In short
- Free care remains for, among others, children, pregnant and postpartum women, victims of torture and violence, and people in collective accommodation.
- Everyone is entitled to life-saving care.
- Working with ZUS contributions or running a sole-trader business — you're insured.
- Not working: voluntary NFZ (844.38 zł/month) or a private policy.
Who the change affects
Adult Ukrainian citizens with UKR status who don't work and aren't registered as family members of an insured person.
Your options
- Employment or civil contract — your employer registers you with ZUS.
- Registration as a family member of an insured person (spouse, child).
- Voluntary NFZ.
- A private medical policy.
Additional fee
With voluntary NFZ, people with UKR status who were not insured before are charged the additional fee — up to about 18–19 thousand zł. In its reply to the Ombudsman (May 2026) NFZ confirmed you can apply to the branch director for an exemption or instalments. We'll help with the application or compare it with a cheaper private policy.
| Gap in insurance | Additional fee (at least) |
|---|---|
| 3 months to 1 year | 1,876.41 zł |
| 1 to 2 years | 4,691.03 zł |
| 2 to 5 years | 9,382.05 zł |
| 5 to 10 years | 14,073.08 zł |
| Over 10 years | 18,764.10 zł |
Source: nfz.gov.pl; base 9,382.05 zł — Statistics Poland (GUS) notice of 20.10.2026.