Poland has ended the special healthcare arrangements that were introduced for Ukrainian refugees after the outbreak of the war, bringing their access to the public medical system closer to the standard rules that apply to other residents of the country. The changes, which came into force on 5 March, mark the conclusion of a temporary system created in response to the humanitarian crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In the first weeks after the full-scale invasion began on 24 February 2022, Poland adopted emergency legislation allowing Ukrainians fleeing the war to stay legally in the country and use the public healthcare system even if they did not have health insurance.
The measures were designed to ensure rapid medical assistance for the large number of people arriving in Poland in a short period of time. For nearly three years, Ukrainian refugees were therefore able to access healthcare services under rules that differed from those normally applied within the Polish system.
With the new legislation, these temporary provisions are now being phased out. Free healthcare will continue to be available primarily for particularly vulnerable groups, including children and young people, pregnant women and women in the postpartum period, individuals who were victims of torture or sexual violence, people living in collective accommodation centres and those who were injured during the war in Ukraine.
In order to receive treatment, beneficiaries must hold a Polish PESEL identification number and a UKR status confirming their legal residence.
For other Ukrainian citizens who arrived in Poland after the outbreak of the war, access to the public healthcare system will now depend on participation in the national health insurance scheme, in the same way as for other residents of Poland.
This means that individuals who wish to use the full range of services provided by the public healthcare system will need to pay health insurance contributions, either through compulsory insurance linked to employment or through voluntary insurance.
The change follows an earlier step taken in September 2024, when adult Ukrainians without health insurance lost eligibility for reimbursed medicines and publicly funded dental treatment. At that stage, they continued to have access to primary healthcare, specialist outpatient consultations and hospital treatment. The new law completes the transition away from the extraordinary arrangements introduced at the start of the war.
Some services remain outside the scope of free treatment even for those who continue to qualify under the special provisions. These include infertility treatment and cataract surgery. The National Health Fund has emphasised that full access to publicly funded healthcare services requires any legal entitlement to health insurance, whether compulsory or voluntary.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland has become one of the main destinations for people fleeing the conflict. According to the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, around 1.6 million refugees, mostly women and children, found shelter in Poland between February 2022 and the end of 2024.
As the conflict continues, the end of the temporary healthcare arrangements reflects Poland’s transition from an emergency response to a longer-term framework integrating Ukrainian residents into the country’s regular public systems.
Photo: X/@cuprwarszawa
Tomasz Modrzejewski
