Dentist for foreigners in Białystok: the NFZ, the EHIC (EKUZ), Ukrainian citizens and private treatment

Can a foreigner get dental treatment on the NFZ?

A foreigner can have dental treatment on the NFZ if they have a basis for it: they are insured in Poland, hold an EHIC issued by another EU or EFTA country or, as a Ukrainian citizen with a PESEL number with UKR status, belong to one of the protected groups. PESEL is the Polish national identification number, and UKR is the status that marks Ukrainian citizens under temporary protection. Neither citizenship of another country nor staying in Poland gives this right in itself.

The act on publicly funded healthcare services (Article 2) grants entitlement mainly to insured people. Without insurance it covers children under 18 and women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period, but only those with Polish citizenship or with refugee status, subsidiary protection or a specified residence permit, and pregnant women also only if they live in Poland.

NFZ treatment takes place at a practice that has a contract with the National Health Fund, in the same scope as for other insured patients; what exactly it covers is described in the article on what the NFZ funds at the dentist. No referral to a dentist is needed. This article reflects the legal position as of 18 October 2026.

Who is insured in Poland, and how do you prove it at the dentist?

A foreigner is insured with the NFZ when they have grounds for compulsory insurance, for example an employment contract, a contract of mandate (umowa zlecenia), their own business, registered unemployed status or a Polish retirement or disability pension, or when they have taken out voluntary insurance. Family members, such as children and a spouse, can also be registered for insurance.

A voluntary insurance agreement is concluded on an application filed at a regional branch of the NFZ, in Białystok the Podlaskie regional branch (Podlaski Oddział Wojewódzki), provided that you live in Poland (Article 68). The Ministry of Health explains that this usually involves an additional fee, depending on the period without insurance, which the NFZ may waive or spread into instalments in justified cases.

At the practice you show an identity document, for example a passport, and the practice checks your entitlement in the NFZ system using your PESEL number (Article 50). If the system does not confirm it, you can present another document, for example a ZUS report from your employer showing that you have been registered for insurance (ZUS is Poland’s Social Insurance Institution), or sign a written declaration of entitlement.

The EHIC (EKUZ) at the dentist: what does it cover?

At the dentist, the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card, in Polish EKUZ) covers only necessary, unplanned treatment, at a practice with an NFZ contract, on the same terms as for people insured with the NFZ. It applies to people insured in another European Union or EFTA country (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) who are staying in Poland temporarily. People insured in the United Kingdom, with a UK GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) or a UK EHIC, receive necessary treatment on the same terms.

Whether treatment is necessary is decided by the doctor, who takes into account the patient’s health and the planned length of stay, and the NFZ stresses that the longer the stay, the wider the scope of treatment. There is no list of necessary services. At the practice you must show the card itself or the certificate that temporarily replaces it (Provisional Replacement Certificate); giving the card number is not enough.

The EHIC is not enough when the purpose of coming to Poland is planned treatment: you then need your insurer’s authorisation for planned treatment, the S2 form (formerly E112). A person who has moved to Poland but is insured in another EU country registers an S1 form at an NFZ branch and then has the same scope as insured patients. The EHIC does not work in private practices.

Dental treatment for Ukrainian citizens on the NFZ: what changed in 2026?

From 5 March 2026, the special act on assistance to Ukrainian citizens ceased to be the basis for free treatment. The rules now follow from Article 112c of the Act on granting protection to foreigners, added by the Act of 23 January 2026 (Dz.U. 2026 item 203), and only four groups of people with a PESEL number with UKR status have kept the right to NFZ care without insurance.

Anyone who did not show a passport when their PESEL number was assigned had to confirm their identity with a valid passport by 31 August 2026. Otherwise, on 1 September 2026 the UKR status changed to NUE and the person ceased to be a beneficiary of temporary protection.

• Children and young people up to their 18th birthday: the child’s identity document is enough.
• Women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period: a medical certificate of pregnancy or of the postpartum period, or the pregnancy record card (karta przebiegu ciąży).
• Victims of torture or rape: a certificate from the Head of the Office for Foreigners (Szef Urzędu do Spraw Cudzoziemców).
• Residents of collective accommodation facilities: a certificate confirming residence in such a facility.
• Everyone with PESEL UKR in a medical emergency (stan nagłego zagrożenia zdrowotnego): help without delay, to the extent necessary.
• Other adults: NFZ treatment once they are covered by insurance, for example through employment, a contract of mandate, a business or voluntary insurance.

Which documents to bring to the dentist: an overview

The documents you need at the dentist depend on the basis on which you are entitled to NFZ treatment, and in every case the starting point is an identity document. Dental treatment is not excluded for the protected groups with PESEL UKR; the exclusions concern other services, for example spa treatment and cataract surgery. The table summarises the rules and does not replace the legislation.

Private treatment: bills, travel insurance and records

Private treatment is available to everyone, regardless of citizenship, and the patient pays for it according to the practice’s price list. If you have travel or private health insurance, check the policy terms before the visit: whether it covers dental treatment, for example only sudden pain, and which documents the insurer requires.

For a reimbursement claim you usually need proof of payment, for example a receipt or an invoice, and a description of the treatment provided. The Patients’ Rights Act (Article 27) entitles you to a copy or printout of your medical records, also on a data storage medium, and the first release of a given set is free of charge (Article 28(2a)). In the same way you can get a copy of your X-rays to show a dentist in your home country.

The patient also has the right to understandable information about their health, the diagnosis and the proposed treatment methods (Article 9(2)). If anything is unclear, ask for an explanation in a language you understand well, or come with someone who can help interpret.

How do you prepare for a visit to a dentist in Poland?

Preparing for a dental visit in another country is mainly a matter of gathering your health information in one place, so that the dentist can plan anaesthesia and treatment safely. It is worth having ready:

• A list of the medicines you take regularly, with the names of the active substances and not only the brand names, because these often differ between countries.
• Information about allergies, especially to medicines, anaesthetics and latex.
• Earlier dental X-rays or a dental CT scan on a storage medium or on your phone, and a description of previous treatment.
• Information about chronic illnesses, pregnancy or breastfeeding, and any anticoagulants (blood thinners).
• Documents giving entitlement to NFZ care or your insurance policy and, if you are in pain, a short description: since when it has hurt, what makes the pain worse, and whether there is swelling or a fever.

Toothache at night or on a public holiday: where to get help?

Help with toothache at night and on public holidays is provided by the NFZ emergency dental service: on working days from 19:00 to 7:00, and round the clock at weekends and on public holidays. A patient who comes with pain to a practice with an NFZ contract is helped on the day they present, and the address and hours of the out-of-hours service in Białystok are given in a separate article on dentists at night and at weekends.

The nearest service is shown by the free NFZ patient helpline (Telefoniczna Informacja Pacjenta) on 800 190 590, open 24 hours a day, including public holidays. The consultants speak Polish, Ukrainian, English and Russian, and from abroad you can call +48 22 125 66 00 (a charged call).

Swelling of the face or neck that makes breathing, speaking or swallowing difficult needs help at a hospital emergency department (SOR) or via 112, the emergency number, not a visit to a dental practice.

How it works at DentalBlue

DentalBlue at ul. Kazimierza Pułaskiego 35 in Białystok treats patients privately and, as a healthcare provider, also delivers services funded by the NFZ: treatment under general anaesthesia for entitled patients, with entitlement checked at qualification. Polish, English, Ukrainian and Russian are spoken at the clinic.

In the clinic’s price list, the first visit is either a visit with pain (panoramic X-ray, consultation, examination and pain relief) at 340 zł, or a visit without pain (panoramic X-ray, consultation, examination and a written treatment plan) at 300 zł; a dental consultation costs 300 zł. The final scope and cost are set at the visit, and prices may change. The clinic is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 20:00 and on Saturdays from 8:00 to 16:00.