Insurance for Studying in Poland: D Visa, Erasmus+, University and Dormitory

Which policy for which student task: at a glance

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The scope and sums of the program depend on the variant you choose, so check the current terms in the calculator before you pay. Requirements of individual universities and Erasmus+ coordinators can differ, so confirm them in advance.

The D visa for study: which policy you need for the application

A Polish study visa is issued as a national visa (type D), and its insurance requirement comes not from the EU Visa Code but from Poland's Act on Foreigners (Ustawa o cudzoziemcach), because D visas sit outside the Schengen-harmonized rules. The requirement is simple: at least EUR 30,000 of cover, a 24/7 assistance line, and validity for the whole length of the visa, up to one year. There is no separate, higher "student" product at the visa stage, and the sum does not depend on the purpose of travel. At this stage you only need to set the travel purpose to "Teaching" (that is how the study option is labeled in the calculator) and pick any of the accredited insurers: Universalna, PZU Ukraina, Kniazha, or ETS. We selected the visa programs of these insurers in advance and checked their content so they are accepted by the visa center and the consulate. But a visa policy only works while you hold a visa and covers the application stage: the requirements of Erasmus+, your university, and your dormitory are separate tasks, covered below.

Erasmus+ and other exchange programs: which policy meets the program's requirements

Erasmus+ sets its own insurance requirements, independent of the consulate: at least EUR 30,000 of medical cover, accident insurance, and civil liability insurance. The visa policy you submit with your D-visa application does not cover that set, so the program's requirements call for a different policy.

The Erasmus+ requirements are met by the karta pobytu program from Kniazha: it includes both accident cover and civil liability (check the exact list and sums in the terms of the variant you choose). The other programs in the calculator do not meet these requirements. There is one more practical advantage: you can buy this program 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 insurer list that appears. Confirm the exact wording of the requirement with the Erasmus+ coordinator at your university.

University insurance after enrollment and a policy for the dormitory

The policy you used to get the visa only works within the visa period and does not cover the whole study period if your program runs longer. After enrollment, your university will ask for separate proof of health insurance for the whole academic year or period of stay: that is a different requirement, unrelated to the visa policy. A non-EU student usually has two options: voluntary NFZ insurance, a formal contract with the local NFZ branch at a fixed PLN 55.80 a month (based on a PLN 620 contribution base) that gives full access to public healthcare, or a private medical policy. Universities generally accept either, and the exact procedure is worth confirming with your faculty office or the international office, because formalities differ.

If you will live in a dormitory, the law does not set a mandatory insurance product just for the dormitory. But individual universities may require one in their internal rules, and without such insurance they can refuse to house you on campus. So check the requirements of your university or the dormitory administration in advance. Usually this means voluntary civil liability (OC) and accident (NNW) cover.

For both of these tasks, the cover for the whole study period that your university asks for and moving into a dormitory or campus housing, the karta pobytu program from Kniazha also fits (civil liability and accident cover are part of the program). You can buy it even when you are already abroad: in the calculator choose "I'm abroad" and manually pick Kniazha.