Travel insurance for Poland: what you need and what the EHIC covers

Do you need travel insurance for Poland?

It depends on your passport – but almost everyone is better off with a policy.

You are…	Public healthcare in Poland	Travel insurance
An EU, EEA or Swiss resident	Covered with your EHIC, at NFZ (state) facilities	Strongly recommended for private care, repatriation, theft and cancellation
A UK resident	Covered with a UK GHIC (or valid UK EHIC), at NFZ facilities	Strongly recommended, for the same reasons
From the US, Canada, Australia and elsewhere	Not covered – you pay the full cost	Essential
Travelling on a Schengen visa	Not covered	Required – at least €30,000 medical cover for the whole Schengen area

What the EHIC and GHIC cover – and what they don't

The European Health Insurance Card (and the UK's Global Health Insurance Card) gives you necessary state healthcare on the same terms as Polish patients. In practice:

• It works only at clinics and hospitals with a contract with the NFZ (Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia), Poland's public health fund. Look for the NFZ logo.
• Emergency care and ambulance transport to hospital are covered.
• Seeing a specialist usually needs a referral from a GP with an NFZ contract.
• Prescriptions may be free, partly paid or fully paid, depending on the medicine.
• Private clinics – which many visitors and expats prefer because they are faster and staff often speak English – are not covered.
• It does not cover planned treatment, repatriation to your home country, mountain rescue costs abroad, theft, lost luggage or cancelled trips.

That is why even with an EHIC or GHIC, a travel insurance policy is worth having.

What a good policy for Poland should include

• Medical cover of at least €30,000 (much more if you are coming from outside Europe; US travellers often choose €100,000+).
• Repatriation – getting you home if you are seriously ill or injured.
• Private treatment, so you can use English-speaking private clinics rather than queueing in the public system.
• Activities you plan: hiking in the Tatras, skiing in Zakopane, kayaking in Masuria. Standard policies often exclude winter sports and high-altitude hiking unless you add them.
• Theft and personal belongings, especially if you carry a phone, laptop or camera – pickpocketing is the most common crime visitors meet.
• Cancellation and delay, if you have paid for flights and accommodation in advance.
• Schengen-compliant cover if you need a visa: at least €30,000, valid in all Schengen countries for the whole stay.

Compare a few policies before you buy, check the excess (the amount you pay yourself), and read what is excluded. If you have a premium bank card, check whether it already includes travel insurance – and on what conditions.

If you get ill or injured in Poland

• Emergency: call 112. Ambulances take you to the nearest hospital emergency department (SOR – Szpitalny Oddział Ratunkowy).
• Something minor: a pharmacy (apteka) is often the first stop; pharmacists are knowledgeable and many speak English.
• Need a doctor: with travel insurance, call your insurer's assistance line first – they will usually direct you to a partner private clinic and may pay it directly. With an EHIC/GHIC only, go to a GP or out-of-hours clinic with an NFZ contract.
• Keep every receipt and get a written report from the doctor – you will need them for your claim.
• Theft: report it to the police before you leave Poland and keep the police report for your insurer.

More in our guides to healthcare in Poland, emergencies and night pharmacies and Is Poland safe?.

Sources

• NFZ Kraków (Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia): European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) – what it covers in Poland
• Schengen visa rules: minimum €30,000 travel medical insurance, as described by Schengen insurance providers (e.g. AXA Schengen)