From Ireland · MRI scan · Poland
MRI scan in Poland from Ireland: what the trip costs against paying at home
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
For Irish patients, an MRI scan in Poland costs €148–€212 at the clinics we checked, or about €478 once an example return flight and 2 hotel nights are added. That is about €168 more than the lowest self-pay price we found in Ireland (€310).
- Clinic price
- €148–€2122 providers, one body area
- Example trip
- €478clinic €148 + flight €150 + 2 hotel nights €180
- Pay privately in Ireland
- €310
- Wait in Ireland
- No official figure found
- Time there
- 1 day for the scan; add a day if the clinic wants a doctor to see you first
- Rank from Ireland
- 1 of 5 countries by total trip cost
Figure 1Where the money goes, in EUR
Trip total €478€168 over home
Figure 2MRI scan: cheapest trip from Ireland, by country
Published MRI scan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Szpital MSWiA Poznań (public hospital, paid service)Poznań | 650 PLNabout £124 · €148 · C$232 · $166 | MRI, one anatomical area, without contrastVAT exempt. With contrast: 800 PLN. Price list valid from 1 January 2026. | Szpital MSWiA w Poznaniu (Ministry of Interior hospitalread 26 October 2026 |
| Centrum Medyczne DamianaWarsaw | 850 PLN to 930 PLNabout £162–£177 · €193–€212 · C$303–C$332 · $216–$237 | MRI of the head (850), lumbar spine (890) or knee (930), without contrastWith contrast 990 to 1,250 PLN; the contrast agent is charged separately. Price list undated. | Centrum Medyczne Damianaread 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
We have not found an official waiting-time figure for an MRI scan in Ireland.
Paying privately in Ireland: €310, from Affidea 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 an MRI scan and ask for an itemised price in writing, with the date and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
- Before you goGet your home doctor's referral letter or the question they want answered; take it with you.
- Before you goBook the scan before the flights and ask for the appointment in writing.
- Before you goCheck your travel insurance covers medical procedures abroad. Many policies do not.
- 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 returnGive your doctor the report and the DICOM images. An English report saves a translation step.
- After you returnIf the report finds something, the follow-up (more tests, treatment) normally happens 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
MRI scan in Poland from Ireland: questions
How much is an MRI scan in Poland for Irish patients?
The published prices we found work out at €148–€212 at the clinic, from Szpital MSWiA Poznań (public hospital, paid service) and Centrum Medyczne Damiana. With an example return flight of €150 and 2 hotel nights at €90, the trip comes to about €478. Your own fares and dates will change the total.
Is it cheaper than paying privately in Ireland?
No, not on these example figures: the lowest self-pay price we found at home is €310, about €168 less than the cheapest trip. It can make sense if you are already travelling to Poland.
How long is the wait for an MRI scan in Ireland?
We have not found an official waiting-time figure for this in Ireland.
How many days do I need in Poland?
1 day for the scan; add a day if the clinic wants a doctor to see you first. 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
- 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.
- Cennik (price list). Centrum Medyczne Damiana, Warsaw. Read 26 October 2026.
- MRI scan. Affidea Ireland. 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.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.