From Ireland · Cataract surgery · Poland
Cataract surgery in Poland from Ireland: what the trip costs against the wait at home
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
For Irish patients, cataract surgery in Poland costs €796–€910 at the clinics we checked, or about €1,310 once an example return flight and 4 hotel nights are added. That is about €1,890 less than the lowest self-pay price we found in Ireland (€3,200).
- Clinic price
- €796–€9103 providers, one eye, standard
- Example trip
- €1,310clinic €796 + flight €150 + 4 hotel nights €360
- Pay privately in Ireland
- €3,200
- Wait in Ireland
- About 42% waiting over 6 months (all eye surgery) (24 September 2026)
- Time there
- 3 to 5 days: assessment, the operation, and a check-up the next day before you fly
- Rank from Ireland
- 1 of 5 countries by total trip cost
Figure 1Where the money goes, in EUR
Trip total €1,310€1,890 under home
Figure 2Cataract surgery: cheapest trip from Ireland, by country
Published cataract surgery prices in Poland
Each row is a price the provider publishes itself, in its own currency, with what it includes. The converted amounts use a fixed European Central Bank rate.
| 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.
Against waiting or paying in Ireland
Ireland (public hospitals), 24 September 2026: About 42% waiting over 6 months (all eye surgery). Ophthalmology as a whole, not cataract alone: 14,382 adults on the inpatient/day-case list, about 42% waiting over 6 months; another 41,898 waiting for a first outpatient appointment. Waits and prices for cataract surgery in Ireland.
Paying privately in Ireland: €3,200, from Optical Express Ireland.
Can the HSE pay?
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.
Planning the trip from Ireland
- Get a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for cataract surgery and ask for an itemised price in writing, with 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.
- Entry rulesCheck the official advice before booking: Irish citizens (DFA travel advice, choose the country).
- LanguagePolish; private clinics in big cities often have English-speaking staff, public hospitals less often.
- 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.
Add your flight and hotel
Put in your real fare from Ireland and your hotel to see the total for Poland next to every other country.
Related pages
Cataract surgery in Poland from Ireland: questions
How much is cataract surgery in Poland for Irish patients?
The published prices we found work out at €796–€910 at the clinic, from Instytut Oka, Centrum Operacji Zaćmy and Visum Clinic. With an example return flight of €150 and 4 hotel nights at €90, the trip comes to about €1,310. Your own fares and dates will change the total.
Is it cheaper than paying privately in Ireland?
Yes, by about €1,890 on these example figures: the lowest self-pay price we found at home is €3,200. The gap shrinks if your flight costs more or you need extra nights.
How long is the wait for cataract surgery in Ireland?
Ireland (public hospitals): About 42% waiting over 6 months (all eye surgery) (24 September 2026). Ophthalmology as a whole, not cataract alone: 14,382 adults on the inpatient/day-case list, about 42% waiting over 6 months; another 41,898 waiting for a first outpatient appointment.
How many days do I need 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; ask the clinic for its schedule in writing.
Will the HSE pay for it?
Possibly in part: the Cross Border Directive scheme refunds up to what the same care costs in the Irish public system, after you have paid and with a referral.
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.
- Cataract surgery. Optical Express (Ireland). Read 26 October 2026.
- Open data: inpatient/day case waiting list by specialty, 2026. National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), October 2026. 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.