Social Insurance
Doctoral scholarships in doctoral schools are subject to the social security system.
Doctoral students who started their education in doctoral schools at the earliest in the academic year 2019/2020 and receive a doctoral scholarship are subject to compulsory insurance: retirement scheme/pension, disability pension, and accident insurance.
These persons are also subject to voluntary sickness insurance.
The voluntary sickness insurance contribution is deducted from the net amount of the scholarship.
The basis for assessing social security contributions is the amount of the doctoral scholarship.
Contributions to the Labour Fund are not paid (art. 6). – Communication of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education on the exemption of entities running doctoral schools from the obligation to pay contributions to the Labour Fund from the amount of the doctoral scholarship.
Social Insurance Institution’s position regarding the payment of sickness and maternity benefits
Social Insurance Institution information brochure (contribution financing, title convergence, insurance codes, examples)
| Insurance type | Form of funding | |
| RETIREMENT INSURANCE | obligatory | Doctoral student/University |
| DISABILITY INSURANCE | obligatory | Doctoral student/University |
| ACCIDENT INSURANCE | obligatory | University |
| SICKNESS INSURANCE | voluntary | Doctoral student |
| HEALTH INSURANCE | compulsory, if the doctoral student is not covered by this insurance under another title and does not have the status of a family member | Paid by the university, financed from the state budget |
Health insurance
Pursuant to art. 23 sec. 1 of the Act of July 20 2018, The Law on Higher Education and Science (Journal of Laws of 2022, item 574, as amended), in connection with the Act of August 27 2004, on health care services financed from public funds (Journal of Laws of 2022, item 2561, as amended), and the Act of October 13, 1998, on the social security system (Journal of Laws of 2022, item 1009, as amended), the university running the doctoral school submits participants of doctoral studies to health insurance.
The university submits to health insurance a doctoral student who:
- is a citizen of the Republic of Poland and has reached the age of 26 and is not subject to health insurance as a family member of an insured person or a health insurance obligation under another title, or
- is a citizen of the Republic of Poland and under 26 years of age and, for exceptional reasons, has not been reported to health insurance by parents or legal guardians, is not subject to health insurance obligation as a family member of the insured person or health insurance obligation under another title, or
- is a foreigner who does not have the citizenship of a Member State of the European Union or a member state of the European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA) and has been recognized as a person of Polish origin within the meaning of the provisions on repatriation, or has a valid Polish Card and is not subject to health insurance obligation under any other title, or
- is a foreigner who holds the citizenship of a Member State of the European Union or a Member State of the European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA) and does not hold a title to health insurance in their own country.
The right to doctoral student health care services expires after four months from the date of completion of education at the Doctoral School or deletion from the list of participants of the Doctoral School.
The basis for the assessment of the health insurance contribution for doctoral students is the amount corresponding to the amount of the special care allowance entitled under the provisions on family benefits.
The health insurance contributions are paid monthly and indivisible.
Immediately after the occurrence of the circumstances constituting the basis for registering a doctoral student or a doctoral student’s family member for health insurance, the doctoral student applies in person to the relevant dean’s office of the Doctoral School and submits the following documents:
- a doctoral student who is a citizen of the Republic of Poland:
- application for health insurance together with a declaration of non-insurance under another title,
- ID card (available for inspection),
- a doctoral student who is a citizen of the Republic of Poland, reporting supplementary insurance of family members:
- an application for health insurance of a family member of a doctoral student insured by the Cracow University of Technology,
- a copy of the birth certificate in the case of reporting a child,
- a copy of the marriage certificate in the case of reporting a spouse,
Any person in respect of whom the title to health insurance has expired shall be subject to deregistration from this insurance together with the family members declared.
A doctoral student who has obtained another title for health insurance is obliged to submit to the Office of the Doctoral School immediately, i.e. no later than within three days of this fact, a written statement on resigning from continuing health insurance and paying contributions for it by the Cracow University of Technology.
Rules for being subject to ZUS health insurance
Annex to Regulation No. 8 of the Rector of the PK of February 1, 2023 – Rules and procedure for submitting students and doctoral students of the Cracow University of Technology to health insurance
Forms
- Application for health insurance/notification of a change in the data of the insured person
- Application of a family member for health insurance
- Declaration of resignation from health insurance/family member
HEALTH INSURANCE – DOCTORAL STUDENTS – FOREIGNERS
- Foreigners who hold the citizenship of a Member State of the European Union or a Member State of the European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA) can use all medical services on the basis of the EKUZ card (European Health Insurance Card), or – if she/he is not entitled to insurance in his country of residence – are reported for insurance by the PK on the terms applicable to Polish students.
- Foreigners, does not have the citizenship of a Member State of the European Union or a member state of the European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA), and has been recognized as a person of Polish origin within the meaning of the provisions on repatriation, or has a valid Polish Card issued by a diplomatic post (Embassy or consulate of the Republic of Poland) – and is not subject to health insurance obligation under any other title – may be reported to health insurance by the PK.
- Foreigners studying in Poland may join voluntary health insurance on the basis of a written application submitted to the Małopolska Branch of the National Health Fund (NFZ) – Kraków, ul. Wadowicka 8W.
Foreigners may also have a voluntary insurance policy protecting against illness and the consequences of accidents for the period of education in the Republic of Poland.
