Should I move to Poland? (dual citizen of Canada and Poland)

Sorry in advance this situation is kind of confusing.

First of all I have a dual citizenship with Canada and Poland because my parents are from Poland and moved here about a year before I was born. I was born and raised in Poland and i am currently still living here and I'm going to graduate from highschool here. I've been looking into what my options would be if I moved to Poland. Id love to live there for a year but would it be hard for me to get a job? What could I do? I'm sure no one would want to hire a 18 year old who can only speak the basics of polish. I was also looking into university, the medical university of lodz to be exact. I'd love to apply to their 3 year nursing program but could I come back and find a job as a nurse in Canada with a degree obtained from Poland? The course will be in English. Also I thought schooling in Poland was free? The tuition is rather pricy.. could I get a student loan from

Canada sent to Poland? (I ask because I'm pretty sure Poland doesn't give out students loans especially to me) and lastly would I be considered a foreigner or would I have the same rights as normal polish speaking student?

I'm sorry I'm just so confused! I love the country and history of it and have so much family there I'd really like to know:)

Yes indeed,the country is nice. But as everywhere the beginning is going to be rather tough. About finding a job I think it would be possible in a city like Lodz(not easy though).Studying in PL is not the best idea of all times,as I'm not sure your degree is going to help you find a job in Canada.

Good luck.
B.N

Well, I didn't quite understand you... You are living and studying in Poland yet you're going to move there??
Anyway, if I were you, I would definitely go to study to Canada. Since you're a Canadian citizen, tuition fees are going to be quite reasonable, in some cases even equivalent to those in Poland (depends on the province, say in Quebec 2 years of CEGEP for free, 3 years in University for ~5000$ each year or so). Besides, Canadian education is more valuable than Polish and is recognized in all countries around the world. And don't forget about the language; since you speak fluent English, you'll have no problem at all. Additionally, job opportunities in Canada are much grater than in Poland with its youth unemployment. As a Canadian, you have a whole lot of advantages over other ppl (immigrants) who are struggling to get their residence permit.

So, in your situation I would move to Canada to finish high school (it's free for Canadians) & work part time to pay for living. Then, I would graduate from Canadian university and get first work experience in the medical field. If you love Poland so much, you could move there forever after graduating in Canada. You would then be a much competitive candidate as a job seeker.

Good luck with your studies!

You and me both.

Seriously, you'd find a qualification from Canada to be more useful.


It would be almost impossible to find paid work.


Only under some circumstances.

I'm sorry I meant I've lived in Canada all of my life. I've never lived in Poland but go there for 2 months every summer.

It's okay to be a tourist. Often times tourists are welcome, expats are despised.

Really? The expats in my town are rather respected and liked. I don't know from where you got that idea.

expats are not despised in the least. give your head a shake.

Another wonderful and insightful contribution by Meathead......

Hi vikkiitoria,

The things I can address in your original post are:

qualifications...my Polish gf studied in Poland and she lived in the UK for about 2 years. She said employers weren't looking at her qualifications very keenly

job...it's not the easiest thing to find a job here in Polska, from accounts given by my students (I've been teaching EFL since last Sep, btw). But you could try to find work as an English teacher (quite a few of the schools here use a method based on repetition, the Direct Method, and as you're a native speaker I would say schools would be keen to have you).

Hope your confusion clears...

p.s. and, no, I have not felt despised since entering this fair land!

Merged: Dual citizenship (Canada and Poland) - how to work in Poland?

So I've recently been considering moving to Poland to study abroad but I have ALOT of questions. Who can I email for help with this? Perhaps the school I've been wanting to apply to but theyre not all school related question or the embassy of Poland here in Canada? I have a dual citizenship with Canada and Poland and some of my questions are

1. Would I still be considered a foreigner? I'm technically a citizen but do I still have the same rights? Would schooling cost me the same amount as foreigners?

2. Do I need to get a work permit or can I freely work in Poland. (Like a part time job to help with living expenses)

3. Is it hard to find part time work in lodz if you are from Canada? I speak polish but I wouldnt consider myself 100% fluent.

Hi,
You wrote you have Polish citizenship. That means that you are not foreigner to Poland. That answers questions 1 & 2. Poles do not need a work permit to work in Poland, also education is free, except of course private schools or weekend courses. It might take some time to find work, what are you looing for specifically?

Olaf is 100% correct.

Also, you'll find companies in Lodz hiring people who speak other languages than English. I have seen lots of job offers for Lodz (very often they need German, French, Portuguese, Italian speakers). Try some job boards and you'll see. Good luck!

Having a Polish passport does not guarantee free education in Poland. They will take into consideration where you have been educated in the last 4-6 years if that is Canada, then you are treated as a Canadian ( even though you have dual Passports)

If you have a Polish Passport then you are Polish in Poland. Your Polish passport will also allow you to apply to other Universities in the EU, although you will also be considered non EU for fees. Maybe you could consider an Erasmus course.

Thank you for this valuable information.

Thanks! :) I read somewhere that you need a work permit if you're coming from a non EU country. I was hoping for maybe a waitressing job? Anything entry level that an 75% polish speaking student could do

Merged: Moving from Canada to Poland

Hi, I'm considering moving from Canada to Poland for various reasons. I'm in my 20's, and I'm half Polish. Can I apply for Polish citizenship without a problem since one of my parents is Polish?

What's life like over there, compared to the US and Canada?
Is the living standards in Poland almost on par with US and Canada?
What's the average wage/salary per month?
Is it very hard to find a job over there?

Thank you.

How is your Polish?

@Wulkan

Not really great. I can speak basic Polish if anything... my Ukrainian is better.

It will be difficult without a specific trade/skill. At-least a Western degree. [There is no shortage of young, educated and hungry Poles]

Without family to fall back on in the short term, it would be quite ballsy on your part to make the jump without the before mentioned.

Life in the major cities is no different than North America. The outskirts might be what you'll encounter in the smaller Canadian provinces.