How does Health Care in Poland work?

Cześć,

I've been living in Canada most of my life, but I'm Polish born and lineage. Moving back to live with family in Poland. Wondering how health care works in Poland.

1. When I move back, I hear I'm supposed to register for resident status. Does anyone know how I can go about doing that? I'll be in Rawa Mazowiecka (near Skierniewice).

2. I'll probably be unemployed for a little as I don't have work lined up for me. Will I need to get health insurance?

3. How much is health insurance? What sort of health insurance will I need to cover doctors, hospitals, prescriptions...?

4. If you call for an ambulance, do you get billed for that? What's ambulance response time like (...around Skierniewice)?

5. Any hospitals around Skierniewice? Are public hospitals modern, or are they sub-par in some way?

6. How much do pharmaceuticals cost? I need to use anti-anxiety pills on rare occasion. What would those cost to buy?

7. If I have prescription from my doctor in Canada, will they accept it in Poland?

8. I'm also looking for dental coverage. Do I need dental insurance? I have some wisdom teeth I would like to get ripped out. Any idea what that could cost?

I've got lots of things to figure out before leaving. It's been hectic. Your help is really appreciated.

Dzięki

your folks will know and they will direct you to where you need to go


of courdse there are.. poland isn't some freaking 3rd world country.. the hospitalsk are nothing like in Canada, i can assure you of that.


i doubt it

as to the rest, why not ask your family?

Hi there!
1. You needn't register as a resident - you already are Polish citizen no matter what someone tells you. The basis is if at least one of your parents was/is a Polish citizen and did not resign from it. You don't usually have to claim it, you already are Polish in this case, so you just do a simple (takes about 3 weeks) procedure of verifying your nationality (costs 58 zł) and there you are: a verified Pole:)

2. Yes, it'll be useful if you get sick. Apply for PESEL first.

3. If you manage to register as unemployed - you get the coverage.

4. 5. You never payif the call was necessary. But unnecessary calls cost. Don't kow about Skierniewice's ambulance reaction time.

6. What kind of pills (i.e. what is the main ingredient so I can check the price)?

7. Could be a problem, but it depends on the drug.

8. Can cost quite a lot, prices differ a lot...

Your welcome;)

It's easier for me this way. My mother is my only connection to my family back in Poland, so she does all the talking with my relatives. I barely know my relatives, I haven't been in Poland for many years. And I prefer not to speak with my mother.

If this wasn't the best option, I wouldn't be asking.

Thanks :)

And you're going to stay with them?

Both my parents are Polish. I have an expired Polish passport from when I was a kid, and a Polish birth certificate. So I guess I can skip verification. I guess it was this PESEL identification that I heard about.

Is PESEL also the card you use to travel between E.U. countries w/o passport?


I'll can't check that right now. I'll get back to you on that. Are you perhaps a pharmacist?


Thanks :)


Sort-of, it's not the complete story :)

300 - 500 PLN for each tooth


you don't need any document to travel from Poland to any country in Shengen zone. If you want to travel to GB you need an id (dowód osobisty) or passport.

You have to get your id card if you want to live in poland (e.g. you need it to open a bank account).

In this case, you absolutely must renew the Polish passport before travelling into Poland - it is illegal to enter Poland on a non-Polish passport if you are Polish. And yes, you will be held at the border for this - your passport presumably identifies you as having been born in Poland.

The PESEL is merely your national identity number.


No, that's a Dowod Osobisty. Which is also a legal requirement for you to obtain when in Poland.

You'll need a place where you can register your residence - is your family in Poland happy for you to do so? Again, it's illegal for you not to have a "zameldowanie".

What do you intend to do in Poland, out of interest?

If you want to work in Poland you also have to apply (after getting your dowod osobisty) for NIP number (Numer Identyfikacji Podatkowej). It's needed to tax you

Thank You for all the information. It's really appreciated.

OK, so I need a dowód osobisty, PESEL, and Numer Identyfikacji Podatkowej. Do I get those all at the same place?


I have a Canadian passport which lists a Polish city as my place of birth. My brother was visiting Poland in 2009. I think he went on his Canadian passport and didn't have any trouble getting it. I'll have to ask him about that.

I hear it takes 6 months to get a Polish passport here in Canada. But I'm planning to move in October/November. I'm sure they'll welcome me with open arms, even with my Canadian passport. I'm Polish! No one turns away family ;)


Everything. But I think you were asking more in terms of study/work? In that case, I'm a website designer & programmer. I'm planning to work from home. I have a couple business ideas, some projects in the work, etc. But besides that, I'll just be a bum.

It is just a number, not a card, but it is put on Polish ID.


- merely but essential in mamy cases not to waste your time

You still might have to undergo this veryfication, depending on details, but first just try to get yourself a new ID and/or passport in Poland.


Not quite, but I happen to know a bit about substances and it is easy to check their prices and availability.


But you should have some ID definitely anywhere you travel. And you need passport (or ID at least) for UK as it is not in Schengen zone.

Actually as a person who born in Poland you already have your own PESEL number (you just don't know it). So you don't have to apply for it (am I wrong here Olaf?). He just need to apply for dowód osobity (which will containing your pesel number). I don't remember if you need to know the PESEL when filling the papers for dowód osobity, certainly what you have to have are 2 special pictures (every photograph knows what such pictures should be like, so you say just do dowodu osobistego), and I'm not sure if you don't have to have odpis aktu urodzenia (birth certificate verified copy).

You apply for dowód in Urząd Miasta or Gminy. Then you will get your dowod osobity after 2-4 week.

Then if you know the number and serial of your dowód osobisty you can apply for NIP in Urząd Skarbowy

Oh I just found some intresting infos. My english is awful so maybe ask Olaf to translate it:


pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dow%C3%B3d_osobisty_w_Polsce#Dow.C3.B3d_osobisty_bez_zameldowania

still has to be done regardless.. what about zameldowanie? did that ever get striken down?

i


i guess not.. wtf?


you may or may not have any trouble but as someone said before, it is illegal for you, as a pole, to enter PL on other papers then the PL passport or DO.


they won't turn you back but detention may not be the fun it's not cracked up to be.


and you can get that through the embassy too.. but of course that takes some time


he's in canada


to get the ID one doesn't need to registration (zameldowac)
polish citizens living abroad have the right and not an obligation to possess DO
according to so and so articles people without registration of residence, like people living abroad, DO is issued (only?) at Warsaw Srodmiesce (central) office.

It's called - clonazepam.

- this is about 35-40 zł for the stronger ones (2mg), 20pc box, strictly on doctor's prescription. There is another one, Rivotril.
You should definitely take those old prescriptions and med. history of the treatment and it will be not a problem in Poland then.

If we consider a place like American Clinic, part of Medicover Hospital in Warsaw, we can say that the polish health care works great. At this place are considered health insurance from around the world, the staff is multilingual, and more offer here is very rich. An interesting option certainly is The Second Opinion, in which case we may be from the beginning diagnosed by another doctor. For sure it will help in choosing the optimal solution for the treatment.