How Much a Health Card Costs in 2026

How much does a sanitary-epidemiological health card ("książeczka sanepidowska") cost in 2026? Roughly PLN 210 to 435 per person, if you count a stool test at a sanitary-epidemiological station and a visit to a doctor. This amount is not the price of a single document, because the "card" no longer exists. You pay for two services: the laboratory and the doctor, who issues the certificate on the basis of the result. And with a team, what matters is not the price for one person but the total, and who bears it.

In brief

• The cost consists of two items. A stool test for Salmonella and Shigella (3 samples) is usually PLN 160-285, and a doctor's visit with issuing the certificate is usually PLN 50-150.

• The price of the stool test depends on the station. In the price lists reviewed on 2 November 2026 the range is from PLN 162 to 354, and at stations without their own laboratory a sample transport fee is added.

• The employer or the party commissioning the work pays for an employee's examinations (Art. 8(4)). A candidate who applies on their own pays themselves (Art. 8(4a)).

• You usually book the expense as a business cost, but we found no interpretation concerning this particular item. Confirm it with your accountant.

• For several people, plan the budget with a reserve. A sample rejected by the laboratory means a second fee.

How much a health card costs: what the price consists of

The document candidates ask about is the medical certificate for sanitary-epidemiological purposes. We described it in the article on sanitary-epidemiological examinations in foodservice. Here we count only the money.

Item	Approximate cost	Notes
Stool test, 3 samples, at a sanitary-epidemiological station	PLN 160-285	The price depends on the station. Payment in advance by bank transfer or at the cash desk.
Doctor's visit and certificate	PLN 50-150	Primary care (POZ) or occupational medicine doctor. The price depends on the clinic.
Total per person	PLN 210-435	Excluding travel and the employee's time.
Sample transport surcharge	up to approx. PLN 140	Applies to stations without their own laboratory.

The ranges are approximate and based on price lists we reviewed on 2 November 2026. Price lists change during the year, so ask about the amount before the visit. We did not find a single nationwide price list, because the Act does not introduce one.

Stool test: examples from station price lists

We collected the prices of three samples for carriage of Salmonella and Shigella bacilli from the stations' official websites:

• Olkusz: PLN 162 (from 8 June 2026)
• Ełk: PLN 180.81
• Lubin: PLN 186 (from 22 April 2026)
• Radom: PLN 213
• Bytom: PLN 225 (from 1 June 2026)
• Wałbrzych: PLN 252
• Koszalin: PLN 261
• Świdwin: PLN 284.52 gross

The difference between the extreme stations is over PLN 120 for one person. With five employees that is already PLN 600 of difference for the same test.

The doctor: from PLN 50 to 150

The visit is the second item, and here too the spread is large. In the price list of the occupational medicine clinic of one of the university clinical centres, issuing a sanitary-epidemiological certificate costs PLN 50. Services comparing clinic prices give a range of about PLN 80-150 for 2026. Not all clinics publish the price on their website, so call.

Why a Sanepid test costs PLN 160 in one place and PLN 350 in another

Laboratory tests are performed by the laboratories of the State Sanitary Inspection (Sanepid) or other accredited laboratories with which the Inspection has an agreement (Art. 7(4) of the Act of 5 December 2008). The amount of the fees is set by each station according to the rules in the regulation of the Minister of Health. The regulation was amended on 2 April 2026 (Journal of Laws (Dz.U.) 2026, item 480), and the amendment entered into force on 22 April 2026.

So prices change during the year. Many stations have a price list with a specific date. Pay attention to three things:

• Own laboratory or transport. In Rybnik the test costs PLN 225, and sample transport PLN 142, payable separately. In Puck the fee is split into PLN 54 for the station that collects and PLN 300 for the station that performs the test, so PLN 354 in total.
• Collection kit. Some stations hand out swab kits in the price of the test. Others make you buy them at a pharmacy.
• Payment deadline. Private individuals usually pay by bank transfer before handing in the samples. In Radom companies do not pay in advance: they receive an invoice through KSeF (the National e-Invoicing System) and pay after it is issued.

Who pays for Sanepid examinations: the employer or the candidate

The rule is simple and follows from the Act. If you refer a person for an examination as an employer or a party commissioning work, the cost is yours (Art. 8(4)). If someone is looking for a job and has the examination done on their own, on their own application, they pay themselves (Art. 8(4a)). The Ministry of Health confirmed in its reply to a parliamentary question of August 2025 that the obligation does not depend on the type of contract, and what counts is the nature of the activities performed. A contractor under a contract of mandate and a person on a contract for specific work are therefore treated in the same way as a full-time employee.

The Act provides for financing from the National Health Fund (NFZ) and the state budget only for other groups, for example people suspected of infection or pupils referred for examinations (Art. 8(1) and (3)). A person starting work with food does not belong to them.

Two situations that cause disputes:

• The candidate came with a ready certificate. They had it done at their own expense before the interview. The provision does not require you to reimburse the cost, because para. 4a places the burden on the person applying. A reimbursement is your decision. If you make it, put it in writing so that the rule is the same for everyone.
• A clause in the contract about the employee reimbursing the costs. It does not change the content of the Act, which we also write about in the pillar article on the examinations.

Can the cost of a health card be deducted

A caveat straight away: we found no tax interpretation concerning sanitary-epidemiological examinations specifically. That is why we describe the general rule, not a ready answer.

An expense incurred to earn revenue or to maintain a source of revenue may be a tax-deductible cost (Art. 22(1) of the Personal Income Tax Act (PIT), Art. 15(1) of the Corporate Income Tax Act (CIT)). The examination is an obligation imposed by the Act, and without it an employee should not stand at the food. Accountants usually classify such expenses as costs. Two things, however, depend on your situation and need to be settled with your accountant:

• VAT. Medical care services are sometimes exempt from VAT, in which case you cannot deduct the tax from the invoice. Ask how it works in your case.
• The document. The invoice should be issued to the company. Ask for it before payment and give the tax ID (NIP) in the order. In Radom companies state this in a declaration attached to the order.

How to plan a budget when you examine several people at once

An example: you are opening a bar with six people on the team. At a cost of PLN 212 (the cheapest station plus the cheapest doctor) that is PLN 1272. At PLN 435 per person it is PLN 2610. The difference of PLN 1338 is not a calculation error, but the effect of choosing the place. How to reduce it:

1. Collect prices from two stations and two clinics. A few phone calls show whether the difference is PLN 50 or PLN 500.
2. Ask the clinic about a rate for companies. Some have a separate price list for employers. Do not assume it, just ask.
3. Check the days when samples are accepted. Olkusz accepts samples on Tuesdays between 8:00 and 10:00, Bytom from Monday to Thursday. Spread the people out so that they do not drop out of the schedule on the same day.
4. Add a reserve for a repeat. Laboratories reject samples that are unlabelled, leaking or with too little material. Ask the station whether the fee is returned if a sample is rejected, and expect to pay a second one.
5. Enter the amount in the plan of venue opening costs. It falls into the group of costs that are easy to overlook. See also the summary of fees when opening a foodservice venue.

What not to treat as a saving

Platforms offering a certificate "online, without a visit" tempt with the price. The spokesperson of the Chief Sanitary Inspector said in 2023 in Prawo.pl that such services are not connected with the Sanitary Inspection, and the examination must include an interview and a physical examination. What follows from this in practice we describe in the guide how to get a health card step by step.

The certificate must then be kept and the date of the next examination monitored. You can read how to do it in the article how long a health card is valid. The order of the examinations and the sample collection instructions we described in the article Sanepid examinations: which tests and how to hand in stool samples. A ready-made certificate register is in the GastroReady package together with the staff hygiene procedure.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a health card cost in 2026?

Roughly PLN 210-435 per person: a stool test at a sanitary-epidemiological station (about PLN 160-285) plus a doctor's visit (about PLN 50-150). The extreme price lists go higher, because at stations without their own laboratory a sample transport fee is added. Prices depend on the facility, so ask for the price list before the visit.

How much does the stool test for a health card cost?

In the price lists we reviewed on 2 November 2026, three samples for Salmonella and Shigella cost from PLN 162 (Olkusz) to PLN 284.52 (Świdwin). In Puck the total fee is PLN 354, and in Rybnik PLN 225 plus PLN 142 for sample transport.

Can an employer demand that an employee reimburse the costs of the examinations?

It should not. The cost of examining a person who starts or performs work is borne by the employer or the party commissioning the work (Art. 8(4) of the Act of 5 December 2008). A clause in the contract shifting this cost to the employee does not change the content of the Act.

Must a candidate pay for the examinations themselves before being hired?

If they come for the examination on their own initiative, before having a referral from an employer, they pay themselves (Art. 8(4a)). If they receive a referral from you, the cost is yours. Agree this with the candidate before they go to the doctor.

Will the station issue an invoice to a company?

Usually yes, but the procedure differs. The Radom station requires a declaration with the tax ID (NIP) and issues invoices through KSeF, and the company pays after it is issued. Ask the station you choose how to order an invoice before you pay.

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Legal status as of: 2 November 2026
Legal basis: Act of 5 December 2008 on the Prevention and Control of Infections and Infectious Diseases in Humans (Art. 6, 7, 8; consolidated text in ELI); regulation of the Minister of Health of 2 April 2026 amending the regulation on the method of setting the amount of fees for laboratory tests and other activities of the bodies of the State Sanitary Inspection (Journal of Laws (Dz.U.) 2026, item 480). The prices come from price lists published by sanitary-epidemiological stations and medical facilities and are approximate. We did not check in the text of the acts: Art. 22(1) of the PIT Act and Art. 15(1) of the CIT Act (cited as a general rule), the VAT exemption for medical services, and the content of the regulation on fees (we know only its title and the dates from ELI).
Last review: 2 November 2026