Student Health Insurance in Poland: Who Covers You and When?
The right to free health care in Poland (NFZ) for a student is not automatically granted by the mere fact of having the status of a student. Who is obliged to register you for health insurance in ZUS is decided by a strictly defined statutory hierarchy. Priority is given to parents (until the student reaches the age of 26) and the employer (in the case of an employment contract). A higher education institution registers a student with the National Health Fund only in extreme situations – most often after exceeding 26 years of age, when the student does not have another title to be insured.
The following guide explains the current rules of the National Health Fund and the Social Insurance Fund for the academic year 2026/2027, discusses the trap of a mandate agreement and shows how to avoid losing the right to medical treatment after defending your diploma thesis.
Student Health Insurance Hierarchy – Who Takes Precedence?
Polish law (the Act of 27 August 2004 on health care services financed from public funds) sets a rigid order of entities responsible for registering a student with the National Health Fund. You cannot choose a contribution payer at your discretion.
Option 1: When do PARENTS insure you? (Basic option up to 26 years old)
If you do not work under an employment contract and do not run a business, the main entity responsible for your health insurance is your parents or legal guardians.
September 20, 2026
How does the parent report work?
The application is not automatic. A parent must report to their employer’s HR department (or to ZUS, if they run a company) their willingness to add their child to their insurance on the ZUS ZCNA form.
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Zero additional costs: Adding a student to parental insurance does not reduce the parent’s salary or increase their health premium.
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What if there are no parents? If the parents are deceased or not subject to health insurance in Poland/EU, a student up to the age of 26 can be registered with the NFZ by their grandparents.
What happens on the 26th birthday?
On your 26th birthday, the ZUS system automatically deregisters you from your parents’ insurance (except for people with a certificate of a significant degree of disability). At this point, you need to change your insurance title to work or college.
Option 2: When does your EMPLOYER insure you? (Employment contract vs. mandate)
Taking up a job during your studies drastically changes the situation at ZUS. The difference between an employment contract and a mandate contract is crucial in this context.
1. Employment contract (Full-time / Part time)
Every employment contract (regardless of the student’s age) becomes the overriding title to insurance.
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The employer registers you with ZUS on the ZUS ZZA form and pays the health contribution from your salary.
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At this point, the insurance with your parents expires – the parent must report to the HR that you have been deregistered from the insurance.
2. Contract of mandate (Student up to 26 years of age) – Famous exemption from ZUS
This is the most common information trap. A student up to the age of 26 who works under a contract of mandate is not subject to social security or health insurance under this contract (earns gross amount = net).
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Consequence: Your employer does NOT insure you with the National Health Fund!
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Where do you have the National Health Fund? When working on a mandate contract, you still need to be registered for insurance by your parents (or university if you are over 26 years old).
3. Business (B2B / Company)
If you open your own business, you become a contribution payer for yourself. You pay the health contribution to the Social Insurance Institution on your own, which excludes the possibility of insurance by your parents or the university.
Option 3: When does a UNIVERSITY insure you?
A higher education institution registers a student for health insurance only upon their written request and only if specific statutory conditions are met. The university does not do this automatically!
Situations in which the university insures you:
- You are at least 26 years old, still studying (full-time or part-time), do not work under an employment contract and do not have a spouse who could register you.
- You are under 26 years of age, but your parents/grandparents are dead, do not have the right to health insurance in Poland/EU, or their parental rights have been lost.
How to arrange insurance through a university?
- Download the Application for Health Insurance by the University from the university’s website (or pick it up at the Dean’s Office/Student Affairs Section).
- Attach a statement about the lack of other titles to health insurance (no employment contract, no insurance with your spouse).
- The university registers you with the Social Insurance Institution and from that moment on, it pays the health contribution for you from the state budget.
Expiration of student status – 40-day protection period and post-defense gap
One of the most common problems is the loss of the right to free medical treatment after graduation or during the break between first- and second-cycle studies.
Case: Gap between Bachelor’s and Master’s (July – October)
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When do you lose your student status? On the day of passing the diploma exam (bachelor’s/engineer’s defense), not on September 30th!
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How long does the protection last? The regulations grant you 40 days of additional entitlement to NFZ benefits from the day of the defense.
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What to do if the gap lasts longer than 40 days? If you defend yourself on 30 June, your right to the National Health Fund will expire around 9 August. Until October 1 (the start of second-cycle studies) you remain without insurance!
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Solution: For a period of 1.5 months, it is worth registering with the District Labour Office as a job seeker/unemployed person (which gives you immediate insurance from the National Health Fund) or take up work under an employment contract/mandate with a voluntary health insurance provider.
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NFZ and Accident and Third-Party Liability Insurance at the University – Key Difference
Every year, universities collect fees (approx. PLN 50-90) for the so-called “student insurance”. Many students mistakenly think that this fee entitles them to a free doctor and hospital.
| Features | Health Insurance (NFZ / ZUS) | Accident and third-party liability insurance (Commercial) |
| What does it give? | Free treatment, surgeries, free medicines in the hospital, outpatient clinics. | Payment of financial compensation for a broken leg, hospital stay or damage caused to others. |
| Obligation | Mandatory by law in Poland. | Voluntary (recommended, for example, in medical/pedagogical practices). |
| Who finances? | Parents, Employer or University (State Budget). | A student pays a premium once a year to a commercial insurer. |
EHIC and International Students – International Rules
Erasmus or holiday (EHIC)
As a student insured with the Polish National Health Fund (by your parents, work or university), you have the right to obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) free of charge.
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The EHIC provides access to essential state treatment in EU/EFTA countries with the same rights as nationals of that country.
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You submit the application via the IKP (Internet Patient Account) or at a branch of the National Health Fund.
International Students Studying in Poland
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EU/EFTA nationals: Receive free care on the basis of an EHIC issued in their home country.
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Non-EU citizens (with a Pole’s Card or Polish origin): They can be registered for health insurance by a Polish university on the same terms as Polish students.
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Non-EU citizens (without the Pole’s Card): They must sign a Voluntary Health Insurance Agreement with the National Health Fund and pay the monthly premium themselves (approx. PLN 55-65 per month).
Frequently Asked Questions (NFZ and ZUS)
What happens if I go to the doctor and the eWUŚ system lights up red?
The red colour in the eWUŚ system means that ZUS has not confirmed your entitlement to benefits on a given day. This is often due to a mistake by the parent’s employer (e.g. forgetting to re-register after changing jobs) or deregistration after turning 26. If you have the status of a student or are in the protection period of 40 days, you have the right to submit a written statement of entitlement to benefits at the clinic and be admitted free of charge. You have 7 days to clarify the matter with ZUS.
Do part-time (part-time) studies give the same rights to insurance by parents/university?
Yes. The mode of study (full-time, part-time, evening) has no significance for the health insurance regulations. A part-time student up to the age of 26 is also subject to insurance with their parents, and after reaching the age of 26 they can be registered by the university (if they do not work full-time).
Is a PhD student at the Doctoral School insured as a student?
No. Doctoral students in Doctoral Schools receive a mandatory doctoral scholarship, from which social and health insurance contributions are paid. A PhD student is covered by health insurance directly from his/her scholarship.
What should I do if my parent changed jobs during my studies?
If a parent changes jobs, you will be automatically deregistered from the parent’s old workplace. The parent must resubmit the ZUS ZCNA form to the new company, registering you for insurance. Failure to do so is the most common cause of “glowing red” in the eWUŚ system.
Can a university refuse to register me for insurance after the age of 26?
No, if you meet the statutory conditions (you have the status of a student, you are at least 26 years old, you do not have an employment contract, you do not run a business and you do not have a spouse with a title to the National Health Fund). Registering a student for health insurance in such a situation is a legal obligation of the university.
Correctly determining the payer of the health contribution protects you from unexpected bills for hospital treatment or visits to the primary care doctor. If you are under 26 years of age – make sure with your parents whether they have registered you on the ZUS ZCNA form. If you are over 26 years old – submit an application to the Dean’s Office for application by the university.