Life in Kraków as an International Student

Magdalena Kotwica
Dec 10, 2025
8 min read

Updated: Mar 23

Living in Kraków as an international student can be an amazing experience, given the countless opportunities the city has to offer; however, it can come with certain limitations. One of the hardest to tackle is the language barrier. The Polish language is needed on various occasions while living in Poland. It is a difficult language to learn, and oftentimes, Polish people may not speak another language. On another note, a lot of events tend to be exclusive to Polish speakers only, which excludes and limits opportunities for international students. The choice of programme is also limited for non-Polish speakers, since the selection tends to be limited. Despite the growing number of English-taught courses, many fields, especially humanities and law, still offer Polish-only lessons.

Research shows that oftentimes international students’ social circles are mostly confined within the foreign student community, with few connections to local Polish peers, leading to isolation of foreign students. Therefore, it makes it harder for international students to blend in and be a part of events organised in Kraków. Access to English-taught programmes in Kraków and Poland in general can be closely influenced by national higher-education strategies. Decisions that are made regarding which courses are offered in English, and how available they are, reflect the country’s broader goal of internationalising its universities and enhancing competitiveness within other universities around Europe. This means that the number and composition of international students in Poland are shaped, not only by institutional funding, curriculum design, and faculty recruitment policies, but also by national-level decisions.

Krakow old square (Photo Credit: https://krakow.wiki/community/)

Looking at it from this point of view, we can observe that student mobility is not only an academic matter but also a political one. At the same time, integration challenges encountered by foreign students often show us the broader societal debates surrounding multiculturalism, immigration, and social inclusion. Public discourse frequently addresses issues of cultural identity, migration flows, and the degree to which foreign residents should be supported or assimilated. As a relatively small but growing demographic, international students become part of these discussions, and their experiences can show us the prevailing political climate and societal attitudes toward internationalisation and acceptance of international students.

International community in Kraków

The international English-speaking community in Kraków is very broad, consisting not only of students but also expatriates, working professionals, and long-term foreign residents. The community is supported by a range of networks and initiatives, such as Meetup groups, InterNations, the Kraków Expats Directory, and city-led integration programmes, which provide opportunities for socialising, networking, and accessing practical support. More information on where to find them is provided below. In 2024, Kraków’s universities collectively had about 137,784 students, of whom 9,631 were international students. Universities in Kraków have plenty of English courses to offer. This means more opportunities to meet other international students from outside of the WSIMP faculty. There are other universities like AGH (Akademia Górniczo Hutnicza), UEK (Kraków University of Economics), which also offer courses in English, expanding the English-speaking student community in the city. Student website for English speakers:https://jointhestudentlife.com/city/krakow/, and some more useful websites designed specifically for the International community in Kraków, that explain events, Polish traditions, and talk about news in Kraków: https://krakow.wiki/community/, and that helps to get around and understand how to approach getting accommodated in Kraków: https://krakspire.com/krakow-in-the-eyes-of-foreigners/

As an international student

The Jagiellonian University consists mainly of Polish-speaking courses. Therefore, since the majority of students speak Polish, many of the events are exclusive to that language. Despite the university progressively expanding its opportunities to international students, unfortunately, quite a lot of them are still limited to Polish speakers only. This does not mean that international students are fully excluded from university events, as some of them are friendly to English speakers. Although not many, some of the Polish events also provide opportunities for international students; make sure to check if the events you are interested in have such options. There are also exclusive English-speaking events organised; information about where to find them is below.

Guest lectures

Guest lecture at the Jagiellonian University (Photo Credit: https://wsmip.uj.edu.pl/en_GB/news-and-events/-/journal_content/56_INSTANCE_QSNed6IqkIKg/41658/159712944CopernicusFestival)

Guest lectures are a common occurrence; our university invites guests who have the opportunity to deliver lectures. Attending them is always an interesting experience, which provides interesting insights and different perspectives. The variety of guests from different parts of the world with various ideas and stories provides a broad spectrum, where anyone can find a topic that they are interested in. The guests are often ambassadors, lecturers from other universities, and a lot of interesting personas who have experience in what they are delivering. It is a unique opportunity to get such perspectives. Usually, at the end of each lecture, there is room for questions and a brief conversation with the Guest. These lectures are useful for obtaining OAA points, which you can receive by writing a short summary of the event. These lectures are almost exclusively in English!

Copernicus Festival

Our university often organises a variety of unique events. On the 21st of November 2025, the Copernicus Festival: Kampus, was held at the 3rd Campus of the Jagiellonian University. This event was for those who wanted to explore and discover the world of science, imagination, and outer space, which was the focus of the festival. It was structured around several thematic zones that introduced students to different ways of understanding the universe. Throughout the event, students were able to take part in interactive activities, presentations, and discussions designed to introduce complex ideas about space and the natural world.

Student demonstration at the Jagiellonian University (Photo Credit: https://cfk.uj.edu.pl/)

Most of the festival events were only held in Polish. It would be great to see such events also available to international students in the future.

Festival website for more information: https://cfk.uj.edu.pl/

AIAS organised events

One of the best sources of student-organised events is our AIAS association. The Academic Affairs team has a lot of opportunities to offer, such as JAGIMUN. There is also a debate club for those interested in academic debates. If you are looking for non-academic events, the Social Affairs team has got you covered, since it organises a variety of student events, usually with at least one event per week. From parties, karaoke nights, bowling, winter ball, and pub quizzes, anyone can find something they would be interested in attending. It is a great opportunity to get to know peers from IRAS and GLAD courses, and not only! Check out the AIAS website:

https://iras.uj.edu.pl/en_GB/current-students/aias, and social media for information about upcoming events.

AIAS logo (Photo Credit: https://iras.uj.edu.pl/en_GB/current-students/aiasWhere to find all of the necessary information)

Check your email inbox! Quite a lot of events get announced through emails. Unfortunately, the majority of them are written in Polish, but there is usually an English version below, or through a different link. The events can lead to new academic opportunities, sometimes with possibilities to receive OAA points, which are necessary in order to pass our courses! If you want to be well-informed about what is happening around the university, do not discard the Polish emails, and have a look at the English translation. The Newsletter CWN – a few times per month (generally about once or twice a week), in your email inbox, you will receive an email from the Centrum Wsparcia Nauki (Centre of Learning Support), which announces a lot of interesting educational events that might be worth checking out. The university website has a dedicated section directed towards international students. It can help to provide useful information that you may be looking for, especially if it is on the topic of international student affairs. It provides stable general knowledge that might be useful; however, it isn’t a news page which would have updates on all of the latest events, since the page does not get updated as often. If you would like to check it out: https://internationalstudents.uj.edu.pl/en_GB

If you want to be up to date with upcoming events, make sure to follow the university and student organisation accounts on social media. Instagram or Facebook are usually the main source of information, since those are the most commonly used Social Media outlets.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jagiellonian.university/,

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jagiellonian_university/.

Posters that inform about upcoming events can be found all over the walls of our university. We tend to walk by and look past them; however, it might be worth having a look at what the university has to offer!

Outside of University events

The majority of attractions, such as museums and historical sights, provide student discounts as long as you show a valid student ID card (legitymacja). It is a great perk to take advantage of while being a student in Kraków. The city is known to be Poland’s capital of culture, offering numerous amounts of cultural sights, hence why Kraków has become such a popular tourist destination. Being able to see all of the attractions at huge discounts is an amazing advantage to being a student in Kraków. Free Wawel Castle for the month of November.

Overhead view of Wawel castle (Photo Credit: https://historichotelsofeurope.com/inspire-me/experiences/attractions/wawel-castle-and-cathedral/)

During the month of November, the Royal Wawel Castle has made all of its attractions free to visit! All you need to do is sign up on the website for a designated time slot, since the number of people that are allowed into certain attractions is limited. The month of November offers free attractions because of an annual nationwide campaign called "Free November in royal residences," organized by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. It is a great opportunity to take advantage of since Wawel is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Kraków, which has a lot to offer. More information is available at: https://wawel.krakow.pl/en.

Christmas market

The main upcoming attraction is the Christmas market that will be located in the main square from the twenty-eighth of November 2025, until the first of January 2026. It attracts a lot of tourists worldwide as well as visitors from all over Poland. Unfortunately, the prices are reflected in this. It is a rare sight to spot a true Cracovian on the market since it is commonly known as a tourist trap, with prices much higher than what the locals are used to. Despite this, the atmosphere of the Rynek Główny during this time is magical, and a must-see during the wintertime. Kraków has a lot more to offer during this time of the year. Located right next to our university in Park Jordana, there will be an ice skating rink, a unique way to cool off right after hours of lectures in the wintertime. Additionally, here are some dates to keep in mind for the wintertime: From the twenty-ninth to the thirtieth of November, there is a fair of Christmas items on the Podgórze square. And on the sixth of December, the Christmas tree located in the main square will be lit up.

For more information, read more at: https://krakowchristmas.com/

Where to find all of the necessary information

You can also look into the social media of Kraków city: https://www.instagram.com/krakow_pl/, or another useful way to find out information is to follow influencers who document events and places in Kraków, for a more sincere perspective and personal opinions of what Kraków has to offer. There can also be posters found around the city announcing events; however, social media is the most commonly used source of information.