Student NFZ insurance and dental care in Białystok: under 26, over 26 and international students

Do students have NFZ health insurance?

Polish students usually have NFZ health insurance in one of three ways: as a family member of an insured parent, through their own entitlement, such as an employment contract, or through university registration. Which route applies determines what you show at the practice, but the scope of dental care is the same.

The Healthcare Services Act recognises as a family member a child who continues school after 18 or studies at a university or doctoral school, until age 26. A child with an official certificate of severe disability (orzeczenie o znacznym stopniu niepełnosprawności) qualifies without an age limit (art. 5 pkt 3 lit. a). Registration by one insured parent is enough (art. 67 ust. 3a).

Undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students with no other insurance entitlement are subject to compulsory insurance and are registered by their university (art. 66 ust. 1 pkt 20 i art. 75 ust. 4). A student who does not receive a scholarship pays no contribution in this situation (art. 67 ust. 1 pkt 3). Legal status as of 24 October 2026.

Student insurance after 26: what should you do?

Once you turn 26, you can generally no longer be insured as a child through a parent; the exception is a certificate of severe disability. An insured spouse can still register you, because the Act treats a spouse as a family member (art. 5 pkt 3 lit. b), and that status removes the obligation to be insured as a student (art. 66 ust. 2). If you have no entitlement of your own, such as an employment contract, and cannot be registered as a family member, submit a declaration to your university that you have no other basis for insurance, and the university will register you with the NFZ.

Insurance through study starts on the day you submit this declaration, no earlier than the beginning of the first semester, and ends when you graduate or are removed from the student register (art. 73 pkt 4). Entitlement to healthcare after graduation or removal from the register expires after 4 months (art. 67 ust. 5 pkt 2).

Submit the declaration promptly after your 26th birthday, as insurance through study starts only on the submission date. This applies to students at all universities, including the Medical University of Białystok, Białystok University of Technology and the University of Białystok. Check whether you are registered in Internetowe Konto Pacjenta (the online patient account) or the mojeIKP app, which displays insurance status.

How much does health insurance cost for an international student?

A student from outside the European Union, EFTA and the United Kingdom who has no Karta Polaka (Pole’s Card) or other insurance entitlement can sign a voluntary health insurance agreement with the NFZ (art. 3 ust. 2 pkt 1 i art. 68 of the Act). For these students, the NFZ gives a contribution assessment base of 620 zł and a monthly contribution of 55,80 zł, without the additional fee other people pay after a gap in insurance (as of 24 October 2026).

For comparison, the minimum voluntary contribution for other people in July, August and September 2026 is 845,67 zł a month. Residence in Poland is a condition of the agreement. The NFZ application requires documents including a passport copy, a valid student visa or residence card, confirmation of student status and proof of residence.

Non-EU students holding a Karta Polaka or recognised Polish ancestry are insured on the same basis as Polish students, including through their university (art. 3 ust. 1 pkt 3a). In Białystok, voluntary insurance agreements are signed at the Podlaskie NFZ branch’s Customer Service Hall at ul. Pałacowa 3, open Mondays from 8:00 to 18:00 and Tuesdays to Fridays from 8:00 to 16:00 (as of 24 October 2026).

Student insurance and documents for the dentist: an overview

A student’s position under the NFZ depends on their basis for insurance, rather than simply having a student card. The table summarises common situations and does not replace the regulations. For an unusual situation, ask your NFZ branch or call 800 190 590.

EHIC and Erasmus: what dental care is covered?

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC, called EKUZ in Poland) covers only medically necessary, unplanned care in Poland at a practice with an NFZ contract, on the same terms as people insured with the NFZ. The dentist decides whether treatment is necessary, considering your health and planned length of stay. The NFZ stresses that the longer the stay, the broader the scope of care.

A student from another EU country covered by its public insurance cannot take out voluntary NFZ cover, as the NFZ excludes such people from voluntary insurance. An EHIC does not work at private practices: you pay for private appointments yourself and ask your insurer about any reimbursement.

This also works in the other direction. A student from Białystok leaving for Erasmus can obtain an EHIC at the Podlaskie NFZ branch’s Customer Service Hall at ul. Pałacowa 3, provided they are insured with the NFZ.

What dental care can students receive under the NFZ?

An adult insured student uses the basic NFZ dental package for adults, unless they have additional entitlements, for example because of pregnancy or the postpartum period. It includes an examination with oral hygiene instruction once a year, 3 check-ups a year, fillings, extractions, tartar removal once a year and anaesthesia. In the basic adult package, root canal treatment covers incisors and canines, and the NFZ does not fund implants, crowns or bridges. Pregnant and postpartum women and people under 18 are entitled to root canal treatment of all teeth, and during pregnancy and the postpartum period tartar removal is available once every 6 months rather than once a year.

No referral is needed for a dentist, and a practice with an NFZ contract provides same-day help for toothache. Emergency dental care operates at night, at weekends and on public holidays. The Podlaskie region has 1 such site, described in the article on night-time and weekend dental care.

How can you check your insurance before a dental appointment?

Check your insurance before attending through Internetowe Konto Pacjenta. At an NFZ-contracted practice, reception confirms it in the NFZ system using your PESEL number. If you are insured in Poland but the system does not confirm your entitlement, you can show another document confirming it or, if you have none, submit a written declaration (art. 50 ust. 6). A person relying on insurance from another country must present the relevant document, such as an EHIC or a provisional replacement certificate, and cannot replace it with such a declaration.

Matters you cannot resolve online can be dealt with at the Podlaskie NFZ branch’s Customer Service Hall, where insurance can be verified. The Patient Information Helpline on 800 190 590 operates around the clock, with advisers speaking Polish, Ukrainian, English and Russian.

• An identity document: identity card, passport or residence card.
• Your PESEL number, if you have one; for voluntary insurance, the agreement and proof of contribution payment.
• An EHIC or provisional replacement certificate if you are insured in another EU country.
• A list of medicines you take and information on allergies, particularly to anaesthetics.
• Previous dental X-rays or a treatment summary from your home country, if you have them.

How it works at DentalBlue

DentalBlue, at ul. Kazimierza Pułaskiego 35 in Białystok, sees students on the same terms as other patients. Communication is available in Polish, English, Ukrainian and Russian. The price list lists “Wizyta bez bólu” (visit without pain), including a panoramic X-ray, consultation, examination and written treatment plan, at 300 zł. “Wizyta z bólem” (visit in pain), including a panoramic X-ray, consultation, examination and pain relief, costs 340 zł. The dentist determines the final scope and cost, and prices may change. The clinic opens Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 20:00 and Saturdays from 8:00 to 16:00.