Poland in Ethiopia

Poland offers European-standard higher education, with a few hundred programs offered in English. The tuition fees in Poland are highly competitive and the costs of living is a fraction of what a foreign student would have to spend in other European cities. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), especially the private ones are highly internationalized, attracting students from all over the world. 
Full-time international students can legally work in Poland and the Ethiopian students often use that opportunity. Popular jobs include call centers and teaching English. Many of the students earn enough to cover all their living costs.

External resources:
Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange NAWA (government agency) runs comprehensive website at go-poland.pl. You can also follow their Facebook profile Study in Poland - Ready, Study, Go Poland. 
Comprehensive Study in Poland website by the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland and the “Perspektywy” Education Foundation.
The leading independent rating of Polish higher education institutions by the “Perspektywy” Education Foundation at: ranking.perspektywy.org
 

The main government scholarship program directed to Ethiopian students is the Łukasiewicz Program. It offers masters-level studies in engineering and technical, agricultural, applied and life sciences at state universities. Scholarship covers tuition fees and a monthly living allowance. By default, program includes one-year Polish language and culture course. The deadline for applications is usually min-March and studies begin in October. Details are available at NAWA website we also  announce each year’s call for proposal in your website news, in Twitter and in Telegram.
 

You do not need an agent to go through the admission and visa process.

We encourage you to research the universities yourself, using the databases and ratings listed above. Admission process is open for everyone, you usually do it yourself via university website.

Some schools hire representatives abroad to help in the admission process. They would mostly advertise the programs. The legitimate representatives get commission from the school for each admitted student. You may (but do not need to) ask agents them to assist in paperwork such as sponsor letter, translation, legalization, etc.

The agents have no role in the visa process. The online application form is designed to be easy to use by individuals. You may (but do not need to) ask agents them to assist in filling it.

What should make you suspicious:

•  If an agent wants to charge you significant amounts of money – hundreds or thousands of dollars.
•  If an agent tells you that they “cooperate with the Embassy”. We do not cooperate with any individual representative and no single one of them has better access. Similarly, no agent can guarantee positive visa decision.
• If an agent tells you that only through them you can secure interview date. We do our best to open enough visa interview slots for all candidates, specifically in peak season.

Please report such cases to the Embassy by email or by phone.

All issues related to applying for student visa, with details referring to students underlined, are explained in the consular part of our website.
 

Resident permit: After you start your studies, please remember to apply for the residence permit without delay and get the confirmation that you applied. This will allow you to legally stay in Poland and travel in Schengen Zone after your visa expires. However, it does not allow you to travel outside the Schengen Zone (eg. to Ethiopia) and come back. To do that you either need to wait a few months until your residence permit is issued or get a new visa. After you receive your residence permit, you don’t need visa to travel out and back to the Schengen zone. You can ask for additional guidance at the international student office of your school.
Please note that if you plan to apply for another visa here in Addis Ababa, you will get no preferential treatment and will have to book appointment online like everybody else. 
 

Work: Full-time international students can legally work in Poland, but not in other European Union countries. Please note that if your main purpose is work, you should apply for work visa.
 

Schengen Zone: Polish student visa allows you to travel freely within Schengen zone. It does not allow you to move to or work in other EU country. If you do that, you will end up without legal status and can be subject to detention/deportation. It's not worth it.

Please note that any mails received from Ethiopian Institutions/Universities (like students official transcripts or any other documents) will not be handed to individuals. It will be send back immediately. It is impossible to collect mails at the Embassy.