Senior researchers and visiting Professors

 

Are you a senior researcher with experience and scholarship that you would like to share with colleagues abroad? Do you want to conduct your research to develop research institutions in Poland vividly, or have you applied for a Visiting Professor’s position? We have collected the information and references that can help you to organise your stay in Poland. We would like you to treat it as a starting point –  a roadmap with all references necessary.

 

* Important! Before applying for a research stay in Poland, please ensure that you’ve learned about all consequences and limitations for foreigners caused by COVID-19 outbreak, here.

      1. Visiting professors

What do you need to know if you are to become a visiting professor in Poland?

Most universities in Poland encourage eminent senior researchers and scientists who work outside of Poland to visit their institutions for a terminal arrangement. The average duration of each stay is 2-5 months. Alongside research activities, visiting scientists are usually obliged to perform an arranged number of teaching hours (10 hours per month on average). Sometimes they are required to deliver a presentation at a PhD seminar and an open lecture. The visiting scholars will be offered a grant corresponding to a salary, health insurance and required assistance.

More detailed information on chosen visiting professorship programmes:

For more – check a website of a university of your choice.

2. Additional funding opportunities 

How to obtain additional funding for your research activities?

If you think about a longer research stay in Poland, learn about dedicated funding programmes offered by the National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA): the NAWA Chair Programme and Ulam.

If you plan to start a research project, check funding possibilities offered by the National Science Centre. For senior researchers, we recommend mostly:

        • SONATA BIS – a funding scheme addressed to researchers holding a doctoral degree for establishing a new research team, aiming at becoming independent research leaders
        • MAESTRO – a funding scheme meant for senior scholars who want to conduct pioneering research, emphasising interdisciplinary research.
        • Other funding opportunities by National Science Centre

3. Entry Requirements and insurance

What formalities are required for a legal stay in Poland?

EU CITIZENS

        • To stay in Poland, EU member state citizens need a valid travel document or a document confirming identity and citizenship (like a national ID). For a visit shorter than three months, there are no formal requirements. For a more extended stay, a visitor will have to complete registration of residence via Voivodeship (Provincial)
        • UE citizens should only apply for registration of their stay with the local voivodeship office within 90 days of their arrival.
        • Detailed information on formalities related to the stay can be found on this website.

NON-EU CITIZENS

When entering Poland by non-EU citizens, two primary documents required are a valid travel document (passport) and a visa (if required).

        • Please note that foreigners from several countries are exempt from a visa requirement when entering the Schengen Area for periods not exceeding 90 days within a 180-day period. Check the list of the countries exempt from a visa requirement.
        • All information about applying for a visa in Poland can be found
        • Where to apply for a visa – learn more here

TEMPORARY RESIDENCE PERMIT

        • Non-EU citizens should apply for a Temporary Residence Permit before their visa expires. All the necessary information can be found
        • All necessary information on how to legalise your stay can be found

SHORT-TERM RESEARCHER MOBILITY

When your stay is related to conducting research or development work in a research unit in Poland, under certain conditions, you have the option of using a dedicated solution. For this purpose, you must meet the conditions specified on this website.

INSURANCE

        • Visitors from EU/EEA countries – a valid passport, student identity card or doctoral student identity card and a valid European Health Insurance Card entitles its holder to free medical care in Poland. More information.
        • Visitors from non-EU/EEA countries should purchase their international medical insurance before they arrive in Poland. Otherwise, they are required to sign a voluntary health insurance agreement with the National Health Fund (Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia – NFZ) and pay their insurance fees, which are about 15 EUR a month. More information.
        • If the researcher carries out research work under an employment contract, all obligatory insurance contributions are paid. The employer pays contributions on his own behalf and on behalf of the employee.

An academic degree awarded by an authorised institution operating in an EU, OECD or EFTA member state is recognised as equivalent to the corresponding Polish academic degree.

 

Academic degrees awarded in other countries may be recognised as equivalent to the corresponding Polish ones on the basis of an international agreement (https://www.gov.pl/web/edukacja-i-nauka/umowy-dwustronne-dotyczace-uznawalnosci-wyksztalcenia ) determining equivalence or, where no such agreement exists, by way of nostrification proceedings (link do informacji o nostryfikacji stopni naukowych https://nawa.gov.pl/images/users/642/Nostrification-of-academic-degrees_1.pdf ).

The competent authorities to conduct the nostrification procedure with regard to scientific degrees are councils of the organisational unit authorised to confer an academic degree of doktor habilitowany (doctor habilitatus) in a given academic field or in a given field of art within the scope of a given academic discipline or of a given arts discipline concerned with the academic degree.

 

A holder of an academic degree acquired in a country – party to the Lisbon Convention who wishes to start habilitation proceedings in Poland may be exempted from nostrification.

 

If you want to check how a particular foreign diploma is recognised in Poland, you can use KWALIFIKATOR system