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Twój Polski
A group of adults studying together at a table

New rules in force since 1 July 2026

The Polish that unlocks your EU resident card, citizenship and studies

Rainbow Edu language school in Łódź. We teach in person, one-to-one, in duets and in small groups. We prepare you for the state certificate examination at B1, B2 and C1 level, and we support foreign-language children at Polish schools.

Sign up for a courseSee what changed
B1
EU resident card and citizenship
B2
university admission
C1
studies with no tuition

A post-secondary school certificate is no longer enough

Since 1 July 2026, a post-secondary school leaving certificate can no longer be used in proceedings for Polish citizenship or for an EU long-term resident permit. Unless you have finished another school or studies taught in Polish, in practice you have one route: a state certificate at level B1 or higher.

See exactly what changed

Why people come to learn

Each one has a different language threshold and a different deadline. We start with the one that applies to you.

B1

Resident card and citizenship

EU long-term resident permit or recognition as a Polish citizen

In both proceedings the authorities require proof of Polish at level B1 or higher. The list of documents is closed: a state certificate or a leaving certificate from a school with Polish as the language of instruction (except a post-secondary school), and for the resident card also a diploma from studies taught in Polish.

  • A course covering all five parts of the exam
  • A full mock exam under near-real conditions
  • Help planning your session date and registration
B2

Studying in Poland

University admission

Third-country candidates applying on the basis of documents issued abroad must present proof of the language of instruction at level B2 or higher. Graduates of Polish schools holding the Polish matura are exempt.

  • Polish at B2 for programmes taught in Polish
  • Schedule aligned with admission deadlines
  • Work on academic texts, not just conversation
C1

Free studies in Poland

Full-time Polish-taught degree with no tuition

A foreigner holding the state certificate at level C1 or higher studies at a public university in Polish free of charge, on the same terms as a Polish citizen. The same certificate also opens access to the social scholarship and the student loan.

  • The best return on the whole path: a certificate instead of tuition
  • Work on academic texts and argumentative writing
  • A realistic plan from B2 to C1 before the admission round
A1 and A2

Work and everyday life

Starting from zero

Before B1 there has to be a foundation. We teach the language you use at the doctor, at the office, at work and at your child’s school. It is the same path that leads to the certificate a year or two later.

  • Groups for people starting from the alphabet
  • Official and workplace vocabulary from day one
  • A smooth move into the B1 preparation group

What the rules actually say

This section is for people who want to understand the basis, not just be told that “you need a certificate”. The verification date is given at the end of the section.

Language requirement in the most common proceedings

  • EU long-term resident permit

    B1 or higher

    How you can prove it

    state certificate, leaving certificate from a school with Polish as the language of instruction in Poland or abroad (not a post-secondary school), diploma from Polish-taught studies

  • Recognition as a Polish citizen

    B1 or higher

    How you can prove it

    state certificate, leaving certificate from a school in Poland (not a post-secondary school) or from a school abroad with Polish as the language of instruction

  • University admission based on foreign documents

    B2 or higher in the language of instruction

    How you can prove it

    a document confirming knowledge of the language the programme is taught in

  • Free full-time Polish-taught studies at a public university

    C1 or higher

    How you can prove it

    the state certificate of proficiency in Polish

The change of 1 July 2026

Until 30 June 2026

Many people proved their Polish with a post-secondary school leaving certificate, without sitting an exam. Since July 2025 the rules no longer provide for this, but a transition period still allowed certificates issued by 30 June 2025 to be used.

Since 1 July 2026

The transition period has ended. In citizenship and EU long-term resident proceedings started from 1 July 2026, the post-secondary certificate is no longer accepted. Anyone who was counting on it now has to pass the state exam.

Proposed changes to citizenship rules

A presidential bill extending the minimum period of uninterrupted residence required for recognition as a Polish citizen from three to ten years has been waiting in the Sejm for its first reading since November 2025. A similar bill from MPs, with a C1 requirement, was rejected by the Sejm in January 2026. None of these changes is in force: today the required level is B1. If anything changes, we will update this section.

A new requirement for university candidates

A third-country national applying to a Polish university on the basis of documents issued abroad must present proof of the language of instruction at level B2 or higher. Holders of the Polish matura are exempt. If the programme is taught in Polish, that means Polish at B2.

Upcoming exam sessions

The dates are set by the State Commission. Pick a session and we will show you when registration opens and how much time is left.

Choose an exam session

Exam date

5 December 2026

Registration is already open

✓

Time left

4 weeks

Whether you can be ready for this session depends on the level you start from. Someone at A2 may need a few months, someone starting from zero needs far longer. We do not guess: we run a free placement test and tell you plainly whether this session is realistic or whether the next one is the better target.

Book a free placement test

What the state exam looks like

The certificate is issued solely by the State Commission for the Certification of Proficiency in Polish as a Foreign Language. No language school, ours included, can issue it. What we do is prepare you for the exam.

An examination room with desks laid out in rows

Level B1, group adapted to the needs of adults

Written part
190 minutes
Oral part
up to 15 minutes
Written modules
listening, reading, grammar, writing
Fee
the equivalent of EUR 150
Registration
opens 2 months before the session

Pass threshold

You need at least 50 percent in every module of the written part and at least 50 percent in the oral part. One weak module fails the whole exam, which is why the course works on all five rather than on speaking alone.

Where you sit the exam in Łódź

The exam is always taken on site, at a centre authorised by the Commission. There are several in Łódź, so you do not have to travel.

  • Akademia Humanistyczno-Ekonomiczna w Łodzi

    ul. Sterlinga 26, Łódź

  • Uniwersytet Łódzki, Wydział Filologiczny

    ul. Pomorska 171/173, Łódź

  • Akademia Vitas

  • Centrum Nauki i Biznesu Żak

The levels available in a given session and the registration dates are announced by the State Commission. Check them on the official exam website before you register for a session.

Official exam website, certyfikatpolski.pl

Our courses

Three levels, three different goals. Each one runs in person at our rooms in Łódź Retkinia, one-to-one, in a duet or in a small group. Evening and weekend slots, built around people who work.

A1 to A2

Polish from zero

Everyday life, work, officialdom

One-to-one, duet or group

  • Alphabet, pronunciation and the basics of grammar
  • Official and workplace language from the start
  • Materials in Polish with key terms translated
Sign up
B1

B1 exam preparation

EU resident card, citizenship

One-to-one, duet or group

  • All five exam parts, with extra work on your weakest
  • Exam-format tasks in every class
  • A full mock exam before the session
Sign up
B2

B2 exam preparation

University admission

One-to-one, duet or group

  • Academic texts and writing at degree level
  • Schedule aligned with admission deadlines
  • Guidance on assembling your language documents
Sign up
C1

C1 exam preparation

Free studies, scholarship

One-to-one, duet or group

  • Academic language: summarising, argument, formal register
  • Exam-format tasks at C1 level
  • A full mock exam before the session
Sign up
A teacher explaining something at a whiteboard

The price depends on the number of hours and the size of the group. Write to us through the form and we will send the current price list and the next start dates.

Prices

Prices for one-to-one and duet classes, gross, per single class. The range depends on the teacher’s experience and the level you work at.

  • 45 minutes

    One-to-one
    PLN 100 to 130
    Duet, per person
    PLN 70 to 75

  • 60 minutes

    One-to-one
    PLN 100 to 140
    Duet, per person
    PLN 75 to 85

  • 90 minutes

    One-to-one
    PLN 150 to 200
    Duet, per person
    PLN 100 to 130

Where we teach

  • ul. Rajdowa 9/1, Retkinia
  • ul. Sprinterów 7/11, Retkinia
  • At your place
Ask about dates and a quote

A duet is a class for two people at a similar level: couples, siblings, friends, two people from the same company. Group exam preparation is priced separately, because it depends on the number of hours and the size of the group. Write to us through the form and we will send the group price list and the next start dates.

Course provider

Taught by Rainbow Edu, a language school in Łódź

This is the school’s own offer, not an intermediary. Classes are taught by Rainbow Edu teachers, you sign the contract with the school and you settle payments with the school. Same team, same rooms and same price list as the rest of the offer.

We also teach English, German, Spanish, Italian, French and Korean, we prepare students for Cambridge exams and we run school tutoring.

See the full offer at rainbow.edu.pl

For parents

Support for your child at a Polish school

A child who joins a Polish school without the language has the right to extra support. The trouble is that the statutory hours are rarely enough, while maths, science and history move on regardless, and the child falls behind not because they cannot do the work but because they cannot read the question. We work with the child one to one: we explain what came up in class and teach the language they need at school, not the language of a phrasebook.

What the law provides

  • At least 2 hours of extra Polish lessons per week
  • Catch-up classes, up to 5 hours per week in total
  • A preparatory class, capped at 15 pupils per group
  • An intercultural assistant who speaks the language of the country of origin

What we do

  • Explaining topics from specific subjects, not only from Polish lessons
  • Preparation for class tests and for the eighth-grade exam
  • Contact with the parent in Ukrainian, Russian or English

How much support a given school provides depends on decisions by the head teacher and the governing authority. If you are not sure what you can ask for, write to us and we will explain.

Ask about support for your child

For employers and staffing agencies

An employee who wants to stay in Poland permanently will sooner or later need Polish at B1: for the EU resident card and for citizenship. A course ending in the state exam helps keep people in the company for longer, and Polish is useful at work from day one.

Ask about a corporate course
  • Closed groups for a single company, at our place or yours
  • Classes built around shift patterns
  • Attendance and progress reports for HR

Frequently asked questions

If something is missing here, write to us through the form. We reply the same working day.

Will I get a certificate after your course?

No. The certificate is issued solely by the State Commission, after you pass the state exam. Our course prepares you for that exam and ends with a mock exam, not with an official document. Anyone promising you a certificate without the state exam is misleading you.

Is a telc certificate enough for citizenship?

For citizenship, the law lists an official certificate issued by the State Commission or a leaving certificate from a school with Polish as the language of instruction. A telc certificate is not on that list. For the EU resident card the list is broader (including a diploma from studies taught in Polish), and which B1 certificates count is set by a regulation. Confirm this with your own office before paying for an exam.

How long does it take to reach B1?

From A2 to B1 is usually a few months of regular study. From zero to B1, plan realistically for one to two years, depending on how much time you can give it and whether you already speak a Slavic language. In your first class we run a placement test and tell you plainly how long your path will take.

Where is the exam held and what does it cost?

The exam is taken on site at a centre authorised by the Commission. There are several in Łódź, including the University of Łódź at Pomorska 171/173 and Akademia Humanistyczno-Ekonomiczna at Sterlinga 26. The list changes from session to session, the current one is on certyfikatpolski.pl. The fee is the equivalent of EUR 150, converted at the National Bank of Poland rate. You pay it directly to the centre, not to us.

When do I have to register for the exam?

Registration opens two months before the session and places can run out. That is why the course should start earlier than the registration. The planner above works out both dates for the session you choose.

Do you teach online?

We teach Polish for foreigners in person only, at our rooms in Retkinia or at your place. That is a deliberate choice: progress is faster face to face, the oral part of the exam is a conversation with a person, and the exam itself is taken on site at a centre in Łódź anyway.

What language are the classes taught in?

In Polish, from the first class, because that is the fastest way to learn. In beginner groups we translate key terms as well, and you can handle all administrative matters with the office in Polish or English.

I do not know my level. Where do I start?

With the form below. Tick “I have a question”, write a few sentences about yourself, and we will arrange a free placement test and tell you which group fits.

Sign up or ask a question

We reply the same working day. Your message goes straight to the Rainbow Edu school office in Łódź.

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