Poland recruiting foreign students from Turkey, Korea, Vietnam
Poland's government is signing academic exchange agreements with Turkey, South Korea, Vietnam, and Uzbekistan to attract more foreign students and offset demographic decline at universities.
Poland's higher education minister announced on April 23, 2026, that the government is taking steps to attract more foreign students to help universities offset declining enrollment caused by the country's shrinking population. Marcin Kulasek told the PAP (Polska Agencja Prasowa, the Polish Press Agency—Poland's national news wire service) that Poland is cultivating stronger academic ties with Turkey, South Korea, Vietnam, and Uzbekistan, among other countries.
Academic agreements in the works
Poland and Uzbekistan signed a letter of intent last week (the week of April 16, 2026) on building closer academic ties, including student exchanges and research projects. Uzbekistani citizens already make up the ninth-largest group of foreign students in Poland. Poland and Turkey plan to sign a similar memorandum of understanding next month (May 2026), while the government also plans to renew an academic exchange agreement with Vietnam and explore cooperation with South Korea. The number of foreign students at Polish universities rose from approximately 8,800 in 2004 to over 108,000 by the 2024/25 academic year, with the largest numbers from Ukraine, Belarus, and Turkey.
What this means for prospective students
If you're considering studying in Poland, the government's push means more scholarship opportunities, streamlined visa processes for priority countries (Turkey, South Korea, Vietnam, and Uzbekistan), and expanded English-language programs. Poland has lower tuition and living costs than the United Kingdom or France, and Polish universities are improving quality to compete internationally. However, the current government has tightened student visa rules to crack down on abuses (cases where people obtained student visas without genuine study intent), so you'll need to prove genuine enrollment and meet stricter language proficiency and financial requirements. Growth in foreign student enrollment has slowed over the last two years (2023–2025), but these new agreements signal a policy shift back toward welcoming international students, particularly from targeted countries.
