NFZ, the National Health Fund, finances public healthcare in Poland. If you are insured in Poland, the NFZ system lets you use contracted doctors, clinics, hospitals and some dental services for free.
Who can be covered
- Employees over the age of 26 – people under 26 are exempt from paying insurance taxes, so you receive a higher salary but are not covered by NFZ insurance
- Contractors or business owners who pay the required health contribution
- Students insured by a university, parent or other legal route. All children under 18 must have free NFZ health insurance
- Family members registered for insurance by an insured person. If a father or mother has NFZ health insurance through work, the child can also get it
- You can purchase insurance on your own. The price is 835 PLN per month.
- EU/EFTA citizens using EHIC for necessary treatment during a temporary stay
What NFZ Insurance Covers
- Dental examination with oral hygiene instructions — once a year
- Basic tests such as blood, urine, and stool tests, vitamin D, biochemistry, gastroscopy, and etc.
- Visits to most medical specialists
- Surgeries and Hospital Stays
- Calling an ambulance
- Routine dental check-up — up to 3 times per year
- Tartar removal (scaling) — once a year
- Caries treatment
- Root canal treatment of front teeth
- Tooth extractions
- Local anesthesia during covered procedures
- Intraoral dental X-rays when medically necessary
- Treatment of gum and oral mucosa diseases
- Emergency dental treatment for tooth pain
- Acrylic dentures once every 5 years (if eligibility conditions are met);
- Denture repair or relining once every 2 years.
What Is Not Covered
- Dental implants
- Cosmetic teeth whitening
- Veneers
- Most ceramic crowns
- Premium composite fillings for back teeth
These services and others are available only in private clinics
Additional Benefits for Children
Children and teenagers under 18 y.o. receive a wider range of free services, including:
- Fluoride varnish several times per year
- Fissure sealing of permanent molars
- Treatment of all permanent and baby teeth
- Additional preventive examinations
- broader access to root canal treatment
Benefits for Pregnant Women
- Tartar removal from the entire mouth every 6 months
- Root canal treatment of all teeth when medically necessary
- The Birth of a Child and the Hospital Stay
🔎 How to Find an NFZ Dentist
Look for clinics displaying the NFZ logo or stating that they have a contract with the National Health Fund.
You can also search using the official NFZ provider database with the earliest available appointment date.
🕒 Waiting Times
Poland’s free healthcare system currently has abysmal wait times for patient appointments and treatment. You may have to wait up to six months for an appointment with a specialist, while waiting lists for surgery stretch on for decades. However, you can usually make an appointment with a general practitioner (lekarz internista) by calling your local clinic in the morning and see a doctor the same day.
❗Important Information
NFZ does not mean every medical service is free everywhere. The clinic or doctor must work under an NFZ contract.