A national (D) visa from the Polish consulate in Baku covers a one-semester stay, but non-EU students must register their address at the district office within four days of moving in, which also brings a PESEL number. Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere, Polish apps assume a Polish bank and BLIK, and most shops are shut on most Sundays.
Money
Polish złoty (zł, PLN)
Language
Polish
Time
UTC+1; UTC+2 from the last Sunday of March to the last Sunday of October
Plugs
Type C and E; 230 V
Tipping
About 10% in restaurants for good service; not added to the bill
112 is free from any phone; 997 and 998 calls are answered by the same 112 centres. Deaf and hard-of-hearing users can report an emergency through the Alarm112 app after registering.
Set these up before you fly
The essentials that take days to arrange or have to work the moment you land.
Written for students from Azerbaijan first: where a rule depends on nationality, the rule for Azerbaijani citizens is given and labelled.
ADA University · Spring 2027
Universities and places
University of Warsaw
Warsaw
3 places
Dorm places for exchange students are limited and given first come, first served in the order online applications are completed, so apply as soon as you are nominated.
Kozminski has no student dorms of its own, so exchange students rent privately with help from their KU Mates buddy – start looking early, as Warsaw rooms go fast.
Places, programmes and the minimum cGPA are from ADA’s list. Confirm them with the Office of Global Outreach and Partners before you apply: exchange@ada.edu.az
Payments & banking3
Contactless cards and phones work almost everywhere; BLIK codes run Polish online shopping and splitting bills, but only from a Polish banking app.
BL
BLIK
Six-digit phone codes for online shops, ATMs and paying friends
Optional
Why you need it: Polish students pay each other back by BLIK phone transfer, and many Polish sites and apps offer it first; without it you rely on a card.
Open an account with a Polish bank that offers BLIK
Generate a code in the banking app when paying and confirm in the app
Turn on phone-number transfers to receive money from friends
Before you rely on itBLIK lives inside a participating bank’s app, so an Azerbaijani card cannot use it. Revolut supports it only for residents of Poland verified with a national ID card, a European passport or a Polish residence permit.
Source: blik.com · the provider or a government body · Checked
PB
PKO Bank Polski
Polish bank account with BLIK and an English-language app
Optional
Why you need it: A local account means BLIK, paying rent by transfer without fees, and receiving a deposit back; PKO’s IKO app runs in English, Russian and Ukrainian as well as Polish.
Cost variesVaries by nationalityVaries by residence status
Go to a branch with your passport, visa and Warsaw address
Install IKO and switch the language to English
Before you rely on itOpening the account online asks for a PESEL and a Polish mobile number, so without them go to a branch. What else a branch asks of a non-EU student varies; ask before you go. Fees depend on the account type.
Source: pkobp.pl · the provider or a government body · Checked
Re
Revolut
App account with złoty, euro and cheap currency exchange
Optional
Why you need it: Once you live in Poland it is a quick way to hold złoty and pay by card without a branch visit.
Free, paid extrasVaries by nationalityVaries by residence status
Sign up after arrival with your Polish address and passport
Open a PLN account and add the card to Apple Pay or Google Pay
Before you rely on itYou must be a legal resident of a supported country such as Poland, so it cannot be opened from Baku. BLIK inside Revolut needs a national ID card, a European passport or a Polish residence permit, which an Azerbaijani passport and visa alone do not meet.
Source: help.revolut.com · the provider or a government body · Checked
Essential apps5
A handful of Polish apps do the daily work: Jakdojade for transport, InPost for parcels, Allegro for shopping, Bolt for rides.
Ja
Jakdojade
Route planner and transport tickets for Warsaw and other cities
Before departure
Why you need it: The app Poles use for buses, trams and trains: live departures and Warsaw transport tickets in one place, in English.
To buy tickets, register with your phone number and add a payment method or top up the in-app wallet
Buy and activate the ticket before you board
Before you rely on itTickets are sold only for some cities, Warsaw among them. If the app refuses your card, ticket machines at stops and stations are the back-up. Inspectors check the ticket on your phone, so keep it charged.
Source: play.google.com · the provider or a government body · Checked
IM
InPost Mobile
Collect and send parcels at Paczkomat lockers
On arrival
Why you need it: Most online orders in Poland arrive at an orange InPost locker, not your door; the app opens the locker with no code to type.
Before you rely on itUber and iTaxi also serve Chopin Airport. The fare above is the airport’s own estimate for a licensed taxi to the centre; a Bolt fare depends on demand.
Buy single tickets in Jakdojade or at a machine, and validate paper tickets as you board
Once you have a student ID, load a 30- or 90-day pass onto it at a passenger centre (most metro stations)
Carry the student ID with you: the discount is only valid with it
Before you rely on itThe 50% discount needs a valid student ID and applies up to your 26th birthday. The University of Warsaw says a valid ISIC carried with your home university’s student ID also qualifies if you are under 26, which helps before your Polish card is ready. Fines for riding without a valid ticket are steep.
Source: welcome.uw.edu.pl · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
CA
Chopin Airport to the city
SKM trains and bus 175 from WAW to central Warsaw
On arrival
Why you need it: The trip takes about 30 minutes on an ordinary city ticket, far cheaper than a taxi.
Buy at least a 75-minute ticket at a machine or in Jakdojade
Take an S2 or S3 train from the station under the terminal, or bus 175 to the centre
At night, use bus N32 to Centrum
Before you rely on itFlights to Modlin (WMI) land about 40 km north of the city: a Koleje Mazowieckie shuttle bus runs from the terminal to Modlin station, where trains leave for central Warsaw, and KM sells one combined airport ticket for both.
Before you rely on itThe 51% discount is for second class and needs a student ID issued by a Polish university (plastic or mLegitymacja), up to your 26th birthday. A foreign ISIC does not qualify for non-EU citizens.
Source: intercity.pl · the provider or a government body · Checked
KO
KOLEO
One app for train tickets from most Polish rail carriers
Optional
Why you need it: Regional and long-distance trains are run by different companies; KOLEO searches and sells most of them in English.
Buy a Play prepaid starter at a Play shop or kiosk
Register it with your passport in the shop or the Play24 app
Top up with a card and pick a data package
Before you rely on itEvery prepaid SIM in Poland must be registered with ID before it works. Play24 runs in English, and many Play shops can help in Russian. Orange, Plus and T-Mobile work the same way.
Source: play.pl · the provider or a government body · Checked
Ed
eduroam
University Wi-Fi with your university login
On arrival
Why you need it: Campus Wi-Fi in Poland runs on eduroam; set it up with your host login once you have it.
Download the installer for your university from cat.eduroam.org
Before you rely on itIf ADA has given you eduroam access, it may already work in Warsaw; ask your host’s IT office which login to use.
Source: cat.eduroam.org · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
Visa, registration & legal5
Visa from the consulate in Baku, address registration within four days of moving in, then a PESEL number; a residence card only if you stay beyond the visa.
NT
National (type D) visa for studyEssential
Entry visa for a study stay of more than 90 days
Before departure
Why you need it: A spring semester runs past 90 days, so a Schengen (C) visa is not enough: you need a national D visa, issued in Baku before you fly.
Paid · €200 application fee, cash at submission (2026)Varies by nationality
Register in e-Konsulat under “Wiza krajowa – inne”, fill in the visa form and enter the appointment draw, which e-Konsulat runs once a week on Mondays
Print and sign the form, and gather your passport, a 3.5 × 4.5 cm photo, insurance, proof of accommodation and means, and the host university’s admission letter
Submit it in person at the consulate, Kichik Gala 2, Icheri Sheher, between 09:30 and 13:00, and pay €200 in cash
Apply a month or more ahead: a decision takes up to 15 days, 30 in some cases, and the consulate wants applications at least two weeks before you leave
Before you rely on itFor citizens of Azerbaijan: the passport must have been issued within the last 10 years, be valid at least 3 months after your planned return and have two blank pages; travel medical insurance must cover at least €30,000 for the whole stay. The fee is cash in euros only and is not refunded, whatever the decision. Since 1 July 2025 Polish universities must check that non-EU applicants to degree studies have at least B2 in the language of instruction; the rule is written for degree admission, but ask your host university whether it wants proof of your English for its admission letter. You apply where you legally reside, so non-citizens also bring proof of legal residence in Azerbaijan.
Source: gov.pl · the provider or a government body · Checked
ZA
Zameldowanie (address registration)Essential
Registering your Warsaw address at the district office
On arrival
Why you need it: Students from outside the EU living at an address for a semester must register it no later than the fourth day after moving in, and registering for a stay of over 30 days also gives you a PESEL number.
Free · Registration free; a certificate of temporary registration 17 zł (2026)Varies by nationality
Fill in the temporary-stay form (zgłoszenie pobytu czasowego) and have your landlord or dorm office sign it
Take it with your passport, visa and lease to the district office (urząd dzielnicy) for your address
You are registered on the spot, and for a stay of over 30 days a PESEL is assigned automatically
Ask for the certificate if a bank or office wants proof of address
Before you rely on itFor citizens of Azerbaijan and other non-EU countries: registering online is not open to you, and without a PESEL you must go in person rather than send someone with a power of attorney. The deadline is the fourth day after you move in, so plan for it in your first days.
Source: gov.pl · the provider or a government body · Checked
PN
PESEL number
Poland’s personal ID number, for banks, apps and the mobile student ID
On arrival
Why you need it: Polish banking apps, the mObywatel app and the digital student ID (mLegitymacja) all ask for a PESEL, so get it with your address registration.
Register your address for a stay of over 30 days: the PESEL is then assigned automatically
If you cannot register, apply in person at any municipal office with your passport
State the legal basis for needing it; the office that asks for it should give you that basis
Before you rely on itFree and issued on the spot when there are grounds for it. Non-EU citizens must apply in person. You can live and study without one, but several apps and bank sign-ups stop at the PESEL field.
Source: gov.pl · the provider or a government body · Checked
HI
Health insurance (private or NFZ)Essential
Health cover for the visa and for treatment in Poland
Before departure
Why you need it: The visa needs a travel medical policy of at least €30,000; once enrolled you can also join the public system (NFZ) cheaply as a foreign student.
Paid · NFZ voluntary insurance for non-EU students: 55.80 zł a month (2026)Varies by nationalityVaries by residence status
Buy a policy of at least €30,000 valid in Poland for the whole stay before the visa appointment
Optionally, sign an NFZ voluntary insurance agreement at the Warsaw NFZ branch with your passport, student ID and university letter
Within 7 days, file form ZUS ZZA at ZUS, then pay each month’s contribution to your ZUS account by the 20th of the next month
Before you rely on itForeign students are exempt from the extra fee NFZ charges people who were not insured before. NFZ cover gives you a family doctor and public hospitals at no charge; the private policy still has to cover the whole visa period.
Source: nfz-warszawa.pl · the provider or a government body · Checked
KP
Karta pobytu (temporary residence permit)
Residence permit, only if you stay beyond your visa
Optional
Why you need it: A one-semester D visa usually covers the whole stay; if you extend your studies, you must apply online before the visa runs out.
Paid · 340 zł stamp duty plus 50 zł for a student’s card (2026)Varies by residence status
Apply online through the MOS portal no later than the last day of your legal stay
Pay the stamp duty and the card fee into the accounts the Mazowiecki Urząd Wojewódzki (voivodeship office) lists, and upload the proof
Attend the appointment at the office in Warsaw to give fingerprints
Before you rely on itSince 27 April 2026 applications go only through MOS (mos.cudzoziemcy.gov.pl); paper applications are no longer accepted. Students pay a reduced card fee of 50 zł instead of 100 zł. Processing takes months, so plan it as soon as you know you are staying longer.
Kozminski has no dormitory and the University of Warsaw has limited dorm places for exchange students, so apply early and never pay before seeing a contract.
UO
University of Warsaw dormitories
Dorm places for UW exchange students, first come first served
Before departure
Why you need it: The cheapest bed in Warsaw for a UW exchange student, but places are limited and go by when you applied.
Paid · From about 520 zł a month per person in a shared double room, more in newer halls (2026–27)Varies by university
Read the housing offers the incoming students team sends after nomination
Ask your KU Mates buddy about districts and fair prices
Join the incoming students group to find flatmates
Before you rely on itOffers come from private dorms, agencies and owners, not the university, so check the contract yourself. The campus is east of the Vistula, so look at commute times as well as rent.
Source: kozminski.edu.pl · the provider or a government body · Checked
OR
OLX rooms (pokoje)
Where most Warsaw rooms and flats are advertised
Before departure
Why you need it: If you do not get a dorm, private rooms are listed here, often directly by owners.
Filter by district and commute time to your campus
View the room or ask for a video call before any payment
Sign a written umowa najmu (lease) before paying the deposit
Before you rely on itThe University of Warsaw warns against paying before signing a lease and seeing the flat. You need a lease to register your address, so a room without a contract causes trouble later.
Source: bwz.uw.edu.pl · a secondary source · Checked
Student life3
A Polish student ID, not an ISIC from home, is what unlocks the statutory 51% rail discount for students under 26, and it carries Warsaw’s 50% student transport fares too.
Student ID for 51% off trains and 50% off city transport
On arrival
Why you need it: The statutory 51% rail discount needs a Polish university’s ID and applies until your 26th birthday; the card also holds your Warsaw transport pass.
Paid · 22 zł at the University of Warsaw (2026)Varies by university
Upload a photo in your online application to the host university
Pay the fee and collect the card from the international relations office
Load your 30- or 90-day transport pass onto it
Before you rely on itAt UW the card (ELS) is issued to exchange students and doubles as a library card; since 1 July 2025 students with a PESEL can use the free mLegitymacja in mObywatel instead. Kozminski’s student-card arrangements for exchange students were not on its public pages; ask its international office. Over 26, there is no student rail or Warsaw transport discount.
Source: welcome.uw.edu.pl · the provider or a government body · Checked
EP
ESN Poland
Erasmus Student Network: buddies, events and trips
On arrival
Why you need it: The fastest way to meet other exchange students in Warsaw during welcome week.
Before you rely on itMany Polish universities use USOS; Kozminski uses its own systems, so follow its incoming students guide.
Source: welcome.uw.edu.pl · the provider or a government body · Checked
Communication & language3
Offices, landlords and forms work in Polish; students and younger Varsovians usually switch to English, and Russian is understood by some older people.
WA
WhatsApp
Messaging with classmates, landlords and buddies
Before departure
Why you need it: International student groups and many landlords use WhatsApp; Polish students also lean on Messenger groups, so ask which your class uses.
Before you rely on itFree for UW exchange students; Kozminski students should ask their international office what Polish classes are offered.
Source: welcome.uw.edu.pl · the provider or a government body · Checked
Words for the first week
Dzień dobryjen DOB-ri
Hello; good day (polite, used all day until evening)
Dobry wieczórDOB-ri VYE-choor
Good evening
Dziękujęjen-KOO-yeh
Thank you
Przepraszampsheh-PRAH-sham
Excuse me; sorry
Czy mówi pan / pani po angielsku?chi MOO-vee pan / PAH-nee po an-GYEL-skoo
Do you speak English? (to a man / to a woman)
Jestem studentem / studentką z wymiany
I am an exchange student (man / woman)
Chcę się zameldować
I want to register my address
Czy mogę zapłacić kartą?
Can I pay by card?
Poproszę rachunek
The bill, please
Pomocy! Proszę wezwać karetkę
Help! Please call an ambulance
Emergency & safety3
112 reaches all services from any phone; save the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Warsaw and the NFZ patient line before you need them.
EO
Embassy of Azerbaijan in PolandEssential
Consular help for citizens of Azerbaijan, in Warsaw
Before departure
Why you need it: If your passport is lost or stolen, or you are arrested or taken to hospital, its consular section is where a citizen of Azerbaijan turns for help.
Save the consular line, +48 22 718 30 70, the main number +48 22 617 67 28, and consul_warsaw@mission.mfa.gov.az
Note the consular reception days: Tuesday and Thursday, 09:30–12:30 and 14:00–16:30, except Azerbaijani public holidays
Keep a scan of your passport and visa in your email
Before you rely on itNot from Azerbaijan? Your own embassy’s page is the one to save. The embassy is at ul. Zwycięzców 12, 03-941 Warsaw. Its English contacts page currently shows another embassy’s details; use the Azerbaijani or Polish page.
Source: warsaw.mfa.gov.az · the provider or a government body · Checked
EN
Emergency number 112
Government guide to 112 and the Polish emergency numbers
Before departure
Why you need it: One number for police, ambulance and fire; 997 and 998 calls also reach the same 112 centres, while 999 goes to ambulance dispatch.
Before you rely on itCalls are free from any phone. Know your address in Polish spelling, or share your location from your map app. If you cannot make a voice call, the government’s Alarm112 app sends reports by pictograms once you have registered in it; registration asks for personal details, so set it up in advance.
Source: gov.pl · the provider or a government body · Checked
NI
Nocna i świąteczna opieka (out-of-hours doctor)
Doctor at night, weekends and holidays, no appointment
Optional
Why you need it: For a fever or infection outside clinic hours, go here instead of a hospital emergency room.
Call the NFZ patient information line, 800 190 590, or check the Warsaw NFZ branch site to find the nearest centre
Go between 18:00 and 08:00 on weekdays, or any time on public holidays and weekends
Before you rely on itYou can use any centre, wherever you live. Free for NFZ-insured patients; with only private insurance, expect to pay and claim it back. For anything life-threatening, call 112 instead.
Source: nfz.gov.pl · the provider or a government body · Checked
Culture & practical tips
Sunday trading rules, firm greetings and strict ticket checks are the week-one differences most likely to catch you out.
01Most shops close on Sundays
Large shops and supermarkets are closed on most Sundays by law, with only a handful of trading Sundays a year. Do the weekly shop on Saturday; small petrol station shops and some convenience stores stay open.
02“Dziękuję” can mean keep the change
Saying thank you as you hand over cash is often taken to mean the waiter should keep the change. Say the amount you want back first, then thank them.
03Choose złoty at the ATM
Independent cash machines and card terminals offer to charge you in your home currency at a poor rate. Always choose to be charged in złoty (PLN), and prefer a bank’s own ATM.
04Validate, and expect inspectors
Paper tickets must be validated as you board, and app tickets must be active before you ride. Plain-clothes inspectors check often and fine on the spot.
05Greet with “Dzień dobry”
Say dzień dobry when entering a small shop, a lift or an office, and use pan or pani with strangers. Being brisk without a greeting reads as rude.
06No drinking in public
Drinking alcohol in streets, squares and parks is banned except in places a city has exempted, and municipal guards (straż miejska) fine for it.
07Cross only on green
Police fine pedestrians who cross on a red light or away from a crossing, even on an empty street.
08Shoes off at home
Poles usually take off their shoes at the door and may offer slippers. Expect the same in shared flats.
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