Studying in Poland as a non-EU student: verify your recruitment agency first

Why this article exists

Documented, organized fraud targeting prospective international students — particularly around English-language medical degree programs and other paid recruitment routes into Polish universities — has been reported by international media and is a genuine, real risk, not a hypothetical one. Some students have paid recruitment agents significant sums only to arrive on the wrong visa type, or with no genuine university placement at all. This article is about protecting yourself before you pay anyone.

Tuition basics, so you know what a legitimate offer looks like

For English-taught programs, EU/EEA/Swiss and non-EU students generally pay the same published tuition fees — unlike some other countries, there usually isn't a large EU vs non-EU fee gap for English-track programs. Typical ranges cited for English-language programs are roughly EUR 2,000–3,000 per year on average, with higher-cost programs (e.g. some medicine tracks) going well beyond that. If an agent's fee structure doesn't match published university tuition — or adds large "processing" fees on top with little explanation — treat that as a reason to check further, not a reason to panic, but definitely a reason to verify independently before paying.

How to check an agency before paying anything

• Check the KRAZ registry — Poland's official registry of licensed employment/recruitment agencies — to confirm an agency claiming to place students or workers is actually registered and licensed.
• Contact the university directly to confirm the agent is an officially recognised recruitment partner, and that the program, tuition, and start date the agent describes actually match what the university itself publishes.
• Be cautious of any arrangement where the "study" placement is unclear, unusually cheap, or bundled with a work offer that doesn't match a genuine study visa's requirements — this combination is a documented pattern in past fraud cases.
• Never wire a large payment based only on messages or a website — a legitimate university admissions process has an official, verifiable application system, and legitimate agents will not object to you double-checking directly with the university.

If you're already unsure about an agent you've engaged with

Contact the university's own international admissions office directly and describe exactly what the agent has told you — a real admissions office can usually confirm quickly whether what you've been told matches reality.

This is general information, not legal advice

If you believe you've already been the victim of recruitment fraud, this is a matter for the relevant consumer protection authority and potentially the police, not something this article can resolve — but verifying before you pay is the far easier and cheaper option.