Poland’s PLN 300 school grant: Dobry Start applications remain open until 30 November
The school year has started, but applications are still open. Here is where to apply and how to check messages from ZUS.
Parents who have not applied for Dobry Start for the 2026/2027 school year have until 30 November. In its September update, Poland’s Social Insurance Institution, ZUS, confirmed the one-off PLN 300 payment. The start of school does not close the application window.
Applications are electronic, through mZUS, eZUS, online banking or Emp@tia. The ZUS programme guidance distinguishes the application deadline from the payment timetable. Applications submitted by the end of August are due to be paid by 30 September; that payment date should not automatically be assumed for later applications.
The programme is not means-tested. The age limit for eligible pupils is 20, or 24 with a disability certificate; ZUS assesses age by birth year. University students and children in the preschool preparation year, commonly called zerówka, are excluded.
Check correspondence in eZUS, where requests for missing documents and benefit award information are available. Starting a form is not the same as submitting it.
A useful step today is to find the submission confirmation and check the contact and bank details entered. If an application is already registered, read ZUS messages before starting another form. The official programme page explains the full conditions, including the limited exception for a disability certificate issued after 30 November.
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