Before Departure
Make sure that you have a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which you will present to the medical provider when receiving medical treatment. If you suffer from a chronic disease and you know that you will need specific care during your stay (e.g. a dialysis), we highly recommend that you prearrange it with a medical provider in Poland.
Issuing of Provisional Replacement Certificate (replacing EHIC)
If for some reason (loss, theft) you do not have a European Health Insurance Card with you during your stay in Poland, you can contact your Czech health insurance company at any time to issue a Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC) temporarily replacing the European Health Insurance Card. You can request the PRC yourself, via the local carrier of health insurance or via the hospital (in case of hospitalization). You are entitled to receive the PRC.
Healthcare in Poland
In case of need of a treatment, search a contractual medical facility (indicated by logo of NFZ – Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia).
You can find their list at https://gsl.nfz.gov.pl/GSL/ (available only in Polish) or at your local NFZ branch.
For treatment by a specialist, for hospitalization and diagnostic examinations, you will need a recommendation from a general practitioner (with the exception of acute cases).
A recommendation is not required for examination by an gynecologist obstetrician, dentist, dermatologist, venereologist, oncologist, psychiatrist.
People suffering from tuberculosis and people infected with HIV do not need a recommendation to specialists.
A large number of dentists are non-contractual. A list of free dental procedures and materials is available at the dentist’s office.
If necessary, you can go to a dentist who has an agreement with NFZ. No referral needed.
Patients with pain are admitted on the day of reporting.
After 7:00 p.m. you will receive help in facilities that provide emergency dental care. Lists of facilities are available at: https://pacjent.gov.pl/dorazna-pomoc-dentystyczna
First aid: 999 or 112
You will pay the following co-payment for the treatment:
- Treatment by a contractual doctor is free of charge.
- Medicines and medical devices 0% – 100% depending on the type
- Stomatology – only a small part of the procedures is free of charge, for most procedures the co-payment is 100%
- Hospitalization in case of acute care is free of charge
- Approximate exchange rate: PLN 1 = CZK 6.00
Reimbursement of Costs
If you paid for the care yourself, contact your Czech health insurance fund and present your invoices (originals); the health insurance fund will assess whether you are entitled to reimbursement and what amount.
Getting your Czech ePrescription Filled
Some pharmacies in Poland allow you to get your ePrescription from Czechia filled. It is likely that you will be required to pay for the medicine yourself; upon return you can ask your health insurance fund for reimbursement of the costs incurred. The costs will be reimbursed up to the Czech price which is covered by health insurance. In exceptional cases, the health insurance fund can also decide on reimbursement up to the Polish prices (in accordance with the legislation in force where the healthcare was provided). Health insurance funds determine the compensation in an administrative proceeding within 30 days or, in exceptional cases, 60 days.
Incapacity for work
The National Health Fund (NFZ) is not the institution responsible in Poland for issues related to incapacity for work and the issuance of sick leaves.
The institution responsible in Poland for coordinating sick leave and incapacity for work is the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) https://www.zus.pl/
If you want to claim Czech sick leave due to incapacity for work in the country of residence, contact the attending physician who will issue you a certificate of temporary incapacity for work. If the attending physician does not issue this certificate in Poland, contact the relevant Polish institution.
As soon as possible, send to your employer (self-employed persons the relevant District Social Security Administration (OSSZ) a confirmation of temporary incapacity for work with the expected duration of it together with the form “Application for sick leave in case of incapacity for work in another EU member state”, which can be freely downloaded here.
Where to get more information about the access to healthcare:
National Health Fund (Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia)
the list of branches in individual voivodships you can find at
www.nfz.gov.pl,
Headquarters NFZ, ul. Grójecka 186, 02-390 Warszawa,
tel.: +48/22/5726268,
ca17@nfz.gov.pl, https://www.ekuz.nfz.gov.pl/
Patient Information Telephone: tel. 800 190 590 (from Poland),
+48 22 125 66 00 (from abroad),
email: tip@nfz.gov.pl
Information about the treatment of citizens of EU/EFTA countries in Poland:
If you go to Poland for planned health care, you will get detailed information from the national contact point:
National Health Fund (Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia)
http://www.kpk.nfz.gov.pl/en/
Contacts at Czech embassies:
- Embassy of the Czech Republic in Poland
Ambasada Republiki Czeskiej
ul. Koszykowa 18, Warsawa 00-555,
tel.: +48/225251-850, in case of emergency: +48/608298988
fax: +48/225251-898,
warsaw@embassy.mzv.cz, www.mzv.cz/warsaw, www.republikaczeska.pl. - Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic in Poland Konsulat Honorowy Republiki Czeskiej
ul. Szkocka 5/2, Wrocław 54-402,
tel.: +48/713509700, fax: +48/713509710,
wroclaw@honorary.mzv.cz - Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic in Poland
ul. Źegiestowska 11/13, Poznaň 60-466,
poznan@honorary.mzv.cz, poznan.honorary@gmail.com. - Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic in Poland
M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 11, 90-505 Łódź,
tel.: +48/426655459, fax: +48/426655464,
lodz@honorary.mzv.cz. - Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic in Poland
Al. Najświętszej Maryi Panny 24/18, 42-200 Częstochowa,
tel.: +48/343720551, fax: +48/343720553,
czestochowa@honorary.mzv.cz. - Honorary Consulate of the Czech Republic in Poland
Al. Adama Mickiewicza 3/2, 85-071 Bydgoszcz,
tel.: +48/523317425, fax: +48/523317425,
bydgoszcz@honorary.mzv.cz.