Poland publishes consolidated rules for diplomatic-consular service recruitment

The Minister of Foreign Affairs has published the consolidated text of the regulation on recruitment for the diplomatic-consular application, setting out the rules for candidates with higher education who wish to enter Poland’s foreign service. The announcement, dated 21 August 2026 and signed by Minister R. Sikorski, was published in Dziennik Ustaw of 2 September 2026 under item 1164.

The consolidated text brings together the regulation of 19 January 2022 on recruitment for the diplomatic-consular application (Dz.U. item 191) and the amendments introduced by the regulation of 18 September 2025 (Dz.U. item 1269). It is issued on the basis of Article 16(3) of the Act of 20 July 2000 on the promulgation of normative acts and Article 43(9) of the Act of 21 January 2021 on the foreign service.

How the recruitment is announced

The Head of the Foreign Service is required to publish the recruitment notice in the Public Information Bulletin (BIP) of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister and in the BIP of the ministry serving the minister responsible for foreign affairs, at least four weeks before the competition begins. The notice may also appear in the mass media.

The notice must specify, among other things:

• the deadline and place for submitting the application for admission;
• the manner of submission and the documents to be attached;
• the start date of the competition;
• the requirements linked to the post of applicant;
• the annual admission limit and the degree to which it has been filled on the day the competition is announced.

The application and its requirements

The application form, available on the ministry’s website, must include the candidate’s personal data, level of proficiency in two foreign languages, additional information on competences and achievements, and a motivation letter. Candidates must also submit declarations that they have not been finally convicted of an intentional offence, that they enjoy full public rights, and that they are ready to take up duties at any Polish foreign post, in any country and at any time.

Candidates who apply before obtaining a master’s degree or equivalent title must declare the date of their thesis defence and submit the relevant documents to the competition commission no later than the start of the first stage. Applications may be submitted electronically, at the ministry, or by postal operator, and the day of receipt by the ministry counts as the day of submission. Candidates may be asked to complete or correct their application within seven days, failing which the application is rejected.

The competition stages

The competition for the diplomatic-consular application consists of three stages:

• a general knowledge test of 100 single-choice questions, scored from 0 to 100 points and lasting no more than 120 minutes;
• an assessment of candidates’ aptitude and suitability for foreign service, including psychological tests covering leadership, communication, cooperation, stress resistance and problem-solving skills;
• a final interview, including a check of English-language proficiency, scored from 0 to 100 points.

The competition is run by a commission of five members drawn from the foreign service and appointed by the Head of the Foreign Service, who may also invite non-voting experts. To guarantee impartiality, commission members must declare that they have no legal or factual relationship with any candidate, and the Head of the Foreign Service excludes any member who cannot sign such a declaration. Tests are anonymised through randomly assigned individual codes, and the commission sets the minimum score required to advance based on the number of candidates and the admission limit.

Publication of results

After the interview, the commission presents the Head of the Foreign Service with a ranked list of candidates in descending order of their results, taking into account the scores from every stage. The Head of the Foreign Service then announces the list of candidates admitted to the diplomatic-consular application in the BIP of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister and in the BIP of the ministry.

The consolidated text does not include the entry-into-force provision of the 2025 amending regulation, which took effect on 24 September 2025. The publication gives graduates and serving officials a single, up-to-date reference for the recruitment procedure, clarifying the requirements, stages and deadlines for anyone seeking a career in Poland’s diplomatic and consular service.

Source: Dziennik Ustaw, No. 2026, 2 September 2026, notices (official reference: Dz.U. 2026 poz. 1164).