Health and safety
Citizens of all countries excluding Great Britain should buy themselves appropriate assurance before going to Poland. By the force of a bilateral agreement between Poland and Great Britain British citizens in a snap case may use free of charge the national heath service. However, it is better to buy the insurance, because not every services are listed in the agreement, besides an accident may happen in the way to Poland.
While crossing the Polish border no protective inoculations are needed. Water from the faucet is safe to drink, although most of tourists prefer bottled mineral water. Polish drugstores are equipped with drugs of all kinds. In the cities it is possible to communicate with the personnel in English or German. Having prescriptions from the country of residence will certainly facilitate buying necessary drugs. In every city there is at least one drugstore open 24 hours a day. The addresses of the drugstores can be found in local press. With more serious problem you should go to a hospital, which will do any necessary explorations and will render any necessary help. In larger cities also function (much more expensive than hospitals) private clinics.
Health insurance
The health welfare in Poland functions basing on central national budget assigned for health care purposes, called the National Health Fund(Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia - NFZ). 
The health contribution, next to the social contribution are obliged to pay every people having constant job, that is employed for a contract of employment or working in job relation making work agreement. It concerns also foreigners employed in Poland. Similarly to social contribution, also health contribution is paid by the employer.
Insured in NFZ have in the rules prescribed in the act right to health services with an eye to maintain health, prevent diseases and injures, early discovering diseases, treating and discovering disability and its restraint. So employed on the territory of Poland foreigners have assured almost full health service, containing specialistic health treatment, making operations and stay in sanitariums. Within the insurance there is also possible to call the ambulance which will transport the ill person to the hospital.
Apart from the obligatory insurance for the foreigners employed basing on job or work contract, there is a category of foreigners having the right on their on conclusion to become members of any voluntary health insurances. Among having right to enter into a health insurance the act about National Heath Fund lists the living in Poland foreigners on base:
- Stay visa in the purpose of making work,
- Permission of settling,
- Permission on residing on specified time,
- Having status of an emigrant given in the Republic of Poland,
- Using of time security on its territory.
Also can be voluntarily insured can be:
- Students and members of doctoral studies, which are studying in the Republic of Poland,
- Graduates which are doing the dutiful practice in the territory of Poland,
- Members of the convents and alums of all ecclesiastic ant theological seminaries, postulants, convent probationers and juniors and their equivalents being in Poland upon a visa, permission for settlement or permission for time inhibitance.
- Also living in Poland families of the listed groups of people liable the obligatory health insurance.
The insured person applying to a public health institution is obliged to show the health insurance card. Besides if he wants to patronize the specialist in the public institution of the health care should take a committal from a family doctor. In the states of direct life danger or a childbirth the health services are being made without any required committal.
Attention! We have to notice if given public health institution, into which we are going for a specialist service, has signed an agreement for this service with NFZ.
By the moment of Polish membership in the European Union every citizen of membership countries have right to free services in so called cases of emergency on the identical rights as Poles. However, before the journey, in accordance with the coordination system in the range of medical services binding in all countries of EU, they should equip themselves with a e-111 form, which guarantees aces to health services. On the power of bilateral agreements from such help can profit also citizens of Russia, Albania and Bulgaria.
In line with the public health care there also nonpublic institutions of health care. Especially in biggest cities there are widespreaded offices of doctors of almost all specialties, as well as clinics, where are carried special treatments and operations.
Attention! If necessary, not insured can by the payment use services of public health institutions. It concerns both one-tie advices at the specialist doctor's office, as well as medical treatment. It is important that payments for this type of services in national health service are usually significantly lower than in the sector of private medical services.