Healthcare

In Poland, you can use either the public healthcare system (free of charge with insurance) and private medical services (paid directly or via private insurance).

Public Healthcare (NFZ)

The public system is managed by the National Health Fund (NFZ). To use it, you must be enrolled and registered in the ZUS (Social Insurance Institution) system.

✓ Employees at IBB are enrolled in NFZ automatically from the first day of their employment contract. The HR department takes care of the paperwork and monthly contributions on your behalf.

✓ PhD students from EU/EEA countries can access public healthcare using their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Make sure it is valid for the entire duration of your stay.

✓ PhD students from outside the EU should enroll in NFZ by signing a voluntary agreement and paying a monthly contribution (reimbursed by IBB). You’ll need to register ZUS and declare your payments every month.

The NFZ system covers:

  • general medical care (e.g. appointments with GPs),
  • visits to specialists and diagnostic tests,
  • hospital services,
  • ambulance transport in emergencies
  • prescription medications – most are paid, only some are partially reimbursed

Some waiting times may be long – especially for non-urgent specialist visits.

Your Family Doctor (GP)

Once you’re insured in the NFZ system, you should choose and register with a General Practitioner (GP) (in Poland family doctor – lekarz rodzinny) at a primary care clinic (przychodnia) of your choice. This doctor will be your main point of contact for everyday health concerns such as fever, infections or prescriptions, and will issue referrals to specialists, diagnostic tests, or hospital care when needed.

You can register:

  • in person – at the reception desk of the clinic
  • online – via your Patient Internet Account (Internetowe Konto Pacjenta – IKP) ➞ to use the online option, you’ll need a Trusted Profile (Profil Zaufany)

It’s best to choose a clinic close to where you live. While not all clinics offer English-language support, many do – so make sure to ask if the GP or staff speak English before registering.

Emergencies

In urgent medical situations, you can always get help – also outside regular clinic hours.

You can:

  • Call 112 – the European emergency number (available 24/7, with multilingual operators)
  • Go to the nearest hospital emergency department (SOR) – for serious or sudden health issues
  • Visit night and holiday care point (nocna i świąteczna pomoc lekarska) – for urgent but non-life threatening problems when regular clinics are closed (evenings, weekends, holidays)

When you register with a family doctor, you’ll be informed which night care clinic is assigned to your clinic. It’s usually located nearby.If you’re at IBB, the nearest night and holiday care point is just 5 minutes away:

Szpital Banacha – Entrance D, ground floor
ul. Banacha 1a, Warsaw

Bring your ID and PESEL if you have one. If not, your passport will be also accepted.

Pharmacies (Apteki)

Pharmacies are easy to find in Warsaw – just look for the green cross symbol. Many pharmacists speak basic English, and if needed, you can always show a note from your doctor or use a translation app.

  • Most everyday medications – such as painkillers, cold remedies or allergy medicines – are available without a prescription.
  • Antibiotics and specialised treatments require a prescription form a doctor, usually issued in digital form and linked to your PESEL number.
  • If you have public insurance, some medications are partially reimbursed by NFZ – the price reduction is automatically applied at the pharmacy.

Some pharmacies are open 24/7 – just search “apteka całodobowa” in Google Maps to find the nearest one.

If your local pharmacy is closed (e.g. late at night or during a public holiday), look for a notice posted on the door or window. It will indicate the nearest pharmacy on duty (apteka dyżurna) where you can get help outside standard hours.

Private Healthcare

Some people in Poland choose to combine public and private healthcare – using the public system for basic services, and turning to private providers for faster access to specialists, diagnostics, or more flexible appointment times when needed.

There are two main options:

  • You can book a single private appointment with a doctor of your choice. Prices vary depending on the clinic and type of service.
  • You can also sign up for a private subscription plan (monthly or annual), which gives access to a network of clinics and services such as shorter waiting times, diagnostics, preventive check-ups, or online consultations.Popular private healthcare providers with large medical networks include Luxmed, Medicover, Enel-Med, CMP, and PZU Zdrowie. Many of them offer English-speaking doctors and online booking.

If you’re interested, IBB also offers access to a group private medical plan. You’ll receive more information about this during your onboarding. Participation is optional and depends on your individual needs and preferences.

Healthcare at IBB

If you want to find out more about healthcare offered by IBB check out the On-Site Healthcare at IBB section.