Polish universities can now issue fully digital diplomas that graduates can access through mObywatel, Poland’s official government app for storing and presenting digital documents and accessing public services. 

Unlike a scanned certificate, each digital diploma is an original, legally valid record protected by a qualified electronic signature and seal. The rollout began on 30 June 2026, with universities able to adopt the system voluntarily until the end of the year. From 1 January 2027, all newly issued higher education diplomas in Poland will be digital by default. 

The system will cover bachelor’s, master’s, long-cycle, doctoral and habilitation qualifications. Graduates will also be able to download their diploma, diploma supplement and university-issued copies in PDF format, including foreign-language versions where available. 

At the centre of the project is the Electronic Diploma Repository, part of Poland’s POL-on higher education platform. Developed by the National Information Processing Institute, it will allow universities to issue, verify, archive and retrieve documents while reducing printing, storage and administrative costs. 

Employers will gain a free verification tool, allowing recruiters to confirm a candidate’s qualifications more quickly and reduce the risk of forged documents entering the hiring process. 

Digital diplomas will not be created retrospectively. Graduates from previous years will therefore be unable to add their existing qualifications to mObywatel. 

Read more about the changes here.