Health insurance in Poland for expats

According to CEO World’s Health Care Index, Poland has an average healthcare system, ranking 59th out of 110 countries listed.¹

The National Health Fund (NFZ) delivers health services and treatments to the public, which are free at the point of use. It’s financed by salary contributions by the Polish workforce: all employees are required to contribute 9% of their earnings to the authorities as funding for the NFZ.²

Alongside the public system, private healthcare in Poland is widely available and is of very high quality. This can be accessed in several ways:

• patients taking out monthly subscriptions with a recognised private healthcare network;
• subscriptions provided by employers to their employees as a workplace benefit or; 
• patients paying for consultations and treatments on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Although the NFZ is free and is of reasonable quality, it’s often held back by long waiting times and limited availability of specialists. This leads many citizens and expats alike to turn to the private healthcare system instead. But, as accessing private healthcare in Poland can become very expensive, very quickly, expat health insurance in Poland is often used for short-term or a long-term stays. 

The Public healthcare system in Poland is often considered to be  overburdened with long waiting times. Its preventative care is struggling, which is crucial for maintaining a healthy society. 

People who have had to wait months to receive treatment in the public system are often seen within weeks or even days when they go private. Along with shorter waiting times, private clinics also provide better organisation, more comfort and more personalised patient interaction.

Even though private healthcare in Poland can be expensive, many Polish residents choose to go private when the public system doesn’t meet their expectations. This is especially the case when consultations are short and don’t go into the required depth³; or when they can’t access the specialists and/or diagnostic tests they need.

Availability of pharmacies in Poland is generally very good, with some in the bigger cities open 24 hours a day, meaning easy access to over-the-counter and prescription medication as and when required.    

Thanks to the National Health Fund, public healthcare in Poland is free for all eligible patients, including employed expats.

Private healthcare subscription plans vary between different providers and depending on the level of cover taken out. Using private facilities on a pay--as-you-go basis can get expensive when compared to the cost of a subscription. For example, GP appointments normally cost around 100 zloty (approx. £20; $25; €25), and routine surgeries can cost anywhere up to 5000 zloty (approx. £1000; $1250; €1200).³

Short-term visitors from European Union countries will be able to use their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to access public healthcare facilities, and British citizens can use their Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) in the same way. But the provisions of the EHIC and GHIC don’t cover all the healthcare needs and requirements of a long-term resident.

Non-Polish citizens with legal residency and a valid employment contract in Poland can gain the same access to public healthcare as a Polish citizen, as long as they make the same health insurance contributions from their salary. Applications to gain access to public healthcare can be made at NFZ branches or provincial offices across Poland.

Anyone who has moved to Poland to retire or is working in Poland under the employment of a foreign business, such as a digital nomad, may not be able to access the public healthcare system. If you’re  in this situation, then it’s possible to make voluntary contributions to the NFZ fund for access, but this can cost up to 700 zloty per month (approx. £140; $175; €170)[3].  It may be more cost-effective to use the private healthcare network instead, whether that be through a monthly subscription plan, on a pay- as-you-go basis, or through international private medical cover.

If you aren’t covered by NFZ, then you’ll need private medical cover to get a visa or a residence permit. Polish law states that any non-residents that don’t qualify for public healthcare – and who haven’t made voluntary contributions to pay for it – are required to have a minimum of €30,000 of emergency health insurance coverage in place.

But even if you qualify for public healthcare, having the option of accessing private providers can make a real difference to your speed and quality of the care. This is especially the case if you have long-standing health conditions that require regular treatment, and you don’t want to be held back by long waiting times.⁴

Would I need dental insurance in Poland?

Poland is a popular choice for dental tourists from across Europe and beyond, thanks to a good level of care and prices that are much lower than in the UK or other western European countries. For example, a routine clean and check-up appointment will normally cost around 150 zloty (approx. £30; $40; €35).⁵

Dental care within the public healthcare system and the National Health Fund is limited, so it’s common for people to choose private dental services instead. This means you’ll have to pay for appointments and procedures out of your own pocket – unless you have a good-quality private healthcare or an international travel insurance plan in place.

What are the benefits of private health insurance in Poland?

Taking out private health insurance in Poland can be extremely beneficial for expats, and can stretch far beyond direct health and wellbeing:

• Better care and facilities: private healthcare in Poland provides a better standard of care than the often-overloaded public system, thanks to greater investment in more modern equipment and treatment methods, and higher clinician salaries .
• Shorter waiting times: many people choose to avoid those long waits at public facilities by going private instead. A private facility will normally be able to see you for a consultation within a few days, and for many routine surgeries within a matter of weeks.
• Cost-effective care: using private medical facilities on a pay-as-you-go basis can get expensive, especially for long-term hospital stays or treatments for chronic conditions. So, international health insurance can drastically reduce the cost of accessing the best possible care.
• Peace of mind: knowing that you can readily access all the above can eliminate any worries about gaining the top-quality care you need, ease the process of moving to a new country and make it less stressful for you and your loved ones to settle in.

Poland has three individual phone numbers for each of their emergency services. You should call 999 if you require an ambulance, 998 if you need the fire department, and 997 to call the police. You can also use the EU-wide emergency number 112 as an alternative.

Response times to emergency calls can be slow, especially in rural areas,  so you should take this into account in case of a medical emergency.⁶ In some cases, it may be faster to make your own transport arrangements to get yourself or your loved ones to a medical facility. Polish GPs are also required by law to treat patients at home if they don’t live near a hospital with emergency facilities.