Internacjonalizacja
Student Guide
Please familiarize with our “Art Student’s Survival Guide” designed with the view to incoming students. It includes all the most important information about our Academy, faculties, social life and life in Poland in general. Each student will also receive a hard copy of this guide upon the arrival.
Insurance
Before coming to Poland please make sure to get the European Health Insurance Card, it is needed in case of emergency. All the necessary information you can find out on the website.
You can also get another student cards such as ISIC or Euro26
Arrival to Cracow
- By plane Operating in the city is the International Airport Kraków-Balice. Detailed information about the current flight information you can find on the Kraków Airport website. The easiest way to reach the airport from Kraków is public transport: buses (day lines 208 and 209 and night service 902), and Balice Ekspres railway line, all taking passengers to the Main Rail Station in the centre of the city, just two blocks away from the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow.
- By train Kraków has a rich network of rail connections, and its Main Railway Station (Dworzec Główny), is situated just by the historical city centre. Detailed information about connections, also international, is available from the website of Polish State Railway (PKP).
- By coach International coach service is offered by numerous private operators. The Main Bus Station is situated at ul. Bosacka 18, east of the Main Railway Station, to which it is connected by an underground pass.
Accommodation
The Academy does not have its own halls of residence. You can try to find a room in other Universities’ dorms (there are plenty of them in Kraków), but please note, that the students of these schools have a priority.
Private housing
Another option is to rent a private flat. There are plenty of advertisements on the Internet, social sites and forums however, caution is advised. Renting a flat together with other students allows, in most cases, a higher living standard and keeps rental expenses at a price similar to student dormitories. Rental costs depend on type (room or flat), location (part of the city), and facilities. Private housing generally ranges from PLN 1200 to PLN 2500 a month (or from PLN 400 to PLN 1000 for a single room/place in room). Paying a deposit to the landlord on entering the flat is a usual practice. Bills for some amenities (gas, electricity, telephone, Wi-Fi or cable Internet connection, etc.) usually are not included in the rental price. Students are advised to sign agreements with landlords, specifying exact rental terms and conditions.
We recommend choosing older districts, situated in close vicinity (2–2.5km/1-1.5miles) from the centre. Fees are certainly lower in the residential districts on the outskirts, mostly built during communism, yet the standard of life (and possibly also your safety) is lower, and traffic jams may eat up to 1 hour on the way to the centre, and another 1 hour on the way back in high traffic.
Although in the past few years we obesrve the global warming effects, fairly severe winters still happen, and temperatures dropping below -10°C/14°F for longer spells of time, thus it pays to consider the type of heating offered. Monthly heating fees (and thermal comfort) may differ strongly depending on the type of heating installed, whether central (the best one), gas or electric (the most expensive).
We advise you to join some groups f.eg. on Facebook, where students in Kraków send information about available rooms. Try for instance ERASMUS IN KRAKÓW 2023-2024 or Krakow 2023-2024 – International & Erasmus Students
Public Transport
A detailed and updated map of connections is available on MPK S.A. website.
Good source to find out about routes and plan your journey in some cities in Poland (including Kraków) is to use the application called Jak dojadę.
It is also available for mobile phones as an app.
Tickets can be bought from vending machines (with the menu in English, German, Italian, French, and Spanish) on some stops and on board. All types of tickets must be validated in the ticket puncher immediately on boarding the vehicle.
Tickets are more expensive than a pass e.g. monthly for the entire municipal transport network or individual line(s). As the pass is individualised, to buy it for the first time you need to prove your identity, and when buying it at the reduced rate for students, you also need to provide a valid student identity card. Your first Kraków Pass is available only from selected locations:
- ul. św. Wawrzyńca 13 (Mon-Fri, from 8 am to 4 pm )
- ul. Powstańców Wielkopolskich 6 (Mon-Fri, from 9 am to 5 pm )
- ul. Podwale 3/5 (Mon-Fri, from 9 am to 7 pm )
- Krowodrza Górka tram terminal (Mon-Fri, from 11 am to 7 pm )
- os. Centrum D bl.7 (Nowa Huta) (Mon-Fri, from 9 am to 7 pm )
- ul. Medweckigo 15 (Mon-Fri, from 11 am to 7 pm )
You are entitled to a reduced tariff for students (50%) if you are a holder of a valid Polish student’s card or valid ISIC or Euro<26 card (with the last two you also should have your student ID card from your home university).
Student ID Card
Such ID will give you the access to Academy’s Main Library and discounts in some museums, cinemas, public transport etc.
In case you have other types of students cards, like Euro>26 or ISIC – they also give you some discounts, including in public transport. However, please note that if you want to use public transport with these cards (Euro and ISIC) it only works for students under 26.
So in case you are 26 or older and you are going to use public transport – it would be good idea to get our student ID card.
How to order our student ID card?
Polish Course
We organise intensive Polish Language course for incoming students, which is free of charge, during each semester.
Course is is not obligatory, but those students, who decide to take it, will be awarded 2 ECTS upon successful completion. During our first week of the semester, all accepted students will have the possibility to sign up for this course. You can also choose it in your Learning Agreement during the recruitment process.
Library
The Main Library is located in one of Academy’s buildings on 9 Smoleńsk Street 31-108 Kraków
Opening Hours:
9:00 – 19:00
Tuesday: 9:00 – 19:00
Wednesday: 9:00 – 19:00
Thursday: 9:00 – 19:00
Friday: 10:00 – 14:30
Saturday:
Internet Access
Internet access – general information
Broadband Internet access is relatively easy and common in most cities in Poland. Besides public open networks (e.g. in Kraków’s Main Market Square), you can access the Internet on your tablet, Smartphone or laptop in many cafés, bars, clubs, restaurants, and libraries. They usually offer very good quality access for their guests – just ask for the password.
Renting a flat/apartment, ask if it is provided with WiFi access, as this is often not the case. You can buy a relatively cheap SIM card for your mobile device with prepaid or pay-as-you-go Internet access.
Internet access at the Academy
The access is free but it requires a personal account which may be created with assistance of our IT staff.
Erasmus Student Association
Accepted incoming students are welcome to join our ASP Krakow Erasmus Facebook group.
We also recommend you to contact the Erasmus Student Network at the Jagiellonian University (ESN-UJ) which is a branch of the Erasmus Student Network International. The ESN UJ has been made up of young people who work for integration of local and foreign students. While taking part in cultural events, trips and meetings, students have opportunity to exchange information on their countries and cultures in a fun and inspiring way.