The aim of this article is to provide experimental results in order to understand the microstructural size effects which occur with a decrease in the thickness of polycrystalline nickel samples from 3.2 mm to 12.5 μm. The influence of the thickness, grain size and ratio thickness to grain size on the mechanical properties and strain hardening were investigated by mechanical tests and TEM observations. The results show the presence of three different domains of mechanical behaviour: polycrystalline, multicrystalline and quasi-single crystalline depending on the thickness and on the number of grains across the thickness. The transition between the three domains is due to the occurrence of surface effects involving a decrease in the long-range internal backstress revealed by the TEM observations.