Cataract surgery · Poland
Cataract surgery in Poland: what it costs and how it compares with waiting at home
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
We found 3 published prices for cataract surgery in Poland, from 3,500 PLN to 4,000 PLN, or about £667 to £762 before flights and a hotel. Paying privately in the UK costs about £2,000 to £3,610 at the providers we checked.
- Published price
- 3,500 PLN to 4,000 PLNabout £667 to £762 · about €796 to €910 · about C$1,250 to C$1,430 · about $891 to $1,020
- Price is for
- one eye, standard (monofocal) lens, unless the row says otherwise
- Where
- Warsaw and Rzeszów
- Providers
- 3 (Instytut Oka, Centrum Operacji Zaćmy and Visum Clinic)
- Time there
- 3 to 5 days: assessment, the operation, and a check-up the next day before you fly
- NHS England wait
- 72.2% within 18 weeks (all eye care) (August 2026)
Published cataract surgery prices in Poland
Every row is a price the provider publishes itself, read on the date shown. We copy what the price includes and what it leaves out; where the provider does not say, the row says “not stated”. We do not use prices from brokers or medical-travel agencies.
| Provider | Published price | What the price is for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instytut OkaWarsaw | 3,750 PLNabout £714 · €853 · C$1,340 · $955 | Cataract surgery with a spherical monofocal lensQualification visit 450 PLN extra. Trifocal lens 8,900 PLN. The list does not say whether follow-up visits are included. | Instytut Okaread 26 October 2026 |
| Centrum Operacji ZaćmyWarsaw | 3,500 PLNabout £667 · €796 · C$1,250 · $891 | Cataract surgery with an aspheric monofocal lensA qualification visit (including the anaesthetist’s consultation) is required: 250 PLN extra. Multifocal lens 6,500 PLN. | Centrum Operacji Zaćmyread 26 October 2026 |
| Visum ClinicRzeszów | From 4,000 PLNabout £762 · €910 · C$1,430 · $1,020 | Cataract surgery with a spherical monofocal lens, per eyeCheck-ups for one month included. Qualification consultation 400 PLN extra. Aspheric lens from 5,000 PLN. | Visum Clinicread 26 October 2026 |
Prices are copied as published, in the provider's currency. Conversions use the European Central Bank reference rates of 23 October 2026 and are rounded. A provider can change a price at any time: ask for a written quote.
Poznań's MSWiA hospital is a public hospital that also sells services to paying patients; its list is dated 1 January 2026. Private clinics in Warsaw publish similar or higher prices. Polish eye clinics charge a separate qualification visit before cataract surgery.
Compared with waiting or paying at home
The official waiting figure and the self-pay price in each home country, next to the Poland price converted to that currency. The Poland figure does not include flights, a hotel or time off work.
| Where you live | Official wait | Pay at home | Here, converted |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | 72.2% within 18 weeks (all eye care)England, August 2026 | £2,000 to £3,610 | £667 to £762before flights and hotel |
| Canada | Median 66 days; 1 in 10 waited over 222 daysCanada (national), 2025 | Not verified | C$1,250 to C$1,430before flights and hotel |
| Ireland | About 42% waiting over 6 months (all eye surgery)Ireland (public hospitals), 24 September 2026 | €3,200 | €796 to €910before flights and hotel |
| US | No national figure | $3,6802021 hospital data or a dental school | $891 to $1,020before flights and hotel |
Waits are the latest official statistics; each country measures them differently, so read the label. Home prices are published self-pay prices; for the US they are 2021 hospital medians or a dental school's estimate.
Add your flight and hotel
Put in your own flight and hotel to see the total for Poland next to your wait and your price at home.
How it works for a visitor
- Ask for a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for the cataract surgery and ask for an itemised price, the date, and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
- Before you goAsk your optician or eye doctor for your latest prescription and any eye reports.
- Before you goPlan for the clinic's rules on flying after surgery, and bring someone with you if you can.
- LanguagePolish; private clinics in big cities often have English-speaking staff, public hospitals less often.
- Entry rulesCheck the official advice for your passport before booking: UK citizens (FCDO entry requirements), Canadian citizens (travel.gc.ca), US citizens (State Department, choose the country), Irish citizens (DFA travel advice, choose the country).
- After you returnYou will use eye drops for several weeks. Tell your optician you had surgery abroad and bring the operation note with the lens details.
- After you returnSudden pain, worsening vision or flashing lights after surgery need urgent care at home.
Can your public system pay for it?
From England (NHS): the S2 route can fund planned treatment in an EU country, but only state healthcare with a public provider, never private treatment, and only with approval before you go. NHS England must also confirm it cannot treat you in a medically acceptable time. The private clinics on this page do not qualify. NHS: the S2 funding route.
From Ireland (HSE): Poland is one of the EU countries listed for the Cross Border Directive scheme. You pay the provider yourself and then claim back the smaller of what you paid and what the same care would cost in the Irish public system; travel and hotels are not covered, and you need a referral from a GP or a consultant you saw as a public patient. HSE: Cross Border Directive, how much you can claim.
When not to travel for cataract surgery
- Other eye disease that needs regular follow-up (glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, macular degeneration) unless your home specialist agrees.
- Anyone who cannot stay a few days after surgery or cannot use eye drops reliably on their own.
How to compare cataract surgery quotes
Cataract surgery replaces the cloudy natural lens of the eye with a plastic lens implant. It is usually done under local anaesthetic in 15 to 30 minutes, one eye at a time. Prices depend heavily on the lens: a standard monofocal lens costs far less than a multifocal or toric (astigmatism) lens.
- Check the lens type in the price. Premium lenses can double the cost.
- Ask whether the pre-operative measurements, the eye drops and the next-day check are included.
- Ask who you contact if something goes wrong after you have flown home.
- Both eyes are usually done on different days. Check whether the price is per eye.
Providers on this page
We list providers because they publish a price, not because we recommend them. No clinic pays to be listed, and we have not visited any of them.
- Instytut Oka, Warsaw: 3,750 PLN
- Centrum Operacji Zaćmy, Warsaw: 3,500 PLN
- Visum Clinic, Rzeszów: From 4,000 PLN
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Cataract surgery in Poland: questions
How much does cataract surgery cost in Poland?
The published prices we found range from 3,500 PLN to 4,000 PLN, about £667 to £762 or $891 to $1,020. They come from Instytut Oka, Centrum Operacji Zaćmy and Visum Clinic. Each covers something slightly different, so read what is included before comparing.
Is cataract surgery in Poland cheaper than paying privately in the UK?
Before travel, the prices here work out at about £667 to £762, against about £2,000 to £3,610 at the UK providers we checked. Add a return flight and 4 nights in a hotel before deciding; the calculator on the home page does the sum.
Will the NHS or HSE pay for cataract surgery in Poland?
The NHS S2 route pays only for state treatment at a public provider in the EU, with approval before you travel, not for private clinics. From Ireland, the HSE Cross Border Directive scheme lets you claim back up to what the same care costs in the Irish public system, after you have paid.
How many days should I plan in Poland?
3 to 5 days: assessment, the operation, and a check-up the next day before you fly. That is our planning estimate, not medical advice: the clinic sets the schedule, and you should ask it for one in writing.
What should I check before booking cataract surgery in Poland?
Check the lens type in the price. Premium lenses can double the cost. Ask whether the pre-operative measurements, the eye drops and the next-day check are included.
Sources
- Operacja zaćmy (cataract surgery). Instytut Oka, Warsaw. Read 26 October 2026.
- Cennik (price list). Centrum Operacji Zaćmy, Warsaw. Read 26 October 2026.
- Cennik: zabiegi zaćmy (price list: cataract). Visum Clinic, Rzeszów. Read 26 October 2026.
- Planned treatment: S2 funding route. NHS (nhs.uk). Read 26 October 2026.
- Cross Border Directive: how to get healthcare abroad. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
- Cross Border Directive: DRG codes and how much you can claim. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
- Cennik usług medycznych obowiązujący od 1.01.2026 (price list valid from 1 January 2026). Szpital MSWiA w Poznaniu (Ministry of Interior hospital, Poznań), 1 January 2026. Read 26 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.