Learn Polish Language in Warsaw for Free: A Complete Guide
If you’ve landed in Warsaw recently, maybe for studies, work, or a new life, and you’re realizing that dzień dobry and dziękuję will only get you so far. You want to learn Polish, but your budget’s tight, which I get because paying for Polish language is costly for you, as per my experience too, because if you study privately, you have to pay more than 50 zloty for an hour, if I am honest with you, which is quite high when it’s about learning Polish as a newcomer.
In this blog post, we will provide some free options in Warsaw for Polish classes. Let’s walk through this together.
Why is learning Polish important?
I know that it’s a very common question in your mind: why do you have to learn Polish? Look, you can survive in Warsaw with just English especially in the city center which I did too but later on I realized that it’s that simple because it’s not just communication but more than that, especially, e.g.
- Improve your understanding at the Urzad office because they do not talk in English.
- When you want to get a better job with advanced polish.
- You want to settle here in Poland permanently, where you need Polish.
Author note for you
Remember that learning Polish changes everything. That means if you learn Polish in your early days in Warsaw or any part of Poland, you basically open new doors of opportunity for yourself in the future. Although some big companies don’t care about Polish, you can manage in English, but if you speak Polish with English, you get a better position. While in odd jobs like factory, shop, and other jobs where you need to speak Polish at some level. So we highly suggest you go for learning Polish from the start.
Best Free Polish Courses in Warsaw (2026)
These are the top 6 options for you as a foreigner to consider if you want to learn Polish free of cost.
1. Start with Your District Office
This is the easiest way; most of us don’t even realize that Warsaw’s districts (dzielnice) often run free integration programs for foreigners, which include Polish classes. So you can grab this opportunity.
Author note for you
Visit your local dzielnica office (look for centrum integracji or urząd dzielnicy). If you live near Centrum and tell them in English, but it is better to ask in Polish, as this will give the impression that you are actually looking for the Polish language and learning, so just learn this question in Polish, like “Czy są darmowe kursy polskiego dla cudzoziemców?” (Are there free Polish courses for foreigners?). If there is any available course at that time, they will say yes, but they might ask for your zameldowanie (registration) and residence card. If you don’t have those yet, no worries; try the next option, which we are going to discuss next below.
2. The Poland Welcomes Program
This is a national program that’s genuinely helpful for you if you are a foreigner and want to learn Polish in Warszawa or any other part of Poland.
Author note for you
The good thing about this program is that it’s for third-country nationals (non-EU) with temporary residence permits, e.g., India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Africa, etc. You just need to visit the Mazovian Voivodeship Office website or ask at your district office.
Pro tip: you can look for the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, as they have occasional free courses for refugees and immigrants, and these courses are practical and conversation-based learning. The good thing about this foundation is that its located around Nowy Świat area, which is for those who live near Nowy Świat and want to take classes within walking distance.
3. Universities or other options for Students
If you’re studying at a Warsaw university, your school probably offers free Polish for their students, e.g., the University of Warsaw has Polonicum (free for UW students). While if you are studying in Warsaw University of Technology and others, then they also often have language centers
Author note for you
Even if your university doesn’t advertise it, it’s better to ask! Sometimes they run courses through student clubs or international offices. So you can even join a workshop named “Polish for Foreigners” at Stołeczne Centrum Edukacji Kulturalnej or the “Nowy Wspaniały Świat” Student Club. Their offer is often weekly during the academic year. So you can consider this option too as a student.
Many universities also offer 6-month to 1-year Polish courses prior to your study, which is an option for you to consider, but not every university offers this long course free of cost, of course. So we suggest you check your university where you are studying.
4. Library Language Tables
This is the most underrated resource and, of course, my favorite. Remember that Warsaw’s libraries aren’t just for books, but many of them host free Polish conversation tables as well, which you can avail.
Author note for you
First just go to the Multimedia Library at Tynieckiego (Mokotów), where they have friendly, regular meetings.
Second you can consider visit to American Corner Warsaw, as they sometimes has language exchanges
Third, you can visit the “Book and Language” Library located in Śródmieście, I mean Centrum.
Last but not least, visit your local neighborhood library, and seriously, just ask. Remember that you don’t need to be “good” at Polish to join. Just show up, listen, and try. People are surprisingly patient and would help you in some way, especially in Warszawa.
5. Community & Cultural Centers (The Warm, Welcoming Option)
This is another most amazing option for you to consider, even though you don’t even think about it, but really this will also work for you if you are actually looking to learn the Polish language free of cost.
Author note for you
Visit the Ecumenical Center at St. Martin’s Church (Old Town), which you often visit, as Old Town is famous and we often visit there, so just visit there without any hesitation, as this is open to everyone, not just religious people. This means you don’t need to belong to any specific religion; just visit and ask.
Visit other cultural centers like Nowy Wspaniały Świat or district cultural houses (dom kultury).
Even you can visit the Islamic Cultural Center near centrum which also offers Polish for Arabic speakers but welcomes all
These are often run by volunteers who genuinely want to help. They are supportive, and of course you feel less like a class but more like a supportive community that helps you in finding the ways to learn the Polish language as a foreigner.
6. Language Exchange & Tandem Learning
Although we have discussed some top options for you, it doesn’t end here because you can have a Conversation Exchange Meetup in Warsaw, e.g., Polyglot Club Warsaw, where they have weekly meetups at various cafes.
Author note for you
While they are not formal options as compared to the above, you can consider them, as your goal is to learn the Polish language free of cost. So just visiting these places would not cost you anything but would give you the opportunity to have interaction with new people, where you would not just learn Polish but also socialize with them to make your time amazing. So here I suggest you visit “Talkie Tongue” events at Niebo cafe every month.
7. Online-Offline Hybrid options
Apart from visiting above places, you can consider these online and offline option for learning the Polish language as a foreigner in Poland, e.g.,
Author note for you
If you are looking for your kids who want to learn Polish, then you have to visit the district family support centers (MOPS) in Mokotow.
How to Apply for Learning Polish for Foreigners in Warsaw
Most official free courses will ask for:
- Copy of your passport & visa/residence card
- Proof you live in Warsaw (zameldowanie), which you make while living in Warsaw.
- Sometimes they ask for a photo and application form
Other Related blog post to read
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Top 5 private universities in Warsaw
Top 5 international English schools for foreigners’ kids.
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Disclaimer: This blog post is only for educational purposes, and if you are looking for exact information, we suggest you visit the official source for up-to-date information.
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