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Is "karta pobytu" the same thing as a "residence permit"?
Yes, in everyday use. "Residence permit" is the general term people use for the right to live in another country; karta pobytu is the official Polish name for the physical document that confirms that right specifically in Poland (for example, the temporary residence card issued under Article 114 for legal work, or one issued for study). The confusion usually starts with the search itself: "residence permit insurance" pulls in results for other countries' residence documents alongside the Polish karta pobytu requirement, and the two are not interchangeable. This page is specifically about insurance for a Polish karta pobytu: in short, Poland residence card insurance and karta pobytu insurance are two names for the same requirement.
Why visa insurance doesn't cover the karta pobytu requirement
The key difference is simple: visa insurance is relevant while you hold a visa; karta pobytu insurance is needed from the moment you submit your application documents and stays valid (provided you chose a matching insurance period when you bought the policy) while the application is pending and after you receive the card.
Visa insurance for a Polish national D visa is emergency-focused travel medical cover, not a policy for routine treatment. Its minimum sum insured is EUR 30,000, required under Poland's Act on Foreigners (Ustawa o cudzoziemcach).
The insurance required for a karta pobytu (a work-based residence permit under Article 114 of the Act on Foreigners, or one issued for study) is a separate requirement altogether. The applicant needs either (a) health insurance within the meaning of Poland's Act of 27 August 2004 on publicly funded healthcare (the NFZ, which usually applies automatically through legal employment and ZUS contributions), or (b) a private insurer's confirmation that it will cover the cost of treatment in Poland. A standard EUR 30,000 visa-type policy doesn't formally satisfy this. It was never built to.
How to actually get a karta pobytu policy on this site
We run a separate program for the karta pobytu requirement, underwritten by Kniazha (PRAT USK Kniazha Vienna Insurance Group). Getting it takes two steps in the same calculator: (1) set the location field ("Your location") to "I'm abroad" instead of "I'm in Ukraine": the list of available insurers narrows down to a few options, Kniazha among them; (2) from that narrowed list, manually select Kniazha specifically. Only then does the system swap in the correct contract and offer documents for the karta pobytu program. If you leave a different insurer selected after switching to "I'm abroad," you'll get a standard policy, not the karta pobytu program. It isn't a separate hidden page or a different product catalog. It's the same calculator, just a different combination of settings. Choosing "Work" or "Teaching" as your purpose of travel doesn't by itself change the product; it's the location field plus which insurer you pick that decides whether you get the standard visa policy or the karta pobytu program.
What changed for Ukrainians in Poland on 5 March 2026
Free NFZ healthcare access for Ukrainians under the 2022 "specustawa" ended on 5 March 2026. This is the change that affects the most people. Free treatment now continues only for minors, pregnant women and women in the postpartum period, survivors of torture or rape, and residents of collective accommodation centers. Everyone else lost automatic free NFZ access and needs another way to cover it: legal employment (which restores NFZ access through contributions), private health insurance, or paying for treatment directly.
Legal stay itself was extended separately, through 4 March 2027, and further legalization now runs through the standard tracks: a temporary residence permit (zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy) or the simplified 3-year CUKR card for those who meet the continuity-of-stay conditions as of 4 June 2025. Rules for Ukrainians in Poland keep changing, so confirm your specific situation at gov.pl, udsc.gov.pl, or nfz.gov.pl before you rely on any of this.
Visa insurance vs. karta pobytu insurance: at a glance
| Parameter | Visa insurance (D) | Karta pobytu insurance |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers | Urgent medical treatment, emergency hospitalization, repatriation, death | Treatment in Poland - scope depends on the policy's terms |
| Minimum sum insured | EUR 30,000 (required by the EU Visa Code) | EUR 30,000 and up, depending on what the insurance program includes |
| Who issues it | Any accredited insurer in our calculator (Universalna, PZU Ukraina, Kniazha, ETS) | NFZ (automatically, through legal employment) or a private insurer confirming treatment coverage in Poland. In our calculator, that's the Kniazha program: select "I'm abroad", then manually pick Kniazha from the narrowed insurer list |
| Validity period | The full length of the visa (up to 1 year) | Per the insurance period you select |
Requirements can change: this table is based on the EU Visa Code (Regulation (EC) No 810/2009), Poland's Act on Foreigners (Ustawa o cudzoziemcach, including Article 114), the Act of 27 August 2004 on publicly funded healthcare, and guidance from gov.pl and udsc.gov.pl as of October 2026. Before you submit documents, verify current requirements there directly. This is not legal advice.
Get your policy
Applying for a national D visa? Choose any insurer in the calculator: standard visa coverage works for work, study, or any other visa purpose. Need a policy specifically for your karta pobytu instead? Set the location field ("Your location") to "I'm abroad", then manually pick Kniazha from the insurer list that appears.
Go to the insurance calculator