Health Insurance in Poland for Foreigners • NFZ, Private & Costs from 80 zł/month

If you need health insurance in Poland for a visa application, Karta Pobytu (residence card), or temporary stay permit, you must present a valid policy that meets official requirements. Magro Ubezpieczenia helps foreigners find the right coverage quickly, with English-speaking agents, competitive pricing from top Polish insurers, and policies accepted by every Urząd Wojewódzki in Poland.

 

Who Needs Health Insurance for Visa or Karta Pobytu?

Polish immigration law requires proof of health insurance for most residence and visa applications. You need a qualifying policy if you are:

• Applying for a Karta Pobytu (temporary or permanent residence card) - mandatory under the Act on Foreigners.
• Applying for a Polish national visa (type D) - travel medical insurance is required for the application.
• A student or researcher enrolled at a Polish university without ZUS coverage.
• Self-employed or running a sole proprietorship and need to show voluntary NFZ registration or a private alternative.
• A family member joining a spouse or parent in Poland on a family reunification permit.
• Between jobs and temporarily without employer-provided ZUS/NFZ coverage.

Not sure which category applies to you? Request a free quote and our agents will match you with the correct policy type.

 

NFZ vs. Private Insurance - Your Options Explained

1. National Health Fund (NFZ)

If you work in Poland and your employer pays social security contributions (ZUS), you are automatically registered with the NFZ. This covers treatment at state-run facilities and is accepted for all Karta Pobytu applications. However, NFZ alone does not cover you if you lose your job or if your ZUS contributions stop.

2. Private Health Insurance (accepted for visa and Karta Pobytu)

If you are not eligible for NFZ, or you need a policy specifically for your immigration application, private health insurance is the standard solution. To be accepted by the Urząd Wojewódzki, a private policy must:

• Cover the cost of medical treatment and hospitalization in Poland.
• Have a minimum coverage sum of 30 000 EUR (for visa) or meet the requirements set by the voivodeship office (for Karta Pobytu).
• Be valid for the entire duration of your stay or permit period.
• Be issued by an insurer licensed to operate in Poland or the EU/EEA.

3. EHIC Card (EU/EEA citizens only)

If you are a citizen of another EU or EEA country, your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) provides access to state healthcare in Poland on the same terms as Polish citizens. This is typically sufficient for short-term stays and some residence applications, but it does not replace comprehensive private coverage for long-term residence.

 

Health Insurance Pricing for Foreigners in Poland

Costs depend on your age, length of coverage, and the scope of the policy. Below are typical monthly ranges from insurers we work with:

We compare offers from PZU, Warta, Ergo Hestia, Allianz, InterRisk, Compensa, Generali, and other licensed insurers to find you the best price for the coverage you need.

 

Requirements by Application Type

Health Insurance for Karta Pobytu (Residence Card)

When applying for a temporary or permanent residence card, the Urząd Wojewódzki requires you to prove you have health insurance covering treatment in Poland. Accepted forms include:

• Active NFZ registration (confirmed by a ZUS RMUA or ZUS ZUA printout).
• A private health insurance policy from a Polish or EU-licensed insurer.
• Voluntary NFZ membership (for those not employed but wanting state coverage).

Important: Some voivodeship offices are strict about which private policies they accept. We issue policies that are verified and accepted across all offices in Poland, including Łódź, Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław, and Gdańsk.

Health Insurance for Polish Visa Applications

For national visa (type D) and Schengen visa applications, you must present travel medical insurance with a minimum coverage of 30 000 EUR. The policy must be valid from your entry date and cover emergency medical treatment, hospitalization, and medical transport. For a deeper explanation of what each visa type requires, read our guide on health insurance for Polish visa and Karta Pobytu.

 

What Does a Qualifying Policy Cover?

• Doctor visits and specialist consultations - GP and specialist appointments.
• Hospitalization - inpatient treatment, surgery, and post-operative care. This is the single most important part of the policy for immigration purposes - see the detailed section on hospital treatment below.
• Emergency medical care - ambulance, ER visits, urgent treatment.
• Diagnostic tests - blood work, imaging (X-ray, MRI, CT), lab results.
• Prescription medications - coverage or reimbursement for prescribed drugs.
• Medical transport and repatriation - required for visa-type policies.

Some comprehensive plans also include dental care, maternity coverage, and mental health services. We help you choose the right scope based on your needs and budget. For a full comparison of NFZ, employer, and private options, see our complete guide to health insurance in Poland for foreigners.

 

Hospital Treatment in Poland - What Your Policy Actually Covers

Hospital treatment is where insurance matters most - a few days in a Polish hospital without cover can cost several thousand złoty, and an unplanned surgery far more. It is also the part of a policy that foreigners most often misread, because Polish insurers sell three different things that all mention the word "hospital". Only the first of them satisfies immigration requirements.

If your policy is for a visa or a residence card, make sure it covers the cost of hospital treatment. A cheap policy that only pays a daily allowance will be rejected by the Urząd Wojewódzki.

1. When the Insurer Pays for Your Hospital Stay

Under a travel medical policy - the type most often bought for a national visa or a first period of stay - the insurer's alarm centre organises and pays for necessary hospital treatment and operations when the need arises from:

• Sudden illness that occurs during the period of cover.
• An accident (nieszczęśliwy wypadek).
• An acute flare-up of a chronic condition - important if you already have a diagnosed illness, and one of the clauses foreigners most often overlook.

For foreign nationals, this cover applies to travel within Poland as well as abroad, which is what makes travel policies usable as visa documentation. The limit is the medical-costs sum insured stated on the policy, so a 30 000 EUR policy is the legal minimum, not a recommendation - we generally suggest a higher sum if you plan to stay long-term.

2. Assistance Benefits That Come With a Hospital Stay

A longer hospitalization triggers additional services that are easy to miss in the terms and conditions, and genuinely valuable if you are in Poland without family nearby:

• Visit by a relative - if your stay lasts at least 7 days, the insurer covers the travel, accommodation and meals of one person you call to your side (typically up to 1% of the sum insured per day, for a maximum of 7 days).
• Care for children or dependants travelling with you - organised and paid for, including their transport home (commonly up to 1 000 EUR abroad or 1 500 zł within Poland).
• Convalescence accommodation - if you are discharged but not yet fit to travel, your accommodation and meals are covered until a doctor clears you to return home.
• Return of pets travelling with you - if the stay exceeds 7 days, their return transport is arranged (limits around 400 EUR).

3. Hospital Treatment After an Accident

Accident cover (NNW) works alongside medical-costs cover and adds two things. First, the costs of hospital stay, treatment and surgery in Poland resulting from an accident are covered up to a share of the accident sum insured (often around 10%). Second, if an injury required uninterrupted hospital treatment of at least 3 days within 12 months of the accident, a lump sum is paid even when the injury does not appear in the insurer's impairment table (typically around 2% of the accident sum insured).

Where a daily allowance is included, a stay caused by an accident is usually treated more generously than one caused by illness: the daily rate is often doubled if the hospitalization takes place within 6 months of the accident.

4. Waiting Periods (Karencja) - Read This Before You Buy

Cash hospital benefits do not start on day one. Typical waiting periods on the Polish market are:

• Illness: around 3 months from the start of cover.
• Pregnancy and childbirth: around 8 months - so a policy bought after conception will usually not pay for the delivery.
• Accidents: no waiting period - cover starts immediately.

Cost-of-treatment cover under a travel policy normally starts without a waiting period, which is another reason it is the right choice when you need documentation for an application quickly.

5. What Does Not Count as a Hospital Stay

Insurers define "hospital" narrowly. A stay is generally not covered when it is:

• Purely diagnostic - admitted only for tests, with no treatment.
• Shorter than 24 hours - most daily-allowance clauses require a continuous stay of at least one full day (the first and last day are counted together as one).
• In a psychiatric hospital, hospice, nursing or social care home, addiction treatment centre, sanatorium, spa or health resort, or a rehabilitation or convalescence centre.
• Connected with rehabilitation treatment, cosmetic or plastic surgery, or with treatment that was the main purpose of your trip to Poland.
• A consequence of extreme sports, professional sport, or active military service.

6. How to Claim - the 14-Day Rule

After you are discharged, submit your claim together with the original hospital discharge summary (karta informacyjna leczenia szpitalnego). Insurers expect this promptly, and many set a deadline of 14 days from the date of discharge. Keep the discharge card, invoices and any prescriptions - if you were treated abroad or paid privately, they are the basis for reimbursement.

Terms differ between insurers and between products, so the limits above are typical market ranges rather than a promise. Before you buy, ask us for a quote and we will send you the exact conditions of the policy we recommend, in English.

 

How to Get Health Insurance with Magro

Getting insured takes as little as one business day. Here is how it works:

1. Tell us your situation - visa type, residence permit, duration of stay, and any special requirements.
2. We compare offers - from PZU, Warta, Ergo Hestia, Allianz, and other top insurers.
3. You choose a plan - we explain every option in plain English (or Polish, Ukrainian, Turkish).
4. We issue the policy - you receive it by email, ready to attach to your application.

 

Why Choose Magro Ubezpieczenia?

• 30+ years of experience - operating since 1993 in Łódź, trusted by thousands of clients.
• Specialists in foreigner insurance - we understand immigration requirements and issue policies that voivodeship offices accept.
• English-speaking agents - no language barrier, clear communication at every step.
• Multiple insurers, one place - we are an independent multiagency, not tied to a single company.
• Fast turnaround - policies issued within 1 business day, often same-day.
• Affordable pricing - from 50 zł/month for basic visa coverage.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Get Your Health Insurance for Visa or Karta Pobytu Today

Don't risk your application being rejected because of incorrect or missing insurance. Magro Ubezpieczenia has helped thousands of foreigners in Poland get the right policy at the right price.

Three ways to get started:

• Online: Fill out our free quote form and we will respond within one business day.
• By phone: Call 572 810 576 (English-speaking agents available).
• In person: Visit our office in Łódź for a face-to-face consultation.

 

If you are also looking for other types of coverage as a foreigner in Poland, explore our guides on travel insurance for visitors to Poland and home insurance for foreigners renting or buying property.