each service: the services section.
How to build your budget: the order of questions
The order matters more than a calculator: half the amounts appear only after the university is chosen.
- Choose the university and programme and find the tuition for the right year and the registration fee amount in the admission rules.
- Ask the university whether it requires payment for the full year before issuing the visa documents, and what is refunded if the visa is refused.
- Count the official fees: the apostille by the number of documents, and the consular fee. Certificate recognition at NAWA does not need counting, it is free.
- Confirm whether your university requires a sworn translation before ordering any translation.
- Budget the insurance against the national visa requirements, the student’s age and the coverage period.
- Budget the first month of rent, the deposit, the agent’s commission and temporary accommodation.
- Separately count the money that must be in the account by submission: it is a condition, not an expense.
- Only after that add the cost of support services and weigh it against the scope of work.
A specific case is worked through in a consultation.