Belarusian who worked as a lawyer in Minsk for 13 years passed the Polish bar exam

Belarusian Ivan, who worked as a lawyer in his homeland in Minsk for 13 years, passed it with just one point to spare. He told Most how he prepared, how much it cost, and what happens during the exam.

A Challenge to Myself

In April 2023, he moved to Poland with his family. Initially, the man did not want to return to the profession: he had to provide for his family and learn the Polish language.

Later, Ivan learned that an acquaintance of his, also a former Belarusian lawyer, had successfully passed the entrance exam to the Polish bar, and decided to try himself.

— To be honest, the desire to take this exam was primarily a challenge to myself. I wanted to set this goal for myself to understand if I could achieve it, — Ivan explains.

How Much It Costs

To be admitted to the exam, Ivan first had to validate his Belarusian law degree — undergo nostrification at a Polish university. According to him, the procedure took about six to seven months. In 2026, it could cost up to 4825 zlotys (1100 euros). The exact amount is set by the university.

Ivan decided to take the exam in Warsaw, where he lives. After his diploma was recognized, he sent the documents by mail to the qualification commission at the bar association. Candidates can choose the city for the exam themselves, and submit documents in person or by mail.

The exam is paid, but in certain cases, the fee may be reduced or waived, for example, due to difficult financial or family circumstances. To do this, a separate application and supporting documents confirming the circumstances must be submitted.

In 2026, participation in the exam cost 1125 zlotys (250 euros, or 840 Belarusian rubles).

«The Main Obstacle is the Polish Language»

Ivan spent about 2-2.5 months preparing for the exam. He used a paid online platform with a database of approximately 20,000 practice questions. According to the man, the system resembled programs for preparing for a driver's license exam in Belarus: you select a question and mark one correct answer.

In addition to tests, Ivan independently studied Polish laws. The preparation list included more than 50 normative acts, some of which contained 600-800 articles. The man focused on the main ones. Thanks to his 13 years of experience as a lawyer, many provisions were understandable to him and did not require extensive study.

— The main obstacle, of course, is the Polish language. This language barrier personally mattered more to me than anything else, — he admits.

ChatGPT also helped him understand complex legal issues. Ivan uploaded normative acts to the neural network and asked it to analyze various situations. For example, he modeled how the law would apply under different circumstances. This way, he tried to understand the logic of Polish law, not just memorize answers. Additionally, ChatGPT compiled lists of legal terms in Polish for him.

Wife Provided for the Family

During the preparation period, Ivan stopped working, and his wife Yulia provided for the family. But he had to combine studying with childcare.

— You wake up in the morning, study, take the children to kindergarten, come back at lunchtime — study. Then you pick up the children from kindergarten, from school, spend time with them, sit down at night — study. That was the system, — Ivan recalls.

Footwear Must Not Make Loud Noises

The exam took place in a large hall in Warsaw, where hundreds of candidates gathered. At the entrance, participants register, hand over their phones, and take their seats at tables according to their assigned numbers. Each person received detailed exam rules in advance.

— Footwear must not make loud noises. It's clear why, but it was funny, — Ivan recalls one of the requirements.

Each participant received two envelopes. One contained an individual code that allowed papers to be checked anonymously, and the other contained a test with 150 questions. For each question, four answer options were offered, only one of which was correct. Two and a half hours were allocated for completing the tasks. To pass the exam, a minimum of 100 questions had to be answered correctly.

Despite his legal experience, Ivan was not confident in his success. Some questions proved difficult due to the Polish language: sometimes he spent more time understanding the wording than finding the correct answer.

— I mentally prepared for a negative result, because, frankly, I hadn't read all those normative acts, — Ivan recalls.

Passed with One Point to Spare

Exam results can be found in person at the bar association or viewed online. Ivan chose the second option. It turned out he scored 101 points – just one more than the required minimum. About a week later, official confirmation arrived by mail.

The man admits that the result matched his level of preparation. He even expected that he would have to continue studying and try again next year.

«It's Really Difficult»

After successfully passing the exam, Ivan submitted documents to the Warsaw Bar Association and is now awaiting a decision on enrollment for a three-year professional training program — aplikacja adwokacka.

This is not a daily internship from morning till evening. Future lawyers study under the guidance of a mentor, attend mandatory classes, undergo practical training, and pass intermediate exams, but the training can be combined with work.

After three years, there is another, direct bar exam.

— It's difficult, it's really difficult, — Ivan admits.

Unlike the entrance test, the final exam checks the candidate's readiness to work independently as a lawyer, not just the ability to memorize articles of laws. For this, practical tasks must be performed: drafting legal documents, including complaints, and developing a legal position.

Even after moving, Ivan continues to help former clients from Belarus and new people. He advises on labor and family matters, including the conclusion of prenuptial agreements and the division of joint property, as well as on legalization issues. After passing the exam, the man plans to develop in the legal field and improve his Polish language skills.

Ivan emphasizes that his case is not unique: he knows other Belarusian lawyers who have also successfully passed the entrance exam.

— There's no need to be afraid, you just need to put in the effort, — he says.

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