Pet insurance in Poland is voluntary. It refunds vet bills after an accident or illness, minus a deductible, up to 50 000 zł with Generali's dog policy; liability for damage your dog causes is usually an add-on. Pre-existing illnesses are mostly excluded and waiting periods apply. Among insurers that publish prices, UNIQA's accident-only cover starts at 32 zł a year.
Key facts at a glance
| Question | Answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Is pet insurance compulsory? | No; neither the compulsory insurance act nor the animal laws require it | Compulsory Insurance Act, art. 4 |
| Who pays if a dog injures someone? | Its keeper, even if it ran away, unless neither they nor anyone they answer for was at fault | Civil Code, art. 431 |
| What must dog owners do now? | Rabies vaccination within 30 days of turning 3 months, then at least every 12 months | Animal Health Act, art. 44 |
| Is chipping compulsory? | For dogs and cats from 11 June 2028 | KROPiK Act |
| Published price | From 32 zł a year: UNIQA's accident-only home add-on | UNIQA |
All figures as of 26 October 2026.
What does pet insurance in Poland cover?
Pet insurance (ubezpieczenie zwierząt domowych) in Poland is voluntary cover that mainly refunds vet bills. Standalone policies from PZU and Generali pay for accidents and illnesses; add-ons to a home or car policy pay mainly after accidents. The binding details are in each product's general terms (ogólne warunki ubezpieczenia, OWU).
| Product | Pets | Vet bills covered | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| PZU Dla Psa i Kota | Dogs, cats | Accident and illness, 80% of the bill | Set in the policy |
| Generali, z myślą o Twoim psie | Dogs | Accident and illness, 70% to 90% of the bill | Up to 50 000 zł |
| UNIQA Pupile, home add-on | Up to 3 dogs or cats | Accident only | Half of a 2 000, 5 000 or 8 000 zł sum |
| ERGO Hestia, home add-on | Dogs, cats | Accident; illness as an extension | 5 000 zł |
| Compensa NNW Mój Pupil, car add-on | Dogs, cats | Road accidents only | 5 000 zł |
Who pays for damage your dog causes?
Third-party liability (OC) is the part of a pet policy that pays people your pet injures or whose things it damages. PZU's covers bites, scratches, knocking someone over, road accidents it causes and harm to other animals across Europe, but not harm to your close family. Generali's optional cover, 20 000 to 200 000 zł per incident, applies even to a dog off the lead and unmuzzled. Many owners already have it in private liability insurance (OC w życiu prywatnym): Allianz says its Mój Dom home policy always includes it, and Warta's version has no exclusion for breeds listed as aggressive.
What if your pet dies or is stolen?
PZU pays for euthanasia, cremation and burial of a pet insured before its 5th birthday, and up to 200 zł to search for a lost one under its Plus assistance option. UNIQA pays up to the full sum insured towards a new pet if yours dies in an accident or is stolen and reported to the police. Generali's dog policy does not cover theft.
What does pet insurance not cover?
Policies exclude most illnesses that began before the cover, and standalone ones add a waiting period (karencja) and an age limit.
- Pre-existing conditions: Generali excludes illnesses diagnosed, treated or even noticed before the start. PZU pays only for accidents during the policy and illnesses first diagnosed during it, though its Plus, Super and Premium variants also cover flare-ups of a known chronic illness.
- Waiting periods: PZU waits 60 days for illness, not for accidents; Generali waits 2 months for orthopaedic conditions.
- Age: PZU (from 7 full weeks) and Generali (from 8 weeks) take new pets until their 8th birthday. PZU renews to age 10; Generali sets no limit on renewals.
- Routine care: PZU excludes deworming, flea treatment, neutering, breeding and behavioural problems; only its Premium variant pays for preventive, dental and hygiene care, up to 500 zł.
- Other conditions: PZU insures only pets with up-to-date recommended vaccinations, and PZU and Generali refund treatment in Poland only.
Is any insurance for a dog compulsory in Poland?
No. Pet insurance is not compulsory: the act on compulsory insurance lists motor and farm cover, plus any that other acts impose (art. 4), and no animal law checked for this article imposes any on pet owners. Art. 431 of the Civil Code is the rule that matters most: whoever keeps an animal must make good the damage it causes, even if it strayed or ran away, unless neither they nor anyone they answer for was at fault.
Three rules already apply to dog owners:
- Rabies vaccination within 30 days of the dog turning 3 months old, then at least every 12 months, at the owner's cost (Animal Health Act, art. 44).
- A permit (zezwolenie) from the local mayor to keep one of the 11 breeds listed as aggressive, such as a rottweiler (Animal Protection Act, art. 10; list of breeds). Generali's liability cover excludes such a dog kept without one.
- A ban on letting a dog loose without control and without a mark that identifies its owner (art. 10a).
Do I have to microchip and register my dog or cat?
Not yet: it becomes compulsory on 11 June 2028, when the act of 15 May 2026 on the national register of marked dogs and cats (Krajowy Rejestr Oznakowanych Psów i Kotów, KROPiK) takes effect (Dz.U. 2026 poz. 755). From then:
- puppies must be chipped and registered by their first rabies vaccination, kittens by the end of their 3rd month;
- older pets have 3 years, or until they change owner, and registering one that already has a readable chip is free in that time;
- a pet brought to live in Poland must be registered within 14 days;
- owners without a PESEL are recorded by passport number;
- the fee for chipping, or for registering, is capped at 0.56% of the previous year's average salary: 49.86 zł at the 2025 average of 8 903.56 zł (GUS).
Generali already insures only chipped dogs. Warsaw's free chipping scheme ran out of money for 2026; the next round is planned from January 2027 (Warszawa 19115).
How much does pet insurance cost in Poland?
Few insurers publish prices; each animal is priced individually. The one published starting price is UNIQA's: from 32 zł a year for its Pupile add-on, on top of a UNIQA home policy. PZU prices by the sum insured, the cover, the animal's species, age, sex and weight, and how you pay; Generali also weighs the breed.
The deductible (udział własny) shapes the refund. PZU deducts 20% from each refund and ERGO Hestia 15% from illness claims. Generali subtracts a yearly deductible you choose, then pays 70%, 80% or 90% of the rest: in its own example, a 1 500 zł bill with a 300 zł deductible at 90% returns 1 080 zł (Generali guide).
A worked example: one vet bill, three policies
Priya, an Indian software engineer in Warsaw, has a three-year-old mixed-breed dog, Bruno. As a benchmark she takes a real claim ERGO Hestia publishes: a dog slipped its lead, was hit by a car and broke a hind leg, and the clause paid the 4 181 zł vet bill. Under each insurer's published terms, if the claim is accepted and within the sum insured:
- ERGO Hestia: pays 4 181 zł, within its 5 000 zł limit.
- PZU: pays 80%, which is 3 344.80 zł; Priya pays 836.20 zł.
- UNIQA with an 8 000 zł sum insured: pays its cap of half the sum, 4 000 zł; Priya pays 181 zł. With a 5 000 zł sum she would pay 1 681 zł.
Had Bruno fallen ill instead, UNIQA would pay nothing, ERGO Hestia only with its illness extension and minus 15%, and PZU 80% after the first 60 days.
What changes if you are a foreigner in Poland?
The cover is the same; the paperwork is Polish.
- PESEL: PZU sells its pet policy in the mojePZU app, and a mojePZU account needs a PESEL and an identity check through mObywatel or mojeID (PZU). PZU's OWU also allow signing in person with a PZU representative.
- Language: UNIQA's and Generali's terms make Polish the contract language; Generali accepts vet records in English but may ask for a translation.
- Renting: in ERGO Hestia's terms, private liability covers damage linked to pets, but tenant's liability (OC najemcy) excludes damage caused by animals (OWU ERGO 7).
- Arriving: Poland admits no young dogs, cats or ferrets without a valid rabies vaccination, says the Chief Veterinary Inspectorate (GIW).
Can I travel with my dog or cat in the EU?
Yes, with a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and an EU pet passport. Since 22 April 2026 the detailed rules come from Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131, which replaced Regulation (EU) No 576/2013. The primary vaccination must be finished at least 21 days before travel and given at 12 weeks of age or older. The passport must be signed by the owner and issued by an authorised vet in the EU country where the owner habitually lives; in Poland, the regional veterinary chambers list those vets (GIW). With a passport from elsewhere, ask one of them whether you need a new one.
Up to 5 pets may travel in one vehicle, and dogs entering Finland, Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland or Norway need tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before entry (GIW). Old-model passports issued before 1 January 2028 stay valid (Regulation (EU) 2026/705).
Which documents do you need to insure a pet?
The pet's health booklet, passport or chip is the proof of identity insurers ask for.
- Your passport or residence card, and your PESEL if asked.
- The pet's health booklet (książeczka zdrowia), EU passport or chip number.
- Proof of up-to-date vaccinations, including rabies for a dog.
- The pet's date of birth, or a vet's written estimate.
- For a claim: itemised vet invoices and records; tell PZU within 7 days.
How can Nalan Trade help?
Nalan Trade is a Warsaw insurance and leasing intermediary that works in Polish, English, Turkish, Russian, Ukrainian, Arabic and Romanian. Its fact sheet lists PZU as its insurance partner. To ask about cover for your dog or cat, start at pet insurance. Private liability usually comes with home insurance.
Sources
- PZU: product page and mojePZU, checked 26 October 2026; OWU of 28 July 2026
- Generali: product page, updated 27 August 2026; OWU of 21 May 2026; product guide
- ERGO Hestia: pet clause, checked 26 October 2026; OWU ERGO 7 of 5 January 2026
- Polish law: Civil Code (Dz.U. 2026/795), Compulsory Insurance Act (2026/783), Animal Protection Act (2023/1580), aggressive breeds list (2003/687), Animal Health Act (2025/1795), KROPiK Act (2026/755), GUS (M.P. 2026 poz. 192)
- EU: Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/131 of 20 January 2026; Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/705 of 20 March 2026
- GIW: pet travel and pet passport, checked 26 October 2026
- Warszawa 19115, updated 12 October 2026
Legal status as of 26 October 2026. This article is general information, not legal or insurance advice.
Frequently asked questions
Is pet insurance compulsory in Poland?
No. The act on compulsory insurance lists motor and farm cover plus any that other acts impose, and none of the animal laws requires a policy for a pet. What is compulsory is rabies vaccination for dogs and, from 11 June 2028, chipping and registering dogs and cats. Under the Civil Code you are liable for damage your pet causes, insured or not.
Does pet insurance in Poland cover pre-existing conditions?
Mostly not. Generali excludes illnesses diagnosed, treated or noticed before the cover started, and ERGO Hestia those diagnosed or treated before. PZU pays only for illnesses a vet first diagnoses during the policy, although its Plus, Super and Premium variants also cover flare-ups of a chronic illness known before.
Can I insure an older dog or cat in Poland?
Only up to a point. PZU and Generali accept new pets until their 8th birthday. A PZU policy renewed without a break can continue until the pet is 10, and Generali sets no age limit on renewals. PZU's cover for euthanasia and cremation costs is open only to pets under 5 on the day the policy is signed.
Can I buy pet insurance in Poland without a PESEL?
It depends on the insurer and the channel. PZU sells its pet policy in the mojePZU app, and opening an account there asks for a PESEL number and an identity check through mObywatel or mojeID. PZU's terms also allow a contract signed in person with a PZU representative, so ask the insurer before you apply.
Does Polish pet insurance pay vet bills abroad?
Usually not. PZU and Generali refund treatment only in Poland, and UNIQA's add-on covers events in Poland only. PZU's and Generali's liability cover does work across Europe, so damage your dog causes on holiday can be covered. For travel within the EU, your pet also needs a chip, a valid rabies vaccination and an EU pet passport.
How much does pet insurance cost in Poland?
Few insurers publish prices. UNIQA's accident-only Pupile add-on starts at 32 zł a year on top of a UNIQA home policy. PZU and Generali price each animal individually, for example by the sum insured, the cover and the pet's age and sex. PZU deducts 20% from every refund, and Generali lets you choose a refund rate of 70%, 80% or 90%.
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