Mass military screening in Poland: Who will be affected
Photo: The army will call up more than 200,000 people for qualification (Getty Images)
Poland is preparing a large-scale military qualification campaign for 2026, with more than 200,000 people expected to be called for medical evaluations. The summons will be issued not only to men, according to Wyborcza.
Poland’s Ministry of National Defense has published a draft regulation on the conduct of military qualification in 2026.
According to the document, approximately 235,000 individuals will receive summonses, including both women and men between the ages of 19 and over 50.
Medical draft board summons will begin to be issued in January 2026, with the actual qualification process scheduled to run from February 2 to April 30, 2026, excluding public holidays. Summons will be delivered with confirmation of receipt.
The purpose of the qualification is to assess physical and mental fitness for military service.
According to the document, examinations will be carried out by 391 district medical commissions, each reviewing up to 35 individuals per day. Two to three commissions will operate simultaneously within a single military district.
Who will be affected
According to the draft, the 2026 military qualification will apply to:
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Men aged 19 (born in 2007) – the primary group;
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Men aged 20–24 (born 2002–2006) who have not previously undergone medical examinations;
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Individuals who were temporarily deemed unfit in 2024–2025 (categories B6–B24), but whose restriction period ends before spring 2026;
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Women born between 1999 and 2007 who have or are obtaining a military-relevant qualification (e.g. medicine, IT, engineering);
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Women completing studies in applicable fields during the 2025/2026 academic year.
Following medical assessments, commissions will assign one of the following categories:
A – fit, D – conditionally fit, E – unfit.
There are also many opportunities for volunteers, even for those aged 40 or 55.
The law allows individuals to apply voluntarily until the end of the calendar year in which they turn 60, provided they have never been previously classified for active military service.
As a reminder, it was reported last year that nearly 230,000 individuals were expected to receive summons for military qualification in Poland as early as the beginning of 2025.
Those who ignore the summons may face penalties, including fines.
