EHIC (EKUZ) from Poland: Free EU Health Cover for Travel
Short answer: Anyone insured or entitled to health services in Poland can get a free EKUZ card for necessary, unplanned treatment in the EU, EFTA and UK on local-citizen terms. Apply via IKP or an NFZ branch; rescue costs and repatriation are not covered, so keep travel insurance too.
If you are insured in Poland and you travel in Europe, one small blue card can save you from a very large hospital bill. The EKUZ - Poland's version of the European Health Insurance Card - proves your right to medically necessary treatment across the EU, EFTA and the United Kingdom on the same terms as local patients. It is free, it takes minutes to request, and many expats insured in Poland do not know they are entitled to one. Here is how it works, as of October 2026.
What the EKUZ is
According to the National Health Fund (NFZ), the EKUZ is an EU document confirming your right to free treatment in any EU or EFTA country other than your own, and in the United Kingdom. Everyone insured or otherwise entitled to health services in Poland can get one - employees, pensioners, and people with special entitlements such as children under 18 who cannot be registered for insurance by a parent or grandparent. Each person needs their own card; there is no family version.
The card works in EU and EFTA states, the UK and Northern Ireland, and even in overseas territories: the French departments of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion, St Pierre-et-Miquelon and French Guiana, Portugal's Azores and Madeira, and Spain's Mallorca and Canary Islands.
What it covers - and what it does not
The NFZ is explicit that EKUZ cover is limited. It entitles you to treatment that is:
- necessary and unplanned;
- provided within the public health system of the country you are visiting;
- on the same terms as that country's own citizens - so if locals pay a share of a doctor's visit, you pay it too.
Two gaps matter for travellers. The card usually does not cover the cost of rescue operations, so skiers and hikers should check the local rules and consider commercial insurance. And it does not pay for medical repatriation home after a sudden illness, except in rare cases where continued treatment abroad would cost more than the transport. An EKUZ is not a replacement for travel insurance; it is the baseline layer. Because the entitlement runs through the public system, private clinics abroad generally do not accept the card - in an emergency, ask for a public provider or you may pay the full bill yourself.
How to get the card
The application is free and there are two routes:
- Online through IKP or the mojeIKP app. Log in at pacjent.gov.pl, open the "Moje konto" tab, find the EKUZ section under your insurance information and click "Złóż wniosek". You provide the address the card should be mailed to - online applications are always sent by post. NFZ processes applications within 5 working days, extended to 10 working days from June to September.
- In person at any NFZ branch or delegation, regardless of where you live.
Special cases: if you are 18 or older and insured as a family member while studying (school, university or doctoral studies), attach a copy of your current student ID or a certificate of continuing study. Blind and partially sighted applicants can request a card marked with a Braille sticker. If you travel to the UK, check the NFZ's Brexit tab for the rules in force since 31 December 2020.
Practical checklist
- Apply before you travel, not after; summer applications take up to 10 working days.
- Every traveller needs their own card, including children.
- Remember the limits: necessary, unplanned, public-system treatment only.
- Buy travel insurance on top if your trip involves rescue risk or you want repatriation cover.
- Students insured as family members: attach proof of study to the application.
- Keep the card with your passport; some providers ask for it alongside an identity document.
Frequently asked questions
### I am not a Polish citizen but I work in Poland and pay ZUS. Can I get an EKUZ?
Yes. Entitlement follows health-insurance status in Poland, not citizenship: the NFZ issues the card to people entitled to health services in Poland, such as those insured through employment.
How long is the card valid?
The validity is printed on the card and depends on your insurance situation; renew it when your circumstances change or the card expires.
Does the EKUZ cover planned treatment abroad?
No. The NFZ states the card covers necessary, unplanned treatment within the host country's public system. Planned treatment abroad follows separate routes.
Is the card enough for a ski trip?
The NFZ warns that rescue-operation costs are usually not covered, so for risk sports it advises checking local rules and buying additional commercial insurance.
