Healthcare and health insurance

What this means: If there is an immediate threat to life or health, call 112 or 999. Do not start by checking insurance.

In an emergency, the priority is to obtain help quickly. SOR and emergency services are not ordinary substitutes for POZ, but administrative uncertainty about cover must not delay care where there is a real threat.

Next action: Use 112/999 where there is a threat. If there is no emergency, continue to POZ or night/holiday care according to the time and situation.

What this means: NFZ is the public payer. Entitlement to publicly funded healthcare can arise from insurance or another basis expressly provided by law.

Do not treat PESEL, eWUŚ, NFZ and ZUS as the same thing. PESEL is an identifier, eWUŚ is a verification system, ZUS administers insurance registrations/contributions and NFZ finances public healthcare.

Next action: Check your public healthcare cover by looking at work, family, another legal basis, PESEL UKR, EHIC/S1/S2, voluntary NFZ or another situation.

What this means: eWUŚ electronically verifies entitlement to publicly funded healthcare, but its result is not always a complete legal conclusion.

If the system does not confirm entitlement, check registration through the employer/payer/ZUS, family basis, PESEL UKR or another document. After 5 March 2026 eWUŚ carries additional information for special PESEL UKR categories.

Next action: Do not conclude “I have no entitlement” from a single negative eWUŚ result. Check the legal basis and evidence.

What this means: POZ is the primary public-care layer: doctor, nurse and midwife. Ordinary hours are weekdays 08:00–18:00.

Choice of POZ doctor/nurse/midwife is made by declaration at the selected provider or through IKP where supported. Home care may be available where medically justified.

Next action: If you do not yet have POZ, find an NFZ-contracted provider and submit a declaration. Outside ordinary hours, check night and holiday healthcare.

What this means: This is out-of-hours primary care: weekdays 18:00–08:00 and around the clock on statutory days off.

It is not SOR and not a substitute for emergency services. Under the official rules, you may use any relevant night/holiday point regardless of your usual POZ.

Next action: Find the nearest point through official NFZ information. If there is an immediate threat to life/health, use 112/999.

What this means: Most public-system outpatient specialist care requires a referral, subject to statutory exceptions. A referral is not an appointment.

After receiving a referral, find an NFZ-contracted provider and register for the appointment. Some services do not require a referral; this depends on the type of service.

Next action: Check whether a referral is required for the service category, then find an NFZ-contracted provider and book.

What this means: Planned hospital admission follows a separate route; emergency admission must not wait for ordinary administrative preparation.

For planned treatment, check referral, funding entitlement, provider, date and documents. After discharge, keep the discharge documentation and check the next referrals/instructions.

Next action: For planned admission, check the referral and cover. If there is an immediate threat to life or health, call 112 or 999.

What this means: IKP is the official online patient account; mojeIKP is the mobile access layer. It provides e-prescriptions, e-referrals and other supported health information.

An e-prescription can be available through IKP/mojeIKP, SMS/email or an information printout. An e-referral is a document, not a booked appointment.

Next action: If you cannot find a prescription/referral, first check IKP/mojeIKP and contact details; if needed contact the provider that issued it.

What this means: The child-health route separately covers funding entitlement, POZ, vaccination, preventive checks, dentistry, specialists and mental health.

A child’s access to public funding depends on their specific residence or insurance basis. After 5 March 2026, a child under 18 with PESEL UKR has a separate statutory scope of care, with exclusions.

Next action: First check why the child may be covered, then arrange POZ or paediatric care and check vaccination and prevention separately.

What this means: For 2026 use the current Polish Vaccination Programme 2026; it distinguishes compulsory and recommended vaccinations.

The official 2026 vaccination programme sets the current timetable and types of vaccination. Check the child’s age, risk group, funding and available records of previous vaccinations.

Next action: Check age/category against the official 2026 programme and review available vaccination records.

What this means: For an immediate threat or emergency labour, call 112 or 999. For planned care, a foreign national’s public entitlement depends on the specific legal basis.

After 5 March 2026, PESEL UKR has a separate category for pregnancy, childbirth and the post-partum period, with a special but limited scope. Pregnancy alone does not automatically give every foreign national full NFZ cover.

Next action: First decide whether emergency help is needed. For planned care, check your healthcare-cover basis and contact POZ, a midwife or a hospital as appropriate.

What this means: If there is an immediate threat to life or health, call 112 or 999. Otherwise, you can check access to a psychiatrist, psychological or psychotherapy support, addiction treatment and Centres for Mental Health (CZP).

In 2026, the CZP system is in a transition period. Rules intended to apply from 2027 are not yet in force.

Next action: If there is no immediate threat, choose the type of support you need: a psychiatrist, psychological or psychotherapy support, addiction treatment or CZP. Check whether a referral is needed.

What this means: An NFZ-contracted dentist provides publicly funded services only within the guaranteed basket; non-standard services/materials may be chargeable.

A dental referral is not normally required. Children and some groups may have additional entitlements to particular services.

Next action: Find an NFZ-contracted dentist and confirm before treatment what is in the guaranteed basket and what is chargeable.

What this means: Medical rehabilitation/physiotherapy has its own referral, registration and waiting-list rules.

Do not confuse medical rehabilitation with social/disability support. For PESEL UKR and other special categories, separately check whether the specific service falls within the allowed scope.

Next action: Check the referral, NFZ provider and current registration/validity rules.

What this means: EHIC covers medically necessary care during a temporary stay; S1 covers a residence situation where another country remains competent; S2 authorises specific planned treatment.

These documents are not interchangeable. Scope and co-payments depend on coordination rules and the specific document.

Next action: Identify the document type and purpose of stay/treatment, then use the relevant NFZ/public provider route.

What this means: If no other basis applies, some people can enter into voluntary NFZ insurance.

The general contribution changes quarterly; for July–September 2026 NFZ states a minimum of PLN 845.67, while separate contribution bases apply to some categories. An additional gap-related charge may apply.

Next action: Before applying, check the official NFZ page to see whether you meet the conditions, and confirm the current contribution and required documents.

What this means: Private healthcare cover operates under the specific contract and does not create NFZ entitlement.

Check the provider network, whether the insurer must approve care in advance, exclusions, limits, waiting periods, direct billing or reimbursement, and referral rules under the policy.

Next action: Before non-emergency care, confirm with the insurer whether the specific service and provider are covered.

What this means: Not having obvious insurance does not automatically mean having no healthcare rights.

For an immediate threat, care must be provided without delay. Otherwise, check another legal basis, work or family registration, PESEL UKR, international protection, EHIC/S1/S2, voluntary NFZ, private cover or self-pay care.

Next action: For planned care, establish the basis and likely cost before treatment; emergency care remains a separate route.

What this means: Patient rights apply across public and private healthcare within the law: healthcare, understandable information, consent, confidentiality, dignity/privacy and records.

Separate mechanisms exist for objections to certain medical opinions/decisions and complaints to the Patient Rights Ombudsman.

Next action: If the problem concerns a patient right, record what happened and make a complaint to the appropriate body.

What this means: Patients have a right of access to medical records and may authorise another person.

Records may be provided in several forms, including electronically; the first copy in the statutory scope is free of charge.

Next action: Request the records from the provider. If access is unjustifiably refused, make a patient-rights complaint.

What this means: The correct body depends on the problem: provider, NFZ, RPP, private insurer, Financial Ombudsman, UODO, police/prosecutor or court.

RPP handles patient-rights breaches; NFZ handles public-funding/service issues; criminal/fraud matters follow a different route.

Next action: Keep the date, description, provider details and key documents; identify the problem type before complaining.

What this means: From 5 March 2026 the previous broad special-act entitlement ended. Full access arises from an ordinary insurance/other full basis; specific PESEL UKR groups have a special limited scope.

Children under 18, people during pregnancy, childbirth or the post-partum period, torture or rape victims, and people with a collective-accommodation certificate have a special scope of care with exclusions. All UKR beneficiaries have a separate entitlement where there is a sudden threat to life or health. A narrow transitional rule for inpatient treatment runs no later than 4 March 2027.

Next action: PESEL UKR on its own does not mean full NFZ cover. Check your healthcare cover to identify the specific category or basis.