Free cervical screening in Poland — the essentials

Poland runs a free NFZ (National Health Fund) cervical cancer screening programme for women aged 25–64. No referral is needed. You can book through the national e-registration on your Patient Internet Account (IKP) or the mojeIKP app, directly at a clinic, or via the free helpline 800 190 590. The test is done by gynaecology clinics with an NFZ contract and by some primary-care practices.

The basic test today is the HPV HR test — it has replaced the classic smear (cytology). It is a molecular test that detects high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) — the main cause of cervical cancer. The sample is taken like a smear: a short swab from the cervix. It goes into a special liquid container, so if the test detects the virus, cytology is done from the same sample — no second visit.

Results in brief. If no virus is detected, your next screening test is standardly in 5 years — sometimes the doctor will advise an earlier date, and then you follow their advice. If the test detects the virus, it does not mean cancer: cytology from the same sample is checked, and the next steps depend on the virus type and the cytology result — the doctor discussing your result will set them out. It may be, for example, a check-up in a year or a closer examination of the cervix (colposcopy).

Very important: screening is for women without symptoms. If you have symptoms — abnormal bleeding (e.g. after sex or after menopause), unusual discharge, pain — book a doctor's appointment at the earliest available date, regardless of when your screening was or will be and what it showed. With heavy bleeding or feeling unwell, seek help urgently.

Under 25 or over 64? Those are the programme's boundaries, not your needs' — talk to a doctor about testing.

Sources: [1] NFZ — prevention programmes; [2] pacjent.gov.pl — cervical cancer prevention. State as of 06.09.2026.