In Poland, some Ukrainians have lost their right to free medical assistance due to lack of insurance, and to restore it, sometimes they need to pay up to 18 thousand zlotys. This is reported by InPoland.
Medical insurance in Poland: who has lost free services
From March 5, 2026, Ukrainian citizens with UKR status, who are unemployed or do not pay insurance contributions, automatically lost access to free medicine. Exceptions are provided only for certain categories:
-
emergency cases;
-
pregnant women;
-
children;
-
victims of violence.
In other situations, medical services must be paid for independently or insurance must be arranged. Specifically, Ukrainians have the right to free treatment if they work under an employment contract or another contract with contributions being paid.
Medical facilities have already started sending bills to patients without insurance. For example, in the Mazowiecki Brudnowski hospital, Ukrainians were billed for treatment in 2026, most of which remain unpaid.
If you are interested in working in Poland, we invite you to explore 350,000 vacancies on the Layboard portal.
Voluntary NFZ insurance: how much you will have to pay
Those without insurance can voluntarily join the system through the National Health Fund. To do this, you need to have an address of residence in Poland and pay contributions.
Main conditions:
-
rate – 9% of the calculated base;
-
minimum monthly contribution – from 835.04 zlotys;
-
calculation base – at least the average salary in the corporate sector.
However, in case of a long break in payment of contributions, an additional payment applies:
-
from 20% to 200% of the base – depending on the length of the break.
This is why some Ukrainians have to pay approximately 17-18 thousand zlotys at once to restore access to state medicine.
Some citizens are trying to get confirmation of violence victim status, which allows them to access free medical services.
Earlier, we wrote about what reasons may force Ukrainians to leave Poland within 30 days.