HEALTH FACILITIES FOR BRITONS VISITING POLAND AND POLES VISITING THE UNITED KINGDOM

We get a number of queries about health provision for Poles visiting the United Kingdom and Britons visiting Poland.

Essentially the relationship between the two countries in respect of these issues is defined in a “Health Sevices Convention “ signed by the two states on 21st July 1967.

The document is “affirming the principle that the citizens or people, as the case may be, of one of the two States should, as far as possible, be entitled to receive under the health service legislation of the other State equal treatment with the people or citizens of the other State”. And goes on to state:-

“A Polish citizen shall be entitled while in the United Kingdom to benefit from the health services under the National Health Service of the United Kingdom on the same conditions as the people of the United Kingdom” and;

“The holder of a United Kingdom National Health Service Medical Card, who is ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, shall be entitled while in the Polish People’s Republic* to benefit from the health services scheme of the Polish People’s Republic* on the same conditions as” Polish citizens.

However the Convention also clearly states:

“The present Convention shall not apply to the citizens or people, as the case may be, of the one State who go to the other State for the express purpose of benefiting under the present convention”.

Travellers may also wish to consider carrying appropriate private medical insurance.,

(* Now the Republic of Poland.)

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