Healthcare

Registering, the European Health Insurance Card, the S1 form.

In Poland

Checked on 23 October 2026

How do you access the public healthcare system when you settle in Poland?

In Poland, public health insurance is run by the NFZ (Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia, National Health Fund), and enrolment goes through ZUS (Zakład Ubezpieczeń Społecznych, social security): your employer registers you there if you are an employee, you register yourself there if you are self-employed, and if you have no activity you can sign a voluntary insurance contract with the NFZ. Your European card (EHIC, EKUZ in Polish) only covers necessary care during a temporary stay; once you have settled, you need Polish enrolment, or an S1 form registered with the NFZ if you are a retiree or a posted worker.

Costs: Employee and self-employed: compulsory health contribution via ZUS. Voluntary NFZ insurance: 9% of the base, at least PLN 845.67 per month for July to September 2026 (amount reviewed every quarter; the one for October to December 2026 was not yet on the NFZ page on 23/10/2026), plus an entry fee if you were uninsured for 3 months or more (from PLN 1,879.27). Choice of doctor: free, 2 free changes per year, PLN 80 for the next change. EKUZ free
Timeframes: Registration with ZUS within 7 days (employer for an employee, yourself for a self-employed person). Voluntary insurance: cover from the date of the contract, never before the application is filed

Steps

Identify your situation:
- Employee or on a mandate contract (umowa zlecenia): your employer or client registers you with ZUS (ZUS ZUA form, social and health insurance) within 7 days of the start of work. Exception: a pupil or student under 26 on a mandate contract is not enrolled in any insurance through this contract.
- Self-employed: you register with ZUS, most simply when your business is registered with the CEIDG; otherwise, within 7 days of starting your activity (ZUS ZUA, or ZUS ZZA for health only).
- Retiree whose pension comes from another EU country, or posted worker: request the S1 form from your home fund, then have it registered at the NFZ regional branch (oddział wojewódzki NFZ) of your voivodeship. The NFZ keeps the S1 and gives you a certificate (poświadczenie) that opens up healthcare, on the same terms as Polish insured persons.
- Student from another EU country, with no job in Poland: the NFZ classifies the start of studies among temporary stays covered by your country's EHIC. If you work in Poland with an employment contract, you are enrolled as an employee; on a mandate contract, a student under 26 is not registered with ZUS.
- No activity and no S1: you can insure yourself voluntarily with the NFZ (see step 2).
Voluntary insurance (dobrowolne ubezpieczenie zdrowotne): it is open if you reside in Poland, are not compulsorily insured, are not a family member of an insured person, and are not covered by the public system of another EU or EFTA country. File the application (in two copies) at the NFZ regional branch for your place of residence, in person, by post or via e-Doręczenia. You then receive the contract to sign. Then register with the ZUS office for your place of residence with the ZUS ZZA form (and ZUS ZCNA for your family) and pay the contribution every month before the 20th of the following month.
Have your family registered: your spouse and children with no cover of their own can be attached to your insurance (ZUS ZCNA form, within 7 days).
Choose your general practitioner (lekarz POZ, primary care doctor) by filing a choice declaration (deklaracja wyboru) at the health centre of your choice, or online via your patient account (Internetowe Konto Pacjenta, IKP, on pacjent.gov.pl). You can also choose a POZ nurse and midwife. The centre must have a contract with the NFZ.
Once insured in Poland, request your Polish EHIC (EKUZ) for your temporary stays in other countries: apply via the IKP or the mojeIKP app (filing via ePUAP is no longer possible), or on paper at the NFZ regional branch.

Documents

Employee: nothing to provide to the NFZ; the employer makes the declaration to ZUS.
Retiree or posted worker: the S1 form issued by your home fund, and your identity document. With a PESEL number, healthcare providers can check your rights online.
Voluntary insurance: identity document; the voluntary insurance application in two copies; the ZUS ZZA form (and ZUS ZCNA for the family); proof of payment of the entry fee if it applies; depending on your situation, a former employment certificate or proof of cover in another EU/EFTA country.
Choice of doctor: the choice declaration, completed at the health centre or online on the IKP.

Costs and timelines

Employee, self-employed: the health contribution is deducted or paid via ZUS; its amount depends on your income and your status.
Voluntary insurance: 9% of the contribution base, at least PLN 845.67 per month for July, August and September 2026 (calculated on an average wage of PLN 9,396.33). The amount is reviewed every quarter, based on the average wage published by the GUS: the NFZ page (updated on 09.09.2026) still only gave this quarter on 23 October 2026, so check the figure in force for October to December 2026 on nfz.gov.pl.
Entry fee if you were uninsured for a certain time, to be paid before signing: at least PLN 1,879.27 (interruption of 3 months to 1 year, paid in one go), PLN 4,698.16 (more than 1 year to 2 years), PLN 9,396.33 (more than 2 years to 5 years), PLN 14,094.50 (more than 5 years to 10 years), PLN 18,792.66 (more than 10 years). These amounts are calculated on the same average wage (PLN 9,396.33) and therefore also change every quarter. For bands of more than one year, payment in 3, 6, 9 or 12 monthly instalments is possible in justified cases, on written request to the director of the NFZ regional branch, with supporting documents for your situation.
Start and end: voluntary cover starts on the date set in the contract, never before the application is filed; it stops if you fail to pay for a whole month, and your rights lapse 30 days after the end of the contract.
POZ doctor: free choice; two free changes per calendar year without justification, then PLN 80 per change. One additional free change is possible if you move house, if your doctor stops practising or if the centre closes.
Polish EKUZ: free, issued within 5 days at most (10 days at most during holidays and winter breaks), longer if the NFZ must verify your right to insurance.

Common pitfalls

Living in Poland with the EHIC of your country of origin. It is for care that cannot wait until you return, during a temporary stay, in the public sector only. It does not cover planned care, private care or repatriation. Once you have settled, enrol in Poland or have your S1 registered.
Forgetting to register the S1. An S1 opens nothing until it is registered at the NFZ regional branch of your voivodeship.
Underestimating the entry fee for voluntary insurance. If you arrive without cover for 3 months or more, you pay a supplement even before signing. Keep the certificates of your previous cover (employment certificate, cover in another EU or EFTA country): the NFZ may ask for them.
Choosing a centre without an NFZ contract. If it does not appear in the IKP list, it probably has no contract with the NFZ and you will not be able to choose it under your insurance.
Delaying the PESEL. The PESEL makes everything easier (online verification of your rights, and profil zaufany to access the IKP patient account): get it early (see factsheet PL-NIF-TOUS-001).
Not confusing this with the registration of your stay. For your residence certificate, private insurance may be enough if you are a student or have no activity (see factsheet PL-SEJOUR-TOUS-001); it does not give you access to NFZ public care.

What changes by country of origin

EU and EEA citizens: the European coordination rules apply: EHIC during temporary stays, S1 for retirees and posted workers, ZUS enrolment if you work in Poland.
Swiss citizens: the NFZ treats EU and EFTA insured persons (including Switzerland) together: EHIC for a temporary stay, S1 registered with the NFZ if you live in Poland while remaining insured in Switzerland.
British citizens (Scots included): the NFZ states that to access public healthcare in Poland, you must acquire a right by one of these routes: employment or self-employment in Poland, a British pension or annuity paid in Poland (S1 issued by the British insurer), unemployed status (osoba bezrobotna) obtained in Poland, attachment as a family member of an insured person, or voluntary insurance with the NFZ. This NFZ page dates from January 2021: check with the NFZ what applies if you arrive today without falling under the Withdrawal Agreement.
Currency: amounts are in złoty (zł); Poland does not use the euro.

Official sources (8) ›

The European framework

These European rules also apply in Poland.

Checked on 23 October 2026

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

For a Schengen short-stay visa, you must show travel medical insurance covering urgent medical care, emergency hospital treatment and repatriation (including in case of death), valid in all Schengen countries, with at least €30,000 of cover (Visa Code, Article 15). For long stays, the EU directives ask for sickness insurance covering the risks normally covered for nationals of the destination, for example for students, family members, Blue Card holders and long-term residents. The exact proof, and whether you must buy private insurance or can join the public system, depend on the destination.

Who decides: Consulates (Schengen visas); the immigration authority of the destination (long stays)
Costs: Set by insurers; Schengen visa insurance must cover at least €30,000 (Visa Code, Article 15)

Before you act

No promise. The consulate or immigration authority decides whether your insurance is acceptable. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Scams. Buy insurance only from a real, identifiable insurer, and check the policy before paying. A fake or inadequate insurance certificate can lead to refusal of your application.
Ask a professional (the insurer, the consulate or a lawyer) if you have a chronic illness, are pregnant, or are over the age limits of standard policies.
Be honest in insurance forms about your health and your plans.

Steps

Short stay with a visa: buy travel medical insurance that meets Article 15 of the Visa Code (below) for the whole trip; for a multiple-entry visa, it must cover the first trip, and you sign a statement that you know you need insurance for later trips. Exceptions: the requirement may be considered met where adequate cover can be presumed from the applicant's professional situation (for example seafarers, Article 15(6)), and holders of diplomatic passports are exempt (Article 15(7)).
Visa-exempt short stay: insurance is not among the entry conditions listed in the Schengen Borders Code (Article 6), but medical care abroad can be expensive: travel insurance is your choice.
Long stay: read the destination's list for your route. Denmark and Ireland did not take part in the five directives below and are not bound by them (see the recitals of each text), so their rules are purely national. In the other EU countries, the directives ask for insurance "for all risks normally covered for nationals" for:
- students and researchers, valid for the whole planned stay (Directive (EU) 2016/801, Article 7(1)(c));
- family reunification, for the sponsor and the family, if the country requires it (Directive 2003/86/EC, Article 7(1)(b));
- Blue Card and seasonal workers, for periods not already covered through the job (Directive (EU) 2021/1883, Article 5(1)(e); Directive 2014/36/EU, Article 5(1)(b) for stays up to 90 days and Article 6(1)(b) for stays over 90 days);
- EU long-term residents, for themselves and for dependent family members (Directive 2003/109/EC, Article 5(1)(b)).
After arrival: ask whether your permit gives access to the public health system, and from when (see the destination's health fiche).

Documents

An insurance certificate in the name of each person, with dates, cover, amount and territory.
For a Schengen visa: proof that the cover is valid in all Schengen countries and is at least €30,000 (Article 15(3)); for a visa with limited territorial validity covering several Member States, the cover must be valid at least in the Member States concerned.

Costs and timelines

Price: set by insurers. The Visa Code asks you to take insurance, in principle, in your country of residence, or in another country if that is not possible (Article 15(4)).
Check: consulates verify that claims against the insurer can be recovered in an EU country (Article 15(5)).

Common pitfalls

Cover too low or not valid everywhere. For a Schengen visa: at least €30,000 and valid in all Schengen countries.
Wrong dates. The insurance must cover the whole stay or transit (Article 15(3)).
Travel insurance for a long stay. A short-trip policy may not meet the "all risks normally covered for nationals" standard required for long-stay permits, and what each country actually accepts varies: ask the immigration authority directly before you buy.
Gaps between the visa and the permit. Keep cover until you are registered in the public system or have the insurance the permit requires.

What changes by profile

Workers may be covered through their job; the Blue Card and seasonal directives ask for insurance only for periods not covered by, or resulting from, the work contract.
Retirees and people living on passive income follow national rules for national visas (for Portugal, see PT-VISA-TIERS-050).

Official links

Visa Code (consolidated), Article 15: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02009R0810-20240628
Commission, applying for a Schengen visa: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/visa-policy/applying-schengen-visa_en

Official sources (9) ›

These guides give the general rules. Your situation can change the answer: Moovy looks at it with you and tells you when you need a professional.

In Poland

Checked on 23 October 2026

How do you access the public healthcare system when you settle in Poland?

Costs: Employee and self-employed: compulsory health contribution via ZUS. Voluntary NFZ insurance: 9% of the base, at least PLN 845.67 per month for July to September 2026 (amount reviewed every quarter; the one for October to December 2026 was not yet on the NFZ page on 23/10/2026), plus an entry fee if you were uninsured for 3 months or more (from PLN 1,879.27). Choice of doctor: free, 2 free changes per year, PLN 80 for the next change. EKUZ free
Timeframes: Registration with ZUS within 7 days (employer for an employee, yourself for a self-employed person). Voluntary insurance: cover from the date of the contract, never before the application is filed

Steps

Identify your situation:
- Employee or on a mandate contract (umowa zlecenia): your employer or client registers you with ZUS (ZUS ZUA form, social and health insurance) within 7 days of the start of work. Exception: a pupil or student under 26 on a mandate contract is not enrolled in any insurance through this contract.
- Self-employed: you register with ZUS, most simply when your business is registered with the CEIDG; otherwise, within 7 days of starting your activity (ZUS ZUA, or ZUS ZZA for health only).
- Retiree whose pension comes from another EU country, or posted worker: request the S1 form from your home fund, then have it registered at the NFZ regional branch (oddział wojewódzki NFZ) of your voivodeship. The NFZ keeps the S1 and gives you a certificate (poświadczenie) that opens up healthcare, on the same terms as Polish insured persons.
- Student from another EU country, with no job in Poland: the NFZ classifies the start of studies among temporary stays covered by your country's EHIC. If you work in Poland with an employment contract, you are enrolled as an employee; on a mandate contract, a student under 26 is not registered with ZUS.
- No activity and no S1: you can insure yourself voluntarily with the NFZ (see step 2).
Voluntary insurance (dobrowolne ubezpieczenie zdrowotne): it is open if you reside in Poland, are not compulsorily insured, are not a family member of an insured person, and are not covered by the public system of another EU or EFTA country. File the application (in two copies) at the NFZ regional branch for your place of residence, in person, by post or via e-Doręczenia. You then receive the contract to sign. Then register with the ZUS office for your place of residence with the ZUS ZZA form (and ZUS ZCNA for your family) and pay the contribution every month before the 20th of the following month.
Have your family registered: your spouse and children with no cover of their own can be attached to your insurance (ZUS ZCNA form, within 7 days).
Choose your general practitioner (lekarz POZ, primary care doctor) by filing a choice declaration (deklaracja wyboru) at the health centre of your choice, or online via your patient account (Internetowe Konto Pacjenta, IKP, on pacjent.gov.pl). You can also choose a POZ nurse and midwife. The centre must have a contract with the NFZ.
Once insured in Poland, request your Polish EHIC (EKUZ) for your temporary stays in other countries: apply via the IKP or the mojeIKP app (filing via ePUAP is no longer possible), or on paper at the NFZ regional branch.

Documents

Employee: nothing to provide to the NFZ; the employer makes the declaration to ZUS.
Retiree or posted worker: the S1 form issued by your home fund, and your identity document. With a PESEL number, healthcare providers can check your rights online.
Voluntary insurance: identity document; the voluntary insurance application in two copies; the ZUS ZZA form (and ZUS ZCNA for the family); proof of payment of the entry fee if it applies; depending on your situation, a former employment certificate or proof of cover in another EU/EFTA country.
Choice of doctor: the choice declaration, completed at the health centre or online on the IKP.

Costs and timelines

Employee, self-employed: the health contribution is deducted or paid via ZUS; its amount depends on your income and your status.
Voluntary insurance: 9% of the contribution base, at least PLN 845.67 per month for July, August and September 2026 (calculated on an average wage of PLN 9,396.33). The amount is reviewed every quarter, based on the average wage published by the GUS: the NFZ page (updated on 09.09.2026) still only gave this quarter on 23 October 2026, so check the figure in force for October to December 2026 on nfz.gov.pl.
Entry fee if you were uninsured for a certain time, to be paid before signing: at least PLN 1,879.27 (interruption of 3 months to 1 year, paid in one go), PLN 4,698.16 (more than 1 year to 2 years), PLN 9,396.33 (more than 2 years to 5 years), PLN 14,094.50 (more than 5 years to 10 years), PLN 18,792.66 (more than 10 years). These amounts are calculated on the same average wage (PLN 9,396.33) and therefore also change every quarter. For bands of more than one year, payment in 3, 6, 9 or 12 monthly instalments is possible in justified cases, on written request to the director of the NFZ regional branch, with supporting documents for your situation.
Start and end: voluntary cover starts on the date set in the contract, never before the application is filed; it stops if you fail to pay for a whole month, and your rights lapse 30 days after the end of the contract.
POZ doctor: free choice; two free changes per calendar year without justification, then PLN 80 per change. One additional free change is possible if you move house, if your doctor stops practising or if the centre closes.
Polish EKUZ: free, issued within 5 days at most (10 days at most during holidays and winter breaks), longer if the NFZ must verify your right to insurance.

Common pitfalls

Living in Poland with the EHIC of your country of origin. It is for care that cannot wait until you return, during a temporary stay, in the public sector only. It does not cover planned care, private care or repatriation. Once you have settled, enrol in Poland or have your S1 registered.
Forgetting to register the S1. An S1 opens nothing until it is registered at the NFZ regional branch of your voivodeship.
Underestimating the entry fee for voluntary insurance. If you arrive without cover for 3 months or more, you pay a supplement even before signing. Keep the certificates of your previous cover (employment certificate, cover in another EU or EFTA country): the NFZ may ask for them.
Choosing a centre without an NFZ contract. If it does not appear in the IKP list, it probably has no contract with the NFZ and you will not be able to choose it under your insurance.
Delaying the PESEL. The PESEL makes everything easier (online verification of your rights, and profil zaufany to access the IKP patient account): get it early (see factsheet PL-NIF-TOUS-001).
Not confusing this with the registration of your stay. For your residence certificate, private insurance may be enough if you are a student or have no activity (see factsheet PL-SEJOUR-TOUS-001); it does not give you access to NFZ public care.

What changes by country of origin

EU and EEA citizens: the European coordination rules apply: EHIC during temporary stays, S1 for retirees and posted workers, ZUS enrolment if you work in Poland.
Swiss citizens: the NFZ treats EU and EFTA insured persons (including Switzerland) together: EHIC for a temporary stay, S1 registered with the NFZ if you live in Poland while remaining insured in Switzerland.
British citizens (Scots included): the NFZ states that to access public healthcare in Poland, you must acquire a right by one of these routes: employment or self-employment in Poland, a British pension or annuity paid in Poland (S1 issued by the British insurer), unemployed status (osoba bezrobotna) obtained in Poland, attachment as a family member of an insured person, or voluntary insurance with the NFZ. This NFZ page dates from January 2021: check with the NFZ what applies if you arrive today without falling under the Withdrawal Agreement.
Currency: amounts are in złoty (zł); Poland does not use the euro.

Official sources (8) ›

The European framework

These European rules also apply in Poland.

Checked on 23 October 2026

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

Who decides: Consulates (Schengen visas); the immigration authority of the destination (long stays)
Costs: Set by insurers; Schengen visa insurance must cover at least €30,000 (Visa Code, Article 15)

Before you act

No promise. The consulate or immigration authority decides whether your insurance is acceptable. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Scams. Buy insurance only from a real, identifiable insurer, and check the policy before paying. A fake or inadequate insurance certificate can lead to refusal of your application.
Ask a professional (the insurer, the consulate or a lawyer) if you have a chronic illness, are pregnant, or are over the age limits of standard policies.
Be honest in insurance forms about your health and your plans.

Steps

Short stay with a visa: buy travel medical insurance that meets Article 15 of the Visa Code (below) for the whole trip; for a multiple-entry visa, it must cover the first trip, and you sign a statement that you know you need insurance for later trips. Exceptions: the requirement may be considered met where adequate cover can be presumed from the applicant's professional situation (for example seafarers, Article 15(6)), and holders of diplomatic passports are exempt (Article 15(7)).
Visa-exempt short stay: insurance is not among the entry conditions listed in the Schengen Borders Code (Article 6), but medical care abroad can be expensive: travel insurance is your choice.
Long stay: read the destination's list for your route. Denmark and Ireland did not take part in the five directives below and are not bound by them (see the recitals of each text), so their rules are purely national. In the other EU countries, the directives ask for insurance "for all risks normally covered for nationals" for:
- students and researchers, valid for the whole planned stay (Directive (EU) 2016/801, Article 7(1)(c));
- family reunification, for the sponsor and the family, if the country requires it (Directive 2003/86/EC, Article 7(1)(b));
- Blue Card and seasonal workers, for periods not already covered through the job (Directive (EU) 2021/1883, Article 5(1)(e); Directive 2014/36/EU, Article 5(1)(b) for stays up to 90 days and Article 6(1)(b) for stays over 90 days);
- EU long-term residents, for themselves and for dependent family members (Directive 2003/109/EC, Article 5(1)(b)).
After arrival: ask whether your permit gives access to the public health system, and from when (see the destination's health fiche).

Documents

An insurance certificate in the name of each person, with dates, cover, amount and territory.
For a Schengen visa: proof that the cover is valid in all Schengen countries and is at least €30,000 (Article 15(3)); for a visa with limited territorial validity covering several Member States, the cover must be valid at least in the Member States concerned.

Costs and timelines

Price: set by insurers. The Visa Code asks you to take insurance, in principle, in your country of residence, or in another country if that is not possible (Article 15(4)).
Check: consulates verify that claims against the insurer can be recovered in an EU country (Article 15(5)).

Common pitfalls

Cover too low or not valid everywhere. For a Schengen visa: at least €30,000 and valid in all Schengen countries.
Wrong dates. The insurance must cover the whole stay or transit (Article 15(3)).
Travel insurance for a long stay. A short-trip policy may not meet the "all risks normally covered for nationals" standard required for long-stay permits, and what each country actually accepts varies: ask the immigration authority directly before you buy.
Gaps between the visa and the permit. Keep cover until you are registered in the public system or have the insurance the permit requires.

What changes by profile

Workers may be covered through their job; the Blue Card and seasonal directives ask for insurance only for periods not covered by, or resulting from, the work contract.
Retirees and people living on passive income follow national rules for national visas (for Portugal, see PT-VISA-TIERS-050).

Official links

Visa Code (consolidated), Article 15: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02009R0810-20240628
Commission, applying for a Schengen visa: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/visa-policy/applying-schengen-visa_en

Official sources (9) ›

These guides give the general rules. Your situation can change the answer: Moovy looks at it with you and tells you when you need a professional.

Healthcare

In Poland

How do you access the public healthcare system when you settle in Poland?

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

The European framework

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by profile

Other topics

Healthcare

In Poland

How do you access the public healthcare system when you settle in Poland?

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

The European framework

Health insurance required for visas and permits: what EU rules ask (short and long stays)

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by profile

Other topics