If you sat the February B1 exam and you're still waiting on your certificate, you're not alone. Roughly 9,000 people are stuck in the same queue, and the deadline that matters for most of them lands on June 30, 2026. After that, post-secondary school certificates stop counting for residence permits and citizenship applications, and the state B1 certificate becomes one of only a handful of documents that immigration authorities will accept.
The timing is rough. And the system that issues those certificates has been offline since March.
Here's what's going on, what it means for your case, and what you can actually do about it.
What happened to the NAWA system
In March 2026, a cyberattack hit the IT database that runs the entire Polish state language certification process. The attack was contained before any data leaked, but as a security response NAWA pulled the whole certification database offline. In one move, exam administration, results approval, and certificate printing all stopped.
The State Commission for Certifying Polish Language Proficiency published a notice on April 15 confirming that results from the February 14–15 session are still in the approval stage and certificates have not been issued. The original cyberattack notice from March is here as a PDF.
NAWA is now working with OPI and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education to bring the system back in a secure form, with the next exam sessions scheduled for April 25–26 and June 27–28. As of late April, they have not committed to a date when certificate production will resume.
The waiting times were already long before the attack
Even when nothing goes wrong, getting a state B1 certificate is slow. The official minimum is eight weeks. In practice, candidates routinely wait four to six months. NAWA publishes an official certificate issuance timeline, and community discussions show people regularly asking the same question: can my results be sped up? The answer from the Commission is consistently no.
Why so slow? Your paper has to clear four hands before you see a certificate. The exam centre grades it and sets preliminary results. Those go to the State Commission. NAWA validates and signs off. Only then are certificates printed and shipped back to the centres for collection. There's no fast lane, even when everything works.
The law change that turns delay into a real problem
This is the part most people miss. As of July 1, 2025, the Act of April 4, 2025 on eliminating irregularities in the visa system changed the rules on what counts as proof of Polish language proficiency for two of the most important applications:
- EU long-term residence permits (zezwolenie na pobyt rezydenta długoterminowego UE)
- Polish citizenship
Certificates from post-secondary vocational schools (szkoła policealna), which thousands of foreigners used as a fast and affordable shortcut, are no longer valid for these procedures. The official Commission notice on the change is here.
What is accepted from July 1, 2025 onwards:
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| State B1 certificate (PKdsPZJPjO / NAWA) | The document caught up in the current crisis |
| Polish university or school diploma | Excludes post-secondary policealna schools |
| TELC B1 certificate | Issued by an external testing body, recognised by immigration authorities |
| ECL B1 certificate | Issued by an external testing body, recognised by immigration authorities |
| University-issued language certificate | Only from institutions approved by the State Commission |
There is a transitional period until June 30, 2026: post-secondary certificates are still accepted, but only if your residence procedure was started before July 1, 2025 and the certificate itself was issued before June 30, 2025. Both conditions, not one or the other.
After July 1, 2026, no exceptions.
Why 2026 is uniquely difficult
If you need a certificate in your hands before July 1, here's what you're up against:
| Pressure | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Cyberattack from March | Certificate production halted, no announced restart date |
| Structural backlog | 4–6 months from exam to certificate even in normal times |
| Hard legislative deadline | June 30, 2026 ends the transitional window |
| April 2026 exam session | Almost certainly will not produce certificates before July 1 |
| MOS portal mandatory | All residence applications now go through the online MOS system from April 27; paper filings no longer accepted |
| Procedural deadlines frozen | The Ukrainian Special Act has frozen voivodeship clocks, which limits some procedural recourses |
Voivodeship offices treat the language certificate as a mandatory attachment. Without it your application is incomplete. Incomplete files can be suspended or refused outright, depending on the office and the situation. The official gov.pl page on the EU long-term residence permit lists the document as required.
What you can actually do
If you're affected, you have three realistic paths. None of them is risk-free, but each is better than waiting.
1. Take the TELC or ECL B1 exam
Both are recognised by Polish immigration authorities as equivalents to the state certificate. Processing is much faster, sometimes days or weeks rather than months. You'll need to register separately and prepare for a different exam format. If the state exam was your plan and you have a few weeks before July 1, this might be the most reliable backup.
2. Use a university-issued certificate
If you're enrolled at a Polish university, the language centre at your institution may issue a certificate that the State Commission accepts. Not every institution qualifies, so check first.
3. File your residence application now, even if your certificate is still pending
The MOS portal is mandatory from April 27, 2026, so make sure you're registered. Filing an application establishes your application date, which can matter for transitional rules. Some voivodeships will let you supplement an incomplete file later. Others will not.
This is the option where speaking to us pays off the most. The right move depends on your voivodeship, your residence basis, and whether your procedure started before July 1, 2025. We see all of these every week, and the answer is rarely the same twice.
Key dates to keep in mind
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| March 2026 | Cyberattack, NAWA database goes offline |
| April 15, 2026 | State Commission confirms February results still in approval |
| April 25–26, 2026 | Next planned exam session |
| April 27, 2026 | MOS portal mandatory for all new TRC applications |
| June 27–28, 2026 | Final exam session before the deadline |
| June 30, 2026 | Post-secondary certificates lose validity |
| July 1, 2026 | Only state B1, TELC, ECL or equivalent accepted, no exceptions |
Frequently asked questions
Can I get my NAWA certificate faster if I ask?
No. The State Commission has refused these requests for years, even from candidates who waited more than three months. The cyberattack response makes a faster timeline even less likely.
Is a TELC B1 accepted everywhere the state certificate is?
For residence permits and citizenship applications, yes. The July 2025 amendments list TELC and ECL as recognised equivalents for the long-term resident permit and citizenship procedures. For other purposes, like academic admission, requirements vary by institution, so always confirm with the receiving body.
What if my June 30 deadline passes and I still don't have a certificate?
If your residence procedure was started before July 1, 2025 and you have a post-secondary certificate issued before June 30, 2025, you remain inside the transitional window. If not, you'll need a state B1, TELC, ECL, or qualifying university certificate before submitting. Talk to an immigration consultant or adwokat about your specific case before the deadline.
I sat the February exam, when will I get my certificate?
As of April 15, 2026, the State Commission has not announced a date. They confirmed results are in the delayed approval stage and certificates have not been printed. Watch certyfikatpolski.pl for updates and check your candidate portal regularly once the system is restored.
What is the MOS portal and how does it affect my application?
MOS is the online portal through which all temporary residence permit applications must be submitted from April 27, 2026 onwards. Paper filings are no longer accepted by voivodeship offices. Read our dedicated page for more info.
A word from us
If you're not sure how the certificate situation affects your specific case, we're happy to take a look. We work with the Malopolska voivodeship every day, and we know which offices accept supplemented files and which do not. Book a consultation and we'll figure it out together.
If you need a B1 certificate fast, our team can also point you to the TELC and ECL exam sessions running in Krakow and Warsaw in the next few weeks.
Related services on Krakspire:
- Temporary Residence Permits in Poland
- Permanent Residence (EU long-term resident)
- Polish Citizenship
- Appeal Procedures
- eGovernment Assistance (MOS, ePUAP)
This post is for general information and does not constitute legal advice. For questions about your individual situation, contact us.
