Living in Wrocław

For people who study here, have moved here or are about to: the universities and where their students live, the offices a new resident deals with, seeing a doctor, and the numbers to call in an emergency.

Universities

Among the city's universities are these. Admissions, and help for students from abroad, go through each university's own offices.

Student houses

The universities run their own student houses (domy studenckie, usually called akademiki). You apply to the university you study at, not to the city.

At the University of Wrocław and the University of Science and Technology, enrolled students apply online, in USOS, the university's student system. At the Academy of Art and Design the application goes on paper to the student house's administration.

Places are limited. When there are more applicants than places, the rules weigh how far from Wrocław you live and your financial situation.

Checked 18 October 2026 Dates, rules and fees change every year: check the university's own housing page.

Your address, PESEL and residence

Registering your address. If you stay longer than 30 days, you register where you live (zameldowanie) with the City Office, at one of its Residents' Service Centres (Centrum Obsługi Mieszkańca). Bring your passport, the document that lets you stay in Poland (a visa or a residence card), and proof that you may live at the address, such as a rental agreement.

PESEL. The same centres issue the PESEL, the Polish identification number that offices, clinics and many contracts ask for.

Residence. Citizens of countries outside the European Union apply for a temporary or permanent residence permit, and EU citizens staying longer than 90 days register their residence, at the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Office (Dolnośląski Urząd Wojewódzki), Department of Civil Affairs and Foreigners, pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1.

Checked 18 October 2026 Documents and procedures change: check with the office before you go.

Seeing a doctor

Public health care is paid for by the National Health Fund (NFZ). An employer pays the insurance for its employees; students can take out student insurance, and others can insure themselves voluntarily.

To see a family doctor, you sign up at a clinic (przychodnia) of your choice, choosing a family doctor and a nurse there. You can change twice a year without charge.

When it cannot wait, hospitals have emergency departments (SOR), open day and night.

Emergency numbers

  • 112: the European emergency number, free, for police, ambulance and fire.
  • 997: police.
  • 998: fire service.
  • 999: ambulance.
  • 986: City Guard (Straż Miejska), for noise, illegal parking and other breaches of local rules.

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