Medical insurance in Poland: how much does it cost, do I need to do it, what are the types

We have prepared a detailed guide on medical insurance in Poland and tried to answer the most frequently asked questions on the topic. You can find many other legalization processes to take care of after moving to Poland in our guides on the Relocation.io platform.

Types of Medical Insurance in Poland

Let's start with the fact that the Republic of Poland offers both mandatory health insurance (MHI) and voluntary health insurance (VHI). However, this doesn’t mean everyone is required to purchase a yearly insurance policy.

In Poland, having medical insurance is considered conditionally mandatory. This means that contributions for mandatory insurance are automatically deducted from your income and transferred to ZUS.

Zakład Ubezpieczeń Społecznych (ZUS) – The Social Insurance Institution in Poland is a state body responsible for all types of social insurance, benefit payments (disability, pensions, maternity, etc.), and more.

Mandatory health insurance covers all individuals officially employed on a permanent basis in Poland. The employer pays the insurance contributions, and the policy allows you to include your entire family (spouse, children, and even parents or grandparents) in the coverage.

This insurance is available to both Polish citizens and foreigners with a work visa or contract (Umowa o pracę or Umowa zlecenie). However, temporary contract workers (Umowa o dzieło) are excluded and must opt for voluntary insurance at their own expense.

Voluntary Health Insurance

Voluntary health insurance is also arranged through a public institution, specifically the Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia (NFZ) – Poland’s National Health Fund, which is a structural division of ZUS responsible for health insurance.

Anyone not covered by mandatory insurance can pay contributions to NFZ voluntarily. Voluntary NFZ insurance provides the same benefits as mandatory insurance, granting access to the same medical facilities. In some cases, NFZ insurance (both mandatory and voluntary) even allows access to private clinics.

To apply for voluntary health insurance, you need to sign an agreement with your local NFZ office. Required documents include:

• A signed application for voluntary health insurance;
• A copy of your passport or other valid ID;
• A copy of a document confirming your legal stay in Poland.

Voluntary insurance takes effect upon signing the agreement and lasts until the end of the current month. To extend it, you must pay the contributions monthly by the 15th.

Private Health Insurance

Private health insurance refers to any policy purchased from private companies such as PZU, Allianz, Signal Iduna, Medicover, LuxMed, EnelMed, etc. Private companies allow you to select packages tailored to your needs, such as access to specific specialists, procedures, or services within a certain price range.

Private insurance can serve as either voluntary coverage or a supplement to mandatory state insurance. Many Poles, even with mandatory insurance, choose additional private policies to avoid long waiting times for specialists or to speed up procedures like MRI or ultrasound scans.

Disadvantages of private insurance:

• Not suitable for applying for a residence permit (except for humanitarian residence permits, where insurance is not mandatory).
• Often does not cover hospitalization costs (exceptions include Wiener, AXA, and PZU). It's important to clarify these details when purchasing a policy.

What Does Medical Insurance in Poland Cover?

With mandatory or voluntary health insurance in Poland, you are entitled to:

• Emergency medical services and ambulance calls;
• Diagnostics and tests;
• General practitioner and specialist consultations;
• Hospital treatment;
• Maternity and childbirth care;
• Sick leave issuance;
• Subsidized prescription medications.

Cost of Medical Insurance in Poland

The cost depends on the type of policy, employment status, income, and individual circumstances.

• For mandatory health insurance, the employer typically covers most contributions. The healthcare portion (Zdrowotna) is 9% of the gross salary.
• For voluntary health insurance, the rate is also 9% of the declared monthly income, but not less than the average monthly entrepreneurial salary (currently around 660 PLN/month).
• Private insurance packages start at around 600 PLN and can go up to 5000 PLN, depending on coverage and services included.

Conclusion

Medical insurance in Poland can be obtained through state insurance (mandatory or voluntary) or private policies. Depending on the type, payments are either employer-covered or paid directly by the individual.

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