Poland's NAWA Scholarships for ASEAN Students

What NAWA is

The Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA ) administers Poland's government-funded scholarship and exchange programmes for international students and researchers. These sit apart from Poland's standard admission route, where international students apply directly to a university and pay tuition set by that institution. NAWA scholarships instead cover students selected through a separate national competition tied to bilateral development and cooperation priorities.

Banach NAWA Programme: full-time master's funding

The Banach NAWA Programme is the main NAWA track relevant to ASEAN applicants. It funds full-time second-cycle (master's) study conducted in Polish or English at universities supervised by Poland's Minister of Science and Higher Education. The programme targets citizens of a defined list of developing countries rather than being open worldwide.

ASEAN eligibility

Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam currently sit on the Banach NAWA eligible-country list, alongside countries across Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. If your ASEAN country is not on the current list, you are not eligible for Banach NAWA funding and would apply to Polish universities through the standard tuition-paying route instead. Country eligibility for NAWA programmes is reviewed and can change between calls, so check the current list on nawa.gov.pl before you plan around it.

What the scholarship covers

• Exemption from tuition fees at public Polish universities.

• A monthly stipend of PLN 2,500.

• A one-time travel allowance of PLN 2,500.

• A NAWA-funded preparatory course for applicants on the Polish-language track, to bring your language level up before your degree studies start.

Who cannot apply

Applicants who already completed their first-cycle (bachelor's) degree in Poland are not eligible for Banach NAWA, since the programme targets students bringing their first Polish degree experience through the master's level, not continuing students already established in the Polish system.

How the application timeline works

NAWA opens Banach applications online through its own application system, with the call typically running toward Poland's October intake. Applications are grouped by country, and NAWA can close a country group's applications once that group's quota fills, even before the officially published deadline. Apply as early in the call window as you can rather than waiting until close to the stated deadline, since a fast-filling country group can close weeks ahead of that date.

Documents Banach NAWA applicants prepare

Applying to Banach NAWA runs alongside preparing a standard Polish university application, since your candidacy needs both a completed application in NAWA's online system and admission-track documents your target university requests. Expect to prepare your bachelor's diploma and transcript, a motivation letter explaining your programme choice, academic references, and proof of language ability matching your chosen track, Polish or English. Start gathering certified copies and translations early, since document certification and translation into Polish or English both take longer than most applicants expect.

Choosing a programme and university

Banach NAWA covers second-cycle study at universities supervised by Poland's Minister of Science and Higher Education, so your choice of programme needs to sit at a qualifying public institution rather than a private one. Review the list of participating universities and available fields published with each year's call before you shortlist, since not every Polish university or every master's programme takes part, and the list can change between calls. Pick your programme based on both subject fit and language track, Polish or English, since your track determines whether you receive the NAWA-funded preparatory course before your degree studies begin.

Other NAWA tracks

NAWA also runs the Polonista NAWA Programme, aimed at foreign nationals studying Polish language and culture, and various shorter exchange and research scholarships. These serve narrower purposes than Banach and are worth checking only if your interest is specifically Polish studies or research collaboration rather than a standard master's degree.

Choosing between NAWA and standard admission

If your country sits on the current Banach eligible list and you are applying for a master's degree, the fully funded NAWA route is worth pursuing first given it removes tuition and adds a stipend. If you are not eligible, or you are applying for a bachelor's or doctoral programme that Banach does not cover, apply directly to your target Polish university through its normal international admissions process and budget for its published tuition fee.

What standard admission costs if NAWA does not apply

Outside a NAWA award, Polish universities set their own tuition for international students, and public university fees for programmes taught in English commonly sit below tuition levels in Western Europe, though the exact figure varies by university and field. Budget separately for a Polish student visa or residence permit application, health insurance, and living costs in your chosen city, since a standard admission offer covers only tuition and does not include the stipend or travel allowance that comes with a Banach award. Confirm your specific university's published tuition figure directly on its admissions page before committing, since national averages can miss real differences between institutions.