NFZ for foreigners: insurance from contract, family apart

NFZ (National Health Fund) coverage for foreigners works on the same rules as for Polish citizens: if your contract gives you the right to insurance, you get free treatment at facilities that have a contract with NFZ. Health insurance starts together with the employment contract, but it covers only the employee. A spouse and children must be added separately.

When NFZ health insurance for foreigners starts

The employer registers the employee for health insurance when hiring, and deducts the health contribution from the salary. Citizenship does not matter here, only the type of contract.

With a mandate contract there are exceptions, for example for some pupils and students. Details are in the article on ZUS contributions for a foreign employee. After the contract ends, the right to benefits continues for a short period, then expires if there is no new basis for insurance.

How to add family members to insurance

A spouse and children are not automatically insured just because you work. This is the most common gap: the employee has coverage, but the child goes to the doctor without insurance and the visit can be paid.

1. After the family arrives, collect each person's data: first name, last name, date of birth, PESEL number if one has been assigned, and identity document number.
2. Pass it to the contribution payer, usually the employer, with the information that you want to add family members to health insurance.
3. Do this within 7 days of the day the obligation to register arose. For a newborn, the deadline is counted from the assignment of the PESEL number.
4. If you want to check whether the registration was sent, ask the coordinator.

Registration does not change the amount of your health contribution. A family member has the right to free benefits from the moment of registration, not from the day of arrival, so a delay means a gap in coverage.

How to register with a family doctor

The first point of contact is a primary care physician (POZ, podstawowa opieka zdrowotna) at a chosen clinic that has a contract with NFZ. You submit a declaration there choosing a doctor, nurse and midwife. From that point the clinic manages your care and arranges appointments.

• A referral is not needed to see the family doctor.
• A referral from the POZ doctor is needed for most specialists, except for a few fields.
• In the evening, at night and on holidays, night and holiday health care (nocna i świąteczna opieka zdrowotna) is available.
• In a life threatening condition, go to a hospital emergency department (SOR) or call an ambulance.

Submit the declaration right after starting work, not on the day you get sick.

Occupational medicine checks are not NFZ

Initial and periodic occupational health checks are a separate system, not linked to NFZ insurance. With an employment contract, the employer refers the employee and pays for them. For our job offers, the initial check is paid by Amer or the workplace. The occupational medicine doctor assesses fitness for the position, not treats illness. More in the article on initial work medical checks.

What about sick leave

The doctor issues the sick leave electronically and it reaches the employer without your involvement. The duty to report the absence, however, stays with the employee. How and when to do it is described in the article on reporting sick leave. Under a mandate contract, you report an absence according to the rules in the contract, and sickness benefit is available only if you have joined the voluntary sickness insurance.

Treatment when traveling to another EU country

If you have Polish insurance and travel to another EU state, you can get the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC, EKUZ) at an NFZ branch. It entitles you to necessary treatment during the stay. The card does not cover most countries outside the EU, so before a trip to your home country it is worth checking with NFZ whether you need separate travel insurance.

Job offers with the contract type are listed in job offers for employees.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pay for a doctor if I have an employment contract?

No, not for visits to clinics and hospitals that have a contract with NFZ. Visits to private practices without an NFZ contract are paid regardless of insurance. The same applies under a mandate contract, if it is a basis for insurance.

Is a child insured from the day of arrival in Poland?

No. A child has the right to free benefits from the moment the parent registers them for insurance. The registration is submitted to the contribution payer within 7 days.

How do I check if I am insured?

The clinic checks this in the eWUŚ system by PESEL number during registration. If the system shows no insurance and you have a contract, ask the employer whether the registration was sent.

Does a contract for specific work give the right to NFZ treatment?

No. A contract for specific work (umowa o dzieło) is not a basis for health insurance, so with such a contract another basis is needed, for example voluntary NFZ insurance. Details are confirmed by the NFZ branch.

This text describes the general rules. What you are entitled to depends on your type of contract: an employment contract (umowa o pracę) or a contract of mandate (umowa zlecenie). Your own contract and payslip are what count.