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Health insurance (NFZ) for foreigners in Poland: employed or voluntary

By MałgorzataPublished Updated

If you work in Poland under an employment or civil-law contract, or run a business, you are insured compulsorily and the payer registers you. If you have no such title, a non-EU foreigner may insure voluntarily with the National Health Fund (NFZ) by a written application, but only if you live in Poland. The monthly contribution is 9% of the declared base, which cannot be lower than the average wage.

Short answer. Voluntary insurance is costly (a minimum base equal to the average enterprise-sector wage) and starts only after you sign the agreement with NFZ. A gap of 3 months or more adds a one-off fee.

Who is insured automatically

  • People working under an employment contract, a contract of mandate or a similar service contract, and people running a non-agricultural business, are subject to compulsory health insurance (art. 66(1) of the health act).
  • The employer or client registers you with ZUS; you do not apply to NFZ. See the ZUS guide.
  • Family members (spouse, children) can be registered by the insured person. Registering them is done on the ZUS form.

Voluntary insurance with NFZ

  • A person who is not covered by compulsory insurance may insure voluntarily, on a written application to NFZ, if they have their place of residence in Poland (art. 68(1)).
  • Non-EU/EFTA foreigners other than students must make their place of residence in Poland probable. NFZ accepts, among others, a residence card or a decision granting temporary or permanent residence (not a permit on the basis of art. 181 of the Act on Foreigners).
  • Cover starts on the day set in the agreement and ends 30 days after the agreement ends. It ends earlier, on the day the agreement ends, if you are over a month in arrears with contributions (art. 68(5)).

Cost

  • The contribution is 9% of the base (art. 79). For voluntary insurance the base is the declared monthly income, but not less than the average enterprise-sector wage.
  • NFZ updates the minimum every quarter. For July to September 2026 it was at least 845.67 zł per month. Check the current amount on the NFZ website.
  • The contribution is monthly and indivisible: you pay in full for any month you were insured, even part of it, by the 20th of the following month.

Fee after a gap in insurance

If you were not insured for 3 months or longer, NFZ charges a one-off fee before you sign the agreement: 20% of the base for a gap of 3 months to a year, 50% for over 1 to 2 years, 100% for over 2 to 5 years, 150% for over 5 to 10 years and 200% for over 10 years (art. 68(7)–(8)). Time spent on a foreign ship is not counted for seamen. Check with NFZ how your own gap is assessed.

What to bring

  • An identity document (or a copy if you send the application by post or e-mail).
  • The application for voluntary insurance with the declaration, in two copies, and form ZUS ZZA (and ZUS ZCNA for family members).
  • For a non-EU foreigner who is not a student: documents making your residence in Poland probable, such as a residence card or decision.
  • A document that proves your last insurance period, if NFZ has no data (for example an employment certificate).

Students and other special groups

NFZ lists special rules for non-EU students, doctoral students, graduates doing a mandatory internship, members of religious orders and people on Polish-language courses: they can insure on a reduced base and show a certificate from the school instead. Ask NFZ for the current amount.

Where we help

We explain which route fits your situation and prepare the documents. You sign the application and the agreement yourself, and NFZ decides.

Step by step

  1. Check whether your employer, client or business already insures you.
  2. If not, confirm you live in Poland and have a residence document.
  3. Prepare the application, the ZUS form and identity documents.
  4. File them at the voivodeship branch of NFZ and pay any one-off fee first.
  5. Pay the contribution by the 20th of each following month.
Not legal adviceThis guide explains formalities. It is not legal advice from an attorney and does not replace the official instructions on gov.pl.

Sources

Facts checked against the official MOS portal on 25 Oct 2026. Rules and amounts change, so check the source before you act.

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