Scholarships in Poland for Indian Students 2027-28: Banach NAWA, Eligibility, Deadlines & How to Apply

Scholarships in Poland for Indian students exist at master’s level. Banach NAWA is a master’s program run by NAWA, which is Poland’s National Agency for Academic Exchange. It names India among 36 eligible countries and covers a monthly allowance, public-university tuition, and travel.

Before you plan your finances for studying in Poland, here’s what the program means at your level:

• Master’s: one clear route. Banach NAWA supports a master’s in Poland taught in English or Polish, but it does not cover a bachelor’s.
• Bachelor’s or after Class 12: the official pages of the programs compare below. There are no bachelor’s-level scholarships in Poland for Indian citizens.
• Free study is not automatic: public universities waive tuition for full-time studies in Polish only for people who meet legal conditions, and programs in a foreign language may charge fees.
• Selection is competitive: NAWA ranks applicants by points and funds the highest scores within a limit set for each country.

Of seven scholarships in Poland listed here, only Banach NAWA has an official page naming India. Poland: My First Choice is another NAWA master’s scholarship, General Anders is a NAWA program for young people of Polish origin, and Visegrad and Lane Kirkland are regional scholarships for fixed country lists. Erasmus+ and CEEPUS are exchange programs between universities, and a doctoral school is Poland’s PhD route; read column two first.

Sources: NAWA: Poland My First Choice; Visegrad, Lane Kirkland, Erasmus+, and CEEPUS per Study in Poland’s scholarship directory

What this means for you: with an Indian passport and a master’s plan, Banach NAWA is one of these scholarships in Poland to build around. The next sections take it step by step.

Banach NAWA’s 2026 call, the official notice that sets the rules for each round, establishes the conditions below, and if you miss one, your application will be rejected. Check them before you collect a single document.

• Citizenship: you are a citizen of a listed country (India is one), not a Polish citizen, and have no pending application for Polish citizenship.
• Start date: you plan to start a master’s or a preparatory course (a one-year NAWA-funded course before studies in Polish) in the winter semester (the term that starts in October); the 2026 call covered 2026/27.
• Degree date: your first-cycle (Poland’s term for a bachelor’s) degree came from a listed country no earlier than 2024, or you were in your final semester with the degree due by 15 July 2026.
• No earlier master’s: you hold no master’s diploma of any type.
• No earlier NAWA funding: you have not had a NAWA scholarship for master’s studies before.
• Language: English at B2 (upper-intermediate) level for an English master’s, Polish B2 for a Polish master’s, or Polish B1 for the preparatory course.

For English B2 proof, NAWA accepts, for example, IELTS Academic 5.5, TOEFL iBT 72 or PTE Academic 59, among other certificates on its list; these are English tests for university entry. A bachelor’s taught in English also counts. The Duolingo English Test, an online English test, is not on NAWA’s list. If you still need a test, compare IELTS, TOEFL or PTE before you book.

My insight: Sort your English proof before the call opens. If your bachelor’s was taught in English, make sure your papers show it; if not, book IELTS or PTE early, because the call asks for proof at submission.

Banach NAWA pays INR 60,025 (PLN 2,500, with PLN being the Polish zloty) a month as a stipend, which is a fixed monthly payment for living costs. It also gives a tuition exemption, which means a public university charges you no tuition fee.

Exchange rate used: 1 PLN = INR 24.01 as of November 2026 (ECB rates via Frankfurter). The INR figures are conversions, not NAWA amounts: NAWA pays in PLN, so the rupee value will shift with the rate.

The Banach page lists no separate money for housing or insurance. Compare INR 60,025 with the cost of living in Poland for your city before you accept.

To apply for scholarships in Poland through Banach NAWA, you must first apply to the university yourself, as NAWA does not handle your admission. Then follow these six steps in order.

1. Choose your path (it’s binding). The English path is a master’s in English plus a Polish language and culture course. The Polish path consists of either the preparatory course or studies in Polish.
2. Get an admission document. Shortlist universities in Poland that have a NAWA framework agreement and are supervised by Poland’s Minister of Science and Higher Education, then apply. The call accepts a decision or letter of acceptance, a promise of admission, a registration confirmation (such as a registration e-mail), or proof of contact with the university and its reply. The Polish path with a preparatory course does not require any of these documents.
3. Prepare your documents. You need your passport data page, your bachelor’s diploma with the supplement showing grades and average (or a university certificate in your final semester), language proof, and a certified translation of any document not in English or Polish.
4. Record a 1 to 3 minute video. Present yourself in English or Polish and explain why you chose this path of study in Poland; treat it like a short scholarship statement of purpose.
5. Ask for a recommendation (optional). A letter from a Polish diplomatic mission (an embassy or consulate) can be worth up to 10 points.
6. Submit online. Send one application in NAWA’s online system as a Group 2 applicant, which is India’s country group, before the deadline.

If you’re selected, you sign the scholarship agreement within 45 days of it appearing in NAWA’s system.

My insight: Submit in the first days of a call, because the 2026 call could end early at 300 applications per country group; a complete file near the deadline can miss out.

Deadlines for scholarships in Poland move fast: the 2026 Banach’s call gave less than four weeks between its announcement and its deadline:

• Announced: Call No. 16/2026 was announced on 13 April 2026.
• Deadline: applications were open until 8 May 2026, 3:00 pm Warsaw time. The call’s own rule also ends applications early once 300 arrive from a country group, such as India’s Group 2.
• Results: these were due by 31 July 2026.
• Next intake: as of November 2026, NAWA’s Banach page lists the 2026 call and no newer call.

Have your documents ready now and keep checking NAWA’s Banach page. When a new call appears, read its degree-year rule first, because the 2026 call set it at 2024.

Your bachelor’s grades carry 70 of the 110 points, so they decide most of the result. The table shows each criterion’s maximum and minimum.

You need at least 70 points overall, with the minimums above in criteria 1 and 2. NAWA publishes the formula, not a CGPA (cumulative grade point average) cutoff: your average times 70, divided by the top of your grade scale. Worked arithmetic from the published formula, not a NAWA statement: on a 10-point scale that is 7 points per CGPA point, so about 7.15 reaches the 50-point minimum and 8.0 gives 56.

Scholarships then go to the highest scores within the limit of places set for each country. If you think in percentages, a CGPA to percentage converter gives you a rough feel for where your marks sit.

My insight: Do the grade arithmetic before you spend on applications, because criterion 1 has its own 50-point minimum that no video or letter can make up; if you land close to 50, the optional mission letter and a sharp video decide whether you clear 70.

Three scholarships in Poland, Poland My First Choice, Visegrad and Lane Kirkland, name no. India on their official pages, so skip them for now:

• Poland My First Choice: the list names countries such as Australia, Canada, Japan, Singapore, and the USA, and no India.
• Visegrad Scholarship: the page names 12 countries, from Albania to Ukraine, and no India.
• Lane Kirkland: the page names 9 countries and asks for at least two years of work experience; it names no India.

Lists can change, so check each program page (linked under the table above) before a new cycle.

If scholarships in Poland don’t cover everything, look at these routes alongside Banach NAWA, not instead of it:

• Doctoral schools: these are tuition-free, including for international candidates, and doctoral candidates generally receive a doctoral scholarship under Polish law.
• University support: universities offer help such as a maintenance grant or a rector’s scholarship; whether you qualify depends on your legal status, and law and each university set the amounts.
• Erasmus: Erasmus scholarships have their own eligibility, amount, and deadlines for Indian students and are not a NAWA program.
• Part-time work: part-time work in Poland can help top up your budget, but check the work rules for your permit first.
• Other countries: if tuition is your main worry, free study in Europe shows which countries work for Indian master’s students.

A NAWA rejection doesn’t end your study plan, because NAWA and the university run separate processes. Keep your university application going, then work through these steps:

• Watch for a new call: as of November 2026, no newer call is listed; check the degree-year rule when one opens.
• Ask NAWA directly: write to banach@nawa.gov.pl with questions about the program.
• Ask about fees: each university sets its own tuition, so ask its international office what you would pay without the exemption.
• Fill the gap: an education loan from an Indian lender can cover the shortfall.
• Widen your list: compare master’s scholarships abroad, and if Germany is also on your list, look at master’s scholarships in Germany.
• Plan the next step: after a university offer, your next task is the Poland student visa.

This is general information, not financial or legal advice; check the NAWA call and your university’s official pages before you decide.

1. Plan around Banach NAWA: among scholarships in Poland, it is the one whose official page names India, and it funds master’s studies only.
2. Check your grade score early: for scholarships in Poland, your bachelor’s average needs 50 of its 70 points before anything else counts.
3. Apply in the first days of a call: the 2026 call ran until 8 May and could end earlier at 300 applications per country group.

Talk to a Leap Scholar counselor to check your Banach NAWA eligibility for scholarships in Poland and plan your file before the next call.