Residence Permit or Karta Pobytu: What Is the Difference and Which Insurance You Need

Short answer: "residence permit" (Ukrainians say ВНЖ) is the general name for permission to live in another country, while "karta pobytu" is the official Polish document that confirms this right in Poland. Both terms refer to the same document, just in different languages. The mix-up gets in the way most when you are looking for the right information about insurance, so here it is step by step.

Where the confusion comes from

In Ukraine, the term ВНЖ (residence permit) is used for any country, including the permit for foreigners to live in Ukraine itself. When a Ukrainian searches for "insurance for a residence permit" while meaning their stay in Poland, search engines do not always tell the contexts apart and show results about residence permits for foreigners in Ukraine, a completely different topic with different requirements. If you plan to stay in Poland, search for the exact term "karta pobytu": it gives more precise results.

Two types of karta pobytu

A temporary karta pobytu (pobyt czasowy) is issued for a specific period and purpose: work, study, family reunification and so on, and it can be extended. A permanent karta pobytu (pobyt stały) is issued without a time limit once the conditions are met (usually several years of continuous legal residence). Both require proof of health insurance, but the requirement is worded most clearly for the temporary karta pobytu based on work (Article 114 of the Act on Foreigners): public NFZ insurance or private insurance that covers treatment in Poland.

Which insurance you actually need

The key point: insurance for a karta pobytu must cover TREATMENT in Poland, so a standard travel policy for a visa does not replace it. If you are officially employed in Poland, access to NFZ usually comes automatically through your employer's contributions, and a separate policy may not be needed. If not, you need confirmation from a private insurer for exactly this type of cover. Kniazha offers such a program: in the calculator, set your location to "abroad" (the list of companies narrows down) and choose Kniazha manually among the available options; only then does the system attach the documents for the karta pobytu.

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Free NFZ Healthcare for Ukrainians in Poland Ended 5 March 2026
Health Insurance for Foreigners in Poland: Frequently Asked Questions