All foreigners who have not been assigned a PESEL number but hold a residence permit issued for working, studying or staying with their family in Poland may take advantage of Poland’s National Vaccination Programme. See how to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

Vaccination e-referrals for foreigners

Irrespective of whether you are:

• a school or university student studying in Poland,
• a foreign doctoral student,
• a foreigner holding a work permit,
• a diplomat,
• a spouse or child of any person meeting the above criteria, who also holds a residence permit allowing you to legally stay in Poland,

you should report to your primary health care physician.

How should doctors issue referrals to foreigners?

Primary health care physicians are authorised and ought to issue vaccination referrals using the gabinet.gov.pl application. When issuing a referral, the doctor should select the “Other identifier” option in the “Patient data” field (other than the “PESEL number” option) and input the number of the document used by the given foreigner to prove his or her identity. Preferably, such a document should be a passport or a foreign national ID card.

Note: Do not forget to bring the same document that your doctor had used to prepare your referral when visiting the designated facility to receive your vaccination. Remember to use the exact same ID document that had been used to prepare your e-referral at each stage of the vaccination process.

Once your e-referral has been issued and is available in the online system, you can register for vaccination in two ways:

1. Call the designated helpline – 989 – you can do it yourself or have a family member do it for you Providing a mobile phone number is not required but will enable you to receive an SMS confirmation of your vaccination appointment. During the registration, you can choose the exact time and place of vaccination. If you have provided a mobile phone number, you will then receive an SMS confirming your vaccination appointment.

IMPORTANT – you must provide the document number included in the e-referrals

      2. Contact your preferred vaccination centre directly. See vaccination centre map.

COVID-19 vaccinations for all foreigners staying in Poland legally are free of charge.

How to prepare for vaccination*?

1. Get proper sleep before vaccination – sleep positively affects the immune system.
2. Limit your alcohol intake – limit your alcohol intake several days before and after vaccination; preferably, avoid alcohol altogether.
3. Exercise before vaccination – physical activity helps improve your body’s condition.
4. Fasting is not required – you may eat normally on your vaccination day.
5. Never stop taking your prescribed medication on your own – always consult your doctor first.
6. Fill out the pre-vaccination questionnaire diligently – you will be asked to fill out a medical questionnaire before receiving the vaccine. Under no circumstances should you conceal any information!
7. Remain at the vaccination centre for at least 15 minutes – this is to ensure your safety.
8. Do not be concerned about VAEs – VAE stands for vaccine adverse events. They are rare and typically benign if they do occur. You may experience e.g. redness in the injection area or a minor fever after vaccination. All such symptoms should subside within 1-3 days. Should you experience significant discomfort, you may also take antipyretics after vaccination.

More information: https://www.gov.pl/web/szczepimysie/information-for-foreigners