How to enroll a child in school in Poland?

The first important point – without a PESEL number, it is not possible to enroll a child in school. To obtain one, you need to go to the City Hall (Urząd Miasta) and fill out the appropriate form. PESEL is issued free of charge.

To enroll a child from Ukraine or Belarus in a Polish school, the following steps must be taken:

1. Find and choose a school in Poland. Schools have assigned districts. All children who officially reside in the district connected to the school must be accepted. At the parents’ discretion, private schools may also be used.

2. To register a child at school, the following documents are required:

• visa or residence permit. For Ukrainian citizens, a valid biometric passport is sufficient. The family must reside legally in Poland, meaning the parents and the child must have a visa or a residence card. If you have not yet received the permit, a confirmation of the submitted residence application is sufficient;
• the child’s birth certificate (translated);
• vaccination records or an excerpt from the child’s medical book (translated);

Once approved, the child will be listed as a prospective student of the chosen school and can begin attending once the school year starts.