Gdynia Maritime University GMU

Regulation no 31
of the Rector of Gdynia Maritime University
of 24th June 2021 
RRP/0132/48/2022

Concerning the admission of non-nationals to courses of study at Gdynia Maritime University.

Pursuant to Arts. 23.1 and 23.2, and in conjunction with Arts. 323 and 324 of the Higher Education Act of 20th July 2018 (Journal of Laws of 2021, item 478):

Article 1
Legal basis

Non-nationals can apply for admission to attend undergraduate and postgraduate courses of study, doctoral programmes, and other forms of education (courses of study), as well as participate in scientific research and development works at Gdynia Maritime University in accordance with the regulations set out in the Higher Education Act of 20th July 2018. 

Article 2
Rights of non-nationals to study in Poland

1. Non-nationals are admitted to courses of study on the same terms as Polish citizens, excluding the qualification process (ranking). Gdynia Maritime University (GMU) may request that students attend a "foundation" year in order to develop their command of Polish and improve their knowledge of mathematics, physics, and English.
2. Non-nationals may study in Poland on the basis of:

1. international agreements, and in compliance with the regulations outlined in these agreements;
2. agreements concluded with foreign institutions by Gdynia Maritime University and in compliance with the regulations outlined in these agreements;
3. a decision of the Minister for Higher Education;
4. a decision of the Director of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) concerning its scholarships;
5. a decision of the Director of the NCN to allocate funds for the implementation of fundamental research in the form of a research project, internship or scholarship, qualified for funding by way of a competition;
6. a decision of the Rector of Gdynia Maritime University.

3. The following are exempt from the payment of tuition fees for full-time courses in Polish:

1. citizens of a member state of the European Union or the Swiss Confederation or a member state of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – contracting parties of the European Economic Area, and also members of their families provided they reside within the territory of the Republic of Poland;
2. non-nationals who have been granted the right to stay or a permanent residency permit by one of the member states of the European Union;
3. non-nationals who have been granted a temporary residence permit on the conditions outlined in Art. 159 (1), and Article 186, (1.3, 1.4) of the Act of 12th December 2013 on foreigners (Journal of Laws of 2020, item 35);
4. non-nationals who possess refugee status or temporary protection (TPS) or subsidiary protection status granted in the Republic of Poland.
5. non-nationals who hold a certificate confirming knowledge of Polish as a foreigner, as referred to in Article 11a (2) of the Act of 7th October 1999 on Polish Language (Journal of Laws of 2021, item 672), at language proficiency level C1 or above;
6. holders of a "Karta Polaka" or persons or beneficiaries of a decision confirming Polish origin;
7. a foreigner who is a spouse, ascendant or descendent of a citizen of the Republic of Poland, and who currently resides within the territory of the Republic of Poland;
8. a foreigner who has been granted a temporary residence permit in connection with the circumstances referred to in Article 151 (b) of the Act of 12th December 2013 on Foreigners or residing in the territory of the Republic of Poland in connection with the use of short-term mobility for researchers under the conditions set out in Article 156b (1) of that Act or a national visa in order to conduct scientific research or development work.

4. Non-nationals may be exempt from fees for full-time courses of study conducted in Polish or a foreign language, and for the repetition of classes or modules as part of a full-time course of study due to unsatisfactory assessment outcomes, in accordance with the rules laid down in an agreement between universities or an international agreement. Non-nationals may also be exempt from these charges based on:

1. a decision issued by the Rector of GMU;
2. the decision of the Minister or the Director of NAWA concerning its scholarships.

Article 3
Studies in Polish

1. Non-nationals may be admitted to course of study in Polish at GMU if they:

1. complete a preparatory course enabling them to study in Polish conducted by organizations determined by the Minister responsible for higher education;
2. have been awarded a certificate of Polish as a foreign language at B1 level issued by the State Commission for Certification of Command of Polish as a Foreign Language [Państwowa Komisja Poświadczania Znajomości Języka Polskiego jako Obcego];
3. receive confirmation from the respective Faculty of Gdynia Maritime University that the level of their knowledge of Polish is sufficient to study in Polish.
4. hold a secondary school leaving certificate (Matura) issued in the Polish education system, or
5. graduated from a secondary school abroad, where classes were conducted in Polish.

2. Candidates' command of the Polish language shall be verified by the relevant Faculty admissions council during the admissions process.
3. In addition to the exception provided for in Art. 2 (3) and (4), fees for courses of study in Polish studies shall be paid to the University's bank account per semester, one semester in advance, no later than the start date of the course in accordance with the course curriculum. The conditions governing the payment of tuition fees are regulated in a civil and legal contract concluded with each (non-national) student.
4. Tuition fees for courses of study in Polish are given in the relevant Regulation of the Rector of GMU.

Article 4
Studying in English

1. The University offers the possibility to study in English, on a full and part-time basis. In order for a degree course to be delivered in English, a sufficient number of candidates must declare their interests. The exact number of students required is determined by the Dean of the Faculty of the given specialisation.
2. Non-nationals may be admitted to a course of study conducted in English, if:

1. they can provide a valid certificate confirming their command of English, as outlined in Article 47 of the Civil Service Act of 21st November 2008 (Journal of Laws of 2017, items 1889 and 2203 and Journal of Laws of 2018 item 106), or
2. hold a certificate, diploma or other document confirming the completion of secondary school education abroad in which the classes were conducted in English, or
3. receive confirmation from the University during the recruitment process that their education and command of the English language are sufficient for them to study in English.

3. In addition to the exception provided for in article 2 (4), fees for English-language studies shall be paid to the University’s bank account per semester, one semester in advance, no later than the start date of the course in accordance with the course curriculum. The conditions governing the payment of tuition fees are regulated in a civil and legal contract concluded with each (non-national) student.
4. Tuition fees for courses of study in English are provided in the relevant Regulation of the Rector of GMU

Article 5
University Accommodation

GMU can provide students with university accommodation in Student Residences in Gdynia. The rules and regulations governing students' stay at these residences and the associated accommodation fees are provided in the Rules for the Allocation of Places in Student Accommodation at Gdynia Maritime University and Gdynia Maritime University Student Residence Rules and Regulations.

Article 6
Required Documents

1. Candidates applying to Gdynia Maritime University should submit, in addition to registering on the relevant admissions web pages on the University's website, the following documents in a cardboard folder, according to the instructions of the Faculty admissions council:

1. a printed copy of the admissions questionnaire containing their personal data, which can be generated on the online admissions system by visiting: https://irk.umg.edu.pl;
2. in the case of first-cycle (bachelor's) degrees, a copy of a certificate certified by Gdynia Maritime University entitling the candidate to apply for admission to higher education in the country in which it was awarded (the certificate must be legalised or include an apostille, and recognised as equivalent to the relevant Polish secondary school leaving certificate [matura] by way of the Diploma Recognition Procedure or on the basis of international agreements) or a copy of the candidate's secondary school leaving certificate [matura] issued in Poland and certified by GMU;
3. in the case of 2nd-cycle studies, a copy of the candidate's diploma certified by Gdynia Maritime University, including a supplement - a list of assessments and subjects studied throughout the course of study - or another document confirming completion of a degree abroad and entitling the candidate to be admitted to 2-cycle (master's) degree in the country in which it was awarded (the diploma must be legalised or include an apostille, and recognised as equivalent to the relevant Polish 1st-cycle diploma by way of the diploma recognition procedure or on the basis of an international agreement). The original diploma should be presented for verification.
4. a photocopy of the document authorising legal residence in the territory of Poland, i.e., visa, temporary or permanent residence card, etc.;
5. documents confirming the exemption from tuition fees on the basis of Article 324 (2) of the Law of 20 July 2018. - Law on Higher Education and Science;
6. insurance card (e.g., a health insurance policy or European Health Insurance Card).
7. documents confirming the candidate's command of Polish/English (certificates, proof of course completion);
8. a passport-style colour photo taken on a light background with the candidate's name and surname, as well as an electronic copy in JPG format. Photographs should be without any head covering or dark-lensed glasses. The electronic image should be of at least 300 x 375 pixels, to allow for printing to size 2 x 2.5 cm with the appropriate quality. The maximum file size is 1 megabyte. The photo provided in electronic form should be the same as the printed version and submitted to the University together with the remaining documents.
9. persons with congenital or acquired visual disabilities may appear wearing dark glasses, and persons that wear a head covering for religious reasons may appear in the photo wearing a head covering,

1. a document confirming the right to submit a photograph in which the person appears in dark glass glasses is a certificate attesting to a congenital or acquired visual disability, issued under the provisions on determining disability and of disability.
2. an appropriate document confirming the right to submit a photograph in which the person appears in a head covering is a certificate confirming they are a member of a religious group,
3. the persons referred to in Article 8 (a), (b), (c) do not need to provide an authorising document if they present a recently issued ID card with the same photograph as they wish to include in their student ID card;
4. proof of payment of the admissions fee;

10. in the case of minors, authorisation of a parent or guardian;
11. a medical certificate issued by a qualified doctor (a doctor of labour medicine) confirming the lack of any medical conditions that would inhibit their participation in the chosen course of study;
12. candidates for maritime specialisations - an international maritime certificate for seafarers.

2. The documents referred to in paragraphs 11 and 12 above may be submitted at a later date as determined by the Dean of the Faculty.
3. All documents written in a language other than Polish, excluding passports or national identity cards, should be translated into Polish by a sworn translator

Article 7
Accommodation to a course of study

1. The admission council of the relevant faculty shall conduct the admission process for candidates.
2. The admission process is carried out on the University's online candidate registration system (IRK). Candidates can register and log into the system at https://irk.umg.edu.pl
3. Following the successful completion of the admissions process and the payment of appropriate fees for the first semester of study, candidates shall receive a certificate confirming their acceptance onto the relevant course at the University.
4. A contract for the paid provision of educational services shall be concluded with the candidate.
5. Candidates are accepted onto their chosen course of study following the conclusion of a civil and legal contract between the University and the candidate.
6. All payments should be made to the University's bank account

1. for payments in EURO 54114011530000223543001019
2. for payments in USD 27114011530000223543001020
3. for payments in PLN for particular faculties:

1. Navigation 60114011530000223543001008
2. Marine Engineering 33114011530000223543001009
3. Electrical Engineering 06114011530000223543001010
4. Management and Quality Science 87114011530000223543001007
   mBank SA Oddział Korporacyjny w Gdyni,
   ul. Śląska 47, 81-310 Gdynia
   SWIFT CODE BREXPLPW

7. The documents mentioned in Art. 8 should be submitted directly to the respective Dean's office in the Faculty to which the student has applied.

Article 8
Final Provisions

1. In specific matters not covered by this Regulation, decisions shall be taken by the Deputy Rector responsible for Recruitment.
2. Regulation No 9 of the Rector of the Gdynia Maritime Academy of 12th May 2016 on the amendment of the Regulations concerning the admission of non-nationals to courses of study at Gdynia Maritime University is repealed from the date of entry into force of this regulation.
3. The Regulation shall enter into force on the date of signature.