Abstract. In this work, novel 3D filtration model for nanofiber based filters has been proposed and tested. For the model validation purposes, filtration efficiency characteristics of two different polyurethane nanofiber based structures (prepared by the electrospinning process) were determined experimentally in the ultrafine particle size range (20-400 nm). It has been found that the proposed model is able to reasonably predict the measured filtration efficiency curves for both tested samples.