The exchange students coming to our university are obliged to have a health and accident insurance valid throughout the whole period of their stay in Poland. It is recommended to have a liability insurance, too.
Please, check carefully the expiry date, scope and all provisions of the insurance policy you are going to buy. If you are planning to travel to other countries during your stay in Poland, you must remember that it should be included in your insurance coverage.
Students from the European Union or the European Economic Area are expected to apply for the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) in their home country.
It is in your best interest and we do hope that you will comply with the above-mentioned requirements.
Health insurance
EU/EEA-citizens
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) should be issued by a competent domestic authority before your arrival to Poland and should cover the whole period of your stay in Poland. The EHIC entitles you to free-of-charge health care in Poland on the same principles as the Polish citizens. The free-of-charge services are provided by clinics/hospitals/doctors that have a contract with the Polish National Health Fund (in short: NFZ), which is the institution responsible for health care in Poland..
The facilities of these health care providers are marked with the NFZ logo:
To get treatment by a general practitioner (examination and consultation) you should show your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or a replacement certificate together with a valid identity document and student ID.
Recommended NFZ health care units in Katowice and Sosnowiec (service available in English):
CenterMed
ul. Bocheńskiego 38, 40-859 Katowice
http://centermed.pl/placowka/Katowice-14
MarkMed
ul. Stara Kłodnicka 43, 40-703 Katowice
https://mark-med.pl/
Safmed
ul. Będzińska 41, 41-205 Sosnowiec
ul. Sobieskiego 21, 41-200 Sosnowiec
http://www.safmed.com.pl/
Detailed information concerning health care in Poland can be found at: http://www.nfz.gov.pl/
non-EU citizens
Students from outside the European Union and EEA countries are obliged to obtain the health insurance either at the Polish National Health Fund (NFZ) after coming to Poland or at any other private insurance company in their home country or in Poland. The health insurance must be valid throughout the whole period of your stay in Poland.
Depending on the terms and conditions of your insurance, you can receive health care free of charge, or you will be charged and get the costs of the treatment reimbursed after coming back home.
The University of Silesia cannot endorse any private insurance agencies, so please choose carefully.
If you choose to join the Polish National Health Fund (NFZ) the cost will be around PLN 50 (12 EUR) per month. When using health services, you will have to present your NFZ contract and the monthly premium payment receipt.
Accident insurance
Accident insurance is a policy that pays benefits to the beneficiary in case of fatal and non-fatal accidents. Accident insurance covers loss of life resulting from a covered accident and can provide coverage for some conditions (e.g. loss of limbs, loss of eyesight etc.) resulting from an accident. The conditions which may be covered depend on the policy.
In a case of emergency call 999 or 112.