Does Erasmus+ need separate insurance in addition to the regular student visa policy?

The visa and the Erasmus+ requirements call for different programs. For the visa application, a standard visa policy of at least EUR 30,000 from any of the insurers is enough. Erasmus+ itself adds an accident and civil liability requirement, which the karta pobytu program from Kniazha meets; the other programs in the calculator do not include those items. The consulate or visa center checks the visa part, and your university or the program organizer checks the additional items.

Which visa do I apply for on an Erasmus+ exchange to Poland, Schengen C or national D?

The visa category tracks the length of the exchange, not the fact that it's Erasmus+ specifically. A short exchange under 90 days fits the Schengen visa (type C) framework; a full semester or academic-year exchange, the more typical Erasmus+ format, needs Poland's national visa (type D) instead. Both carry the same EUR 30,000 minimum insurance requirement, so what changes between them is the visa category and supporting documents, not the insurance amount.

Do I need another policy after I arrive and enroll, or if I stay in Poland after the exchange?

After enrollment, a Polish university generally asks for separate proof of health insurance for the whole study period, independent of the visa policy. Non-EU students can usually choose voluntary NFZ insurance (a fixed PLN 55.80 a month on a PLN 620 contribution base), a private policy, or the karta pobytu program from Kniazha, which can also be bought for the whole study period. If you stay in Poland after the exchange and apply for a karta pobytu, the same Kniazha program fits: in the calculator choose "I'm abroad" and manually pick Kniazha. Confirm the exact requirement with your university's international office.

Exchange Program Insurance for Poland (Erasmus+)

Insurance for Erasmus+ and Academic Exchange Programs in Poland

An Erasmus+ exchange or similar academic mobility program in Poland comes with two different sets of insurance requirements. For the visa application you need a standard visa policy: at least EUR 30,000 of medical cover, for the national visa (type D) on a semester or full academic year, or for the Schengen visa (type C) on a short exchange under 90 days. On top of that, Erasmus+ independently of the consulate adds its own requirement: at least EUR 30,000 of medical cover plus accident insurance and civil liability insurance. A standard visa policy does not cover that whole set, but the karta pobytu program from Kniazha does, and the other programs in the calculator do not. Below we explain which policy serves which stage and how to order the Kniazha program, including when you are already abroad.

Updated: October 1, 2026

Which visa an Erasmus+ exchange actually needs, C or D

Whether you need the Schengen visa (type C) or the national visa (type D) depends on how long the program runs, not on the fact that it's Erasmus+. A short exchange, whether that's an intensive course, a summer school, or a few weeks of mobility under 90 days, falls under the Schengen visa (type C): Article 15 of the EU Visa Code, Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, sets a minimum EUR 30,000 for urgent medical treatment, emergency hospitalization, repatriation, and death. A full semester or academic year abroad, the more typical Erasmus+ format, needs the national visa (type D) instead. D visas sit outside the Schengen-harmonized rules, so their legal basis is Poland's own Act on Foreigners (Ustawa o cudzoziemcach) rather than the EU regulation, yet the two land on the same EUR 30,000 floor, a 24/7 assistance line, and validity for the whole length of the visa, up to a year.

This is the identical insurance requirement used for any other Polish study visa, work visa, or business trip: the visa itself has no separate "exchange program" category with different numbers attached. What actually sets Erasmus+ apart sits one layer above the visa, in the program's own insurance rules, which is where the confusion usually starts.

Which policy meets the Erasmus+ accident and civil liability requirement

Erasmus+ is an EU-funded program with its own insurance rules, independent of the visa requirements. The learning agreement and the grant rules call for a policy with at least EUR 30,000 of medical cover, plus accident insurance for your own injuries, plus civil liability insurance for harm to third parties. This part is usually checked not by the consulate but by your host university or the organization that runs the program. A standard visa policy does not guarantee all three elements, so the visa application and the program requirements call for different policies: any of the visa policies works for the visa, while the Erasmus+ requirements are met by the karta pobytu program from Kniazha, which includes both accident cover and civil liability. The other programs in the calculator do not meet them. You can buy it even when the student is already abroad, for example working over the holidays and not returning to Ukraine: in the calculator set "Your location" to "I'm abroad", then manually pick Kniazha from the list. The exact wording of the requirement depends on the university, so confirm it with the program coordinator.

If your situation doesn't fit neatly into Erasmus+

An exchange program is one specific branch of study-related travel to Poland, sitting alongside general enrollment, traineeships, and language courses. All of them share the same underlying visa insurance rules, even though the paperwork and program-specific extras differ. If you're not certain Erasmus+ is the right category for your trip, or you just want the fuller picture of what a Polish study visa requires before narrowing down to your specific program, our main study-visa insurance page covers that ground:

Insurance for Studying in Poland: D Visa, Erasmus+, University and Dormitory
Karta Pobytu Insurance in Poland: Which Policy You Need and How It Differs From Visa Insurance
Kniazha Insurance for a Poland Visa: A Policy from Kniazha Vienna Insurance Group

Get your Erasmus+ visa insurance now

For the visa application, enter your destination, travel dates, and the purpose "Teaching" (that is how study is labeled in the calculator) to see live prices from the accredited insurers. For the Erasmus+ requirements (accident cover and civil liability), set "Your location" to "I'm abroad" and manually pick Kniazha from the list: that program fits, and the others do not meet these requirements. Before you hand the policy to your university or program organizer, check the accident and civil liability items in the certificate.

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Answers to customers’ questions

The visa and the Erasmus+ requirements call for different programs. For the visa application, a standard visa policy of at least EUR 30,000 from any of the insurers is enough. Erasmus+ itself adds an accident and civil liability requirement, which the karta pobytu program from Kniazha meets; the other programs in the calculator do not include those items. The consulate or visa center checks the visa part, and your university or the program organizer checks the additional items.
The visa category tracks the length of the exchange, not the fact that it's Erasmus+ specifically. A short exchange under 90 days fits the Schengen visa (type C) framework; a full semester or academic-year exchange, the more typical Erasmus+ format, needs Poland's national visa (type D) instead. Both carry the same EUR 30,000 minimum insurance requirement, so what changes between them is the visa category and supporting documents, not the insurance amount.
Accident insurance pays you directly if you are injured or left with a disability during the program stay, while civil liability insurance covers harm you accidentally cause to third parties or their property, for example in a dormitory or rented housing. These are two extra items on top of the EUR 30,000 medical cover: Erasmus+ asks for them separately from the visa requirement. Both are part of the karta pobytu program from Kniazha, and before you submit documents you should check them in the policy certificate and confirm the wording with your Erasmus+ coordinator.
After enrollment, a Polish university generally asks for separate proof of health insurance for the whole study period, independent of the visa policy. Non-EU students can usually choose voluntary NFZ insurance (a fixed PLN 55.80 a month on a PLN 620 contribution base), a private policy, or the karta pobytu program from Kniazha, which can also be bought for the whole study period. If you stay in Poland after the exchange and apply for a karta pobytu, the same Kniazha program fits: in the calculator choose "I'm abroad" and manually pick Kniazha. Confirm the exact requirement with your university's international office.