Which insurance do you need for a Polish karta pobytu in 2026?

Both public and private insurance are accepted for the karta pobytu. Let's go through each case in turn.

Public insurance — NFZ

Public health insurance is provided by the NFZ (Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia). Membership contributions are usually paid into this fund via an organisation called ZUS (Zakład Ubezpieczeń Społecznych). For employees, the employer takes care of this. Sole traders register on their own, and students are registered by their university. If you or your employer pay public health contributions, that is enough for a karta pobytu application.

How to check?

• If you have the Profil Zaufany electronic signature, go to the state website pacjent.gov.pl, open the "My account" (Moje konto) tile and look at the "Twoje ubezpieczenie zdrowotne" field. If it says NFZ confirms your insurance is active — you are all set. Get a confirmation from ZUS or your employer and hand it in at the office.
• If you do not have a Profil Zaufany, you can visit your nearest ZUS branch or ask your employer whether health contributions are being paid for you.

If contributions are not paid for you, you can go to an NFZ branch and sign a voluntary health insurance contract. The price tag, however, is fairly high — in 2026 it is 835 zł per month (55.80 zł per month for students). A cheaper alternative is a private insurance policy.

Buying private health insurance

Private health insurance is offered by companies such as PZU, AXA, Allianz, Warta, Compensa and others. Keep in mind that not every policy is suitable for the karta pobytu.

Legal requirements for the policy

• the insurer must be approved by the Polish authorities;
• the policy must be written in Polish;
• the sum insured must be at least €30,000;
• it must cover urgent hospital treatment;
• it must cover the cost of transport to the country of residence for medical reasons;
• it must cover costs related to the death of the insured person;
• the insurer must settle medical bills directly with the medical facility on the basis of the issued invoice;
• the policy must be issued by an insurer recognised by Polish authorities.

Our Wiener policy meets all of the above criteria — you can verify this yourself in the General Terms of Insurance.

Another requirement of the foreigner-affairs offices is proof that the policy is paid for. With our policy there is nothing to worry about: the document itself states that the premium has already been paid in full.

For how long do you need insurance?

By law, the insurance has to cover the entire planned period of stay in Poland. In practice it can be checked in two situations:

• when entering the country;
• while your karta pobytu application is being processed.

Immigration lawyers recommend that the insurance be valid throughout the entire administrative proceedings for the residence permit. If the official notices that the insurance is missing or has expired, they can issue a refusal at any moment. If your case drags on, it is worth buying a new policy in advance and submitting it to the office before the previous one expires.

How does buying a private policy for karta pobytu work?

1. Choose the start and end dates of the cover. In 2026, in most Polish cities, karta pobytu cases are processed for 6 months or more, so it makes sense to buy an annual policy straight away so you don't have to submit a new one later.
2. To purchase the policy, enter your details and pay by bank card or BLIK. The PDF policy is sent to your e-mail right away.

How to prove to the office that you have insurance

The insurance policy is sent to you in PDF format — this electronic file is the original document. You can attach it to your karta pobytu application in the MOS 2.0 system, and as a rule that is enough proof of insurance.

However, since every Polish foreigner-affairs office can interpret the law slightly differently, for peace of mind you can also print the file and bring it with you when you are called in to submit your fingerprints.

How much does insurance for a karta pobytu cost?

The price of insurance for the karta pobytu depends on the policy term. The longer the term, the lower the cost per day of cover. An extra discount kicks in beyond 6 months, so it is often more cost-effective to take out cover for more than 180 days — for example, the full year (or even 184 days).

If you need the insurance for a karta pobytu or a visa, the sum insured must be no less than €30,000:

You can choose any dates and term you like. We also automatically apply a 25% discount for our customers.

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Optional add-ons

It is important to remember that in our calculator you choose the term and scope of cover yourself. If you practise extreme sports or do heavy physical work, you can extend the scope of the policy. You can also add the NNW (personal accident) and civil liability add-ons — in that case the insurer will cover damage you cause to third parties.