How do I add a family member to ZUS?

Every person who is officially employed or carries out a business activity in Poland pays insurance contributions to the ZUS on his/her income.

Family members of such an insured person may not be provided with ZUS benefits (e.g. the family member is not working). Such family members are entitled to be added to the insurance of an employed family member, but this is not automatic.

To add a family member to the Social Security insurance, a few simple steps must be followed.

Which family members can be added to the Social Security?

1. Spouse.

2. Relatives in the ascending line, i.e. parents, grandparents, but only if they live with the insured (share a household).

3. Children. In this case, this category includes:

  • own children;
  • adopted children;
  • children of the spouse;
  • grandchildren;
  • foreign child for whom custody has been established;
  • a foreign child adopted into a foster family/children's home.

To register family members, an application must be submitted to the employer and the rest is up to the employer.

The employer must notify the intention to register the family member with the Social Security within 7 days from the date of the reasons for registration.

IMPORTANT If you are an entrepreneur.
If you are an entrepreneur or if you are an employer, you must submit the ZUS ZCNA form to the Social Security Administration under your account or on paper.

For registration, family members will only need to submit their PESEL number, first name and surname written in the Latin alphabet as recorded in their passport and on their PESEL number confirmation.

IMPORTANT: Who cannot be added?
Even if a family member falls into one of the above categories, he or she cannot be added to the Social Security insured if he or she has his or her own basis for such insurance.

In other words, everyone cannot be added to ZUS: the employed, the unemployed*, students, entrepreneurs, as well as pensioners and recipients of state benefits.

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