Travel Insurance From Poland: Why the EHIC Card Is Not Enough
Short answer: Travel insurance is voluntary, and the Financial Ombudsman advises buying it even with an EHIC, which does not cover medical transport home or trips outside Europe.
If you live in Poland and travel, the EHIC card (EKUZ) is not the whole answer. The Financial Ombudsman (Rzecznik Finansowy), Poland's official insurance consumer watchdog, warns every year that travellers get into trouble when a policy has too low a sum insured or no cover for medical transport. This guide summarises its advice from a news item of 26 June 2025 and its travel insurance questions and answers page.
Travel insurance is voluntary
The Ombudsman describes travel insurance as voluntary cover for trips in Poland and abroad. It mainly pays treatment costs and protects against accidents. One exception: travel agencies must offer a basic insurance package to people going abroad on one of their tours, but the law does not set the sums, so these packages can be low. The Ombudsman gives 40,000 zloty for treatment and medical transport as an example.
Why the EHIC card is not enough
According to the Ombudsman's FAQ, an EHIC gives access to necessary, unplanned care in the public health system of EU and EFTA countries on the same terms as locals. If locals pay a part of the cost of a visit, so do you. The FAQ lists limits:
- It covers only the public system, where waiting can be longer and facilities may be far from tourist resorts.
- It does not arrange appointments or other organisational services.
- It does not pay for mountain rescue or for costs outside the public health basket, such as medical transport home.
- It does not apply outside Europe. The June 2025 news item stresses this for trips to places like the USA, where treatment is very expensive.
The FAQ says the EHIC can be obtained by persons insured with the NFZ and, in special cases, by uninsured persons entitled to treatment on other grounds, for example children under 18. It does not discuss foreigners as a separate group.
Pick the sum insured carefully
The sum insured is the most the insurer must pay for an insured event. If the damage is higher, you cover the rest. The Ombudsman's advice is to choose higher limits, since a higher sum does not raise the premium in proportion. Its example: raising the sum for treatment costs six-fold, from 100,000 to 600,000 zloty, roughly doubles the premium, not six times.
Policies can have separate sums for different covers, and sub-limits within them. A typical example the FAQ gives is a dental limit of around 250 euro, enough only for emergency care.
Medical transport
The June 2025 news item draws attention to how transport is covered: under its own limit or inside the treatment sum. If it is inside, the sum must be large enough for both. For distant destinations, such as the Far East or the USA, or after serious injury, a special medical aircraft may be needed. The Ombudsman says that costs tens or even hundreds of thousands of euro, and some offers cover it without a limit or up to around 10 million zloty. Even in Europe, the EHIC supports only transfers between hospitals, and arranging transport is up to you.
What else to check in a policy
From the FAQ:
- Chronic conditions. If you have a chronic illness, even high blood pressure or diabetes, buy a policy that covers chronic and pre-existing conditions.
- Risky sports. Treatment after high-risk or extreme sports is not covered without extra insurance.
- Cancellation cover. Consider cover for cancelling the trip.
- Timing. Most insurers start cover the day after purchase and payment, so buy at least a few days before leaving. Buying abroad can mean a waiting period of a few days, such as 2 to 3 days, during which an accident is not paid.
- Documents. Read the policy, the general terms (OWU) and the short product information sheet (IPID). If you need a feature, ask where it is written in the documents.
Where to buy: directly from an insurer online or by phone, from a travel agency, from an agent or broker, or through a bank, including as an add-on to credit cards.
What the sources do not say
The pages are general consumer advice. They do not give current prices or recommend a product, and they do not describe rules for foreign residents of Poland. If you are not insured with the NFZ, check whether you qualify for an EHIC before relying on one.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need travel insurance if I have an EHIC?
The Ombudsman says yes, you should buy voluntary travel insurance. The EHIC covers only public care in EU and EFTA countries and not, for example, medical transport home.
How high should the sum insured be?
The Ombudsman does not give one number. It advises higher limits, especially for trips outside Europe, and says a higher sum does not raise the premium proportionally.
When should I buy a policy?
At least a few days before travel, since cover usually starts the day after purchase and payment.
Are chronic illnesses covered?
Only if the policy says so. The Ombudsman advises buying a policy that covers chronic and pre-existing conditions if you have any.
