On 1 May 2026, a deadline expires which may become decisive for many doctors and dentists practising in Poland under simplified procedures. The issue concerns the obligation to submit to the competent regional medical council a document confirming knowledge of the Polish language at least at B1 level. The sanction is the loss of the right to practise medicine.
The problem primarily concerns doctors who obtained the consent of the Minister of Health to practise medicine under a simplified procedure. For example: conditional, COVID-related, refugee-related, or limited to a specific scope of professional activities, time and place of employment. In practice, most cases will concern doctors from Ukraine, but the provisions are not limited only to them. In this article we speak more broadly: about foreign doctors who obtained professional rights outside the standard path leading to the full right to practise medicine. The most important point is this: lack of a language document after 1 May 2026 may lead to catastrophic consequences. These may include actions of the regional medical council or its chairperson aimed at the expiry, withdrawal or even factual removal of the right to practise medicine. The doctor is not defenceless.
In the opinion of the Law Firm, each such decision, resolution, order or action should be subject to review in administrative or administrative court proceedings. Depending on the form of action taken by the chamber, this may involve an appeal to the Supreme Medical Council or a complaint to the voivodeship administrative court. It may also involve a motion to suspend the enforcement of a resolution or order, as well as a complaint against a material and technical action.
Key points in brief
Deadline: 1 May 2026.
Obligation: submission of a document confirming knowledge of the Polish language at least at B1 level.
Risk: loss of the right to practise medicine or dentistry.
Practical problem: medical chambers assess certificates, confirmations and documents issued by language schools differently.
Possible defence: challenging the decision or action of the medical chamber. If necessary, this may also include a motion to suspend enforcement.
The Law Firm handles such cases. The fee for representation at the appeal and administrative court stage is PLN 9,900 gross.
Table of contents
- Who is affected by the obligation to submit a language document?
- Loss of the right to practise medicine. What really follows from Article 30(4) of the Act of 15 May 2024?
- Will the deadline of 1 May 2026 be postponed?
- What is a document confirming knowledge of Polish at B1 level?
- Certificate, confirmation, language school, NAWA — where do problems arise? Is the doctor really at risk of losing the right to practise medicine?
- Loss of the right to practise medicine: what may regional medical councils do after 1 May 2026?
- Can a resolution, order or action of a medical chamber providing for the loss of the right to practise medicine be challenged?
- Does challenging the decision protect the doctor against losing work?
- What should be done after receiving a resolution or order concerning the loss of the right to practise medicine?
- The Law Firm’s experience in cases of doctors from outside the EU
- The Law Firm’s fee and the case intake procedure
- FAQ
Who is affected by the obligation to submit a language document?
The obligation applies to doctors and dentists who obtained consent to practise medicine or dentistry under simplified procedures, on the basis of applications submitted by 24 October 2024.
In practice, this primarily concerns persons who have practised or are practising in Poland on the basis of:
- conditional right to practise medicine,
- the right to practise medicine limited to a specific scope of professional activities, time and place of employment,
- decisions of the Minister of Health issued under simplified procedures,
- solutions introduced during the COVID-19 period,
- solutions connected with the armed conflict on the territory of Ukraine.
Many doctors have practised for several years. These doctors work in hospitals, clinics, emergency departments and specialist outpatient clinics, take shifts and actually function within the Polish healthcare system. They are often persons with extensive professional experience, but they obtained their rights in Poland under a simplified procedure.
It is precisely these persons whom the legislator required to submit a document confirming knowledge of Polish at least at B1 level.
Loss of the right to practise medicine. What really follows from Article 30(4) of the Act of 15 May 2024?
The key provision is Article 30(4) of the Act of 15 May 2024 amending the Act on assistance to citizens of Ukraine in connection with the armed conflict on the territory of that country and certain other acts.
This provision states that persons who obtained consent to practise medicine or dentistry in the specified procedures, on the basis of an application submitted by 24 October 2024, are obliged to submit to the competent regional medical council a document confirming knowledge of the Polish language by 1 May 2026.
The most important part of the provision is the final phrase: “under pain of losing the right to practise medicine or dentistry”.
This phrase will now become the axis of many disputes.
On the one hand, regional medical councils may argue that after 1 May 2026 a doctor who has not submitted the language document loses the right to practise medicine. On the other hand, it must be remembered that the doctor had previously obtained a specific professional right on the basis of a decision of the Minister of Health and a resolution of a professional self-government body. Such a right should not be removed from legal circulation in an arbitrary, automatic manner and without real review.
In cases of this type, the following may be relevant, among others:
- the principle of durability of administrative decisions,
- appropriate application of the provisions of the Code of Administrative Procedure,
- Article 16 of the Code of Administrative Procedure,
- the principle of citizens’ trust in the state,
- the constitutional principle of protection of acquired rights,
- the principle of proportionality,
- Article 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland,
- Article 7 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland,
- Article 77 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland,
- the right to judicial review of actions of a public authority.
This does not mean that the doctor will automatically win every case. It means, however, that each decision or action of the medical chamber should be assessed individually: who issued it, in what form, on what legal basis, with what reasoning, with what instruction on remedies, whether after conducting proceedings or without proceedings, and whether with respect for the party’s right to participate in the case.
We deliberately do not describe here the detailed arguments that may be raised in appeals and complaints. The Law Firm’s blog is read not only by doctors, but also by bodies of medical self-government. We see no reason to provide medical chambers in advance with instructions on how to improve their own decisions.
Will the deadline of 1 May 2026 be postponed?
In the last days of April, press reports appeared concerning a possible extension of the deadline for submitting documents confirming knowledge of the Polish language. According to those reports, a legislative change and a one-year extension of the deadline are being considered.
Unfortunately, this message has already caused a great deal of harm.
Some doctors who were on the final stretch — had a confirmation, were waiting for a certificate, were completing documents or were in contact with a language school — began to give up sending documents to medical chambers. This may be a serious mistake.
As of 30 April 2026, the statutory deadline is still 1 May 2026. The mere fact that work on an act is being conducted does not change the law in force. A bill, even a government bill, is not yet an act. To change the deadline, further stages of the legislative process are required: work in the Sejm, three readings, the Senate, the signature of the President of the Republic of Poland and publication of the act.
It is difficult to rationally assume that this entire process will be completed before 1 May 2026 if the bill was submitted to the Sejm only in the second half of April and information about a positive opinion of the parliamentary health committee appeared in the media on 28 April 2026.
Therefore, until the amendment enters into force, it must be assumed that the cut-off date remains 1 May 2026. The sanction is the loss of the right to practise medicine.
This does not mean, however, that a possible amendment will be irrelevant.
If a doctor did not pass the exam before 1 May 2026, did not take the exam at all, or did not manage to obtain the document and receives, after 1 May, a decision on the expiry of the right to practise, removal from the list or another action of the medical chamber, a subsequent change in the law may matter in appeal proceedings.
The appeal body, which in many cases will be the Supreme Medical Council, generally examines the case according to the legal status in force on the date of ruling in the appeal proceedings, unless special provisions provide otherwise.
The practical advice is therefore as follows: a doctor who expects to receive a decision of the regional medical council after 1 May 2026 should monitor correspondence very carefully. Correspondence from the medical chamber should not be ignored. However, if the letter is notified for pickup, it is worth using the entire permitted pickup period and collecting it on the last day. This is not about hiding from correspondence.
It is about reasonable use of procedural time limits, because every day may matter in later appeal proceedings.
What is a document confirming knowledge of Polish at B1 level?
The Minister of Health announced a list of documents confirming knowledge of the Polish language at least at B1 level. In practice, this most often means a document confirming that an exam in Polish as a foreign language at B1 level or higher has been passed, conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Polish Language Act by an authorised entity.
It is important that the exam be organised by an entity entered on the relevant [list of entities] authorised to organise exams in Polish as a foreign language. According to this list, entities authorised to conduct exams are those that have their seat in Poland. The very name “B1 certificate” may be misleading. Not every document entitled “certificate” necessarily meets the requirements of the provisions and the communication of the Minister of Health. Assessment may include, among other things:
- who conducted the exam,
- whether the entity was authorised on the date of the exam,
- whether the main seat of the entity is located on the territory of the Republic of Poland,
- whether the document confirms B1 level or higher,
- whether the document shows a positive exam result,
- whether the document concerns Polish as a foreign language,
- whether it is not merely a confirmation of participation in a course.
This last distinction is particularly important. A document confirming attendance at a Polish language course is not the same as a document confirming a positive exam result.
Certificate, confirmation, language school, NAWA — where do problems arise? Is the doctor really at risk of losing the right to practise medicine?
In practice, several groups of problems have appeared.
The first group consists of doctors who already have a B1 certificate or higher and have submitted it to the medical chamber. This would seem to be the simplest situation. Yet even here some medical chambers request additional explanations or confirmations that the exam was passed.
The second group consists of doctors who passed the exam but have not yet received the printed certificate. In such a situation, the communication of the Minister of Health allows the submission of a confirmation issued by the authorised entity organising the exam, from which it follows that the person took the exam, obtained a positive result and is waiting for the certificate to be printed.
The third group consists of doctors whose confirmations are questioned because the language school did not expressly indicate whether the exam result was positive. This is a very practical problem. The confirmation may look professional, contain a stamp, signature, date and name of the exam, but if it does not clearly show a positive result, the chamber may consider it insufficient.
The fourth group consists of doctors who use certificates or confirmations issued by entities having their seat outside Poland. Such documents are and will be questioned if they do not meet the requirement resulting from the list of documents announced by the Minister of Health, in particular the requirement concerning the main seat of the entity on the territory of the Republic of Poland.
The fifth group consists of doctors who did not pass the exam or did not take it at all because they did not know about the obligation to submit the document by 1 May 2026. In these cases the situation will be more difficult, but this does not automatically mean that there are no procedural arguments. Everything will depend on the content of the chamber’s decision, its legal basis, the manner in which the authority acted and possible legislative changes.
The sixth group of problems concerns the relationship between language schools, NAWA and medical chambers. In recent weeks, practical difficulties have appeared with obtaining documents, approving results, issuing certificates and obtaining clear confirmations. The doctor does not always have real influence over the pace of document circulation between examining entities and institutions responsible for formal confirmation of the result.
There is one more problem: each medical chamber may approach documents differently.
In our practice, some chambers accept a confirmation of a positive exam result. Some require only the certificate. Others, after a certificate has been submitted, request an additional confirmation that the exam was passed. From the doctor’s perspective, this is an extremely uncomfortable situation, because the same document may be accepted by one chamber and questioned by another.
This lack of uniform practice will also matter after 1 May 2026. Since chambers approach certificates and confirmations differently, it may be expected that the forms of decisions issued against doctors who did not submit documents or whose documents were questioned will also differ.
Loss of the right to practise medicine: what may regional medical councils do after 1 May 2026?
As of 30 April 2026, no uniform practice of regional medical chambers is yet known. The first decisions will appear only after 1 May 2026.
Various scenarios are possible.
The chamber may adopt a resolution on removing the doctor from the list of chamber members. A resolution declaring loss or expiry of the right to practise medicine may appear. An order of the chairperson or president of the regional medical council is also possible. It also cannot be ruled out that the chamber will take a material and technical action consisting in changing data in the register, blocking the PWZ status or noting the loss of the right without a classic resolution.
Each of these forms may require a different procedural response.
A resolution is challenged in one way. An order requires another response. A complaint against a material and technical action follows yet another path. A motion to suspend enforcement is a separate instrument if the decision has been given immediate enforceability or if the authority claims that the decision takes effect immediately.
Therefore, after receiving a document from the medical chamber, quick analysis of its content is crucial. Although, substantively, the decision will concern the loss of the right to practise medicine, its form and author determine the type of remedy. It is not enough to say: “the chamber took my PWZ”. It is necessary to establish exactly what was served, who signed it, what legal basis was indicated, what instruction was provided and whether a remedy was indicated.
Can a resolution, order or action of a medical chamber providing for the loss of the right to practise medicine be challenged?
Yes. As a rule, every decision or action of a medical self-government body affecting the right to practise medicine should be subject to review. Some decisions are not on the list of acts against which an appeal to the Supreme Medical Council is available, but they are still subject to review by administrative courts. The proper path in a specific case will depend on the decision of the competent regional medical council or the president of the regional medical council.
Depending on the specific form of action taken by the chamber, the following may be possible:
- an appeal to the Supreme Medical Council,
- a complaint to the voivodeship administrative court,
- a complaint against a material and technical action,
- a request to remove a breach of law as a step preceding a complaint to the administrative court,
- a motion to suspend the enforcement of a resolution, order or action,
- and, at a later stage, a cassation complaint to the Supreme Administrative Court.
From the doctor’s perspective, the key point is to prevent the decision from becoming final. Only a final, unchallenged decision may close the path to further practising the profession or significantly limit the doctor’s options.
It cannot be honestly promised, however, that merely lodging an appeal or complaint will automatically suspend the effects of the decision in every case. Everything will depend on its form, content, instruction on remedies and any immediate enforceability clause. In some cases, it will be necessary to prepare a separate motion to suspend the enforcement of the resolution, order or action.
This is precisely why it is not worth acting alone by copying templates from the Internet. In these cases, one wrong procedural move may have professional, financial and personal consequences. Loss of the right to practise medicine is the heaviest calibre.
Does challenging the decision protect the doctor against losing work?
It depends on the specific situation.
If the employer considers that, after the withdrawal or expiry of PWZ, the doctor can no longer work, the employer may try to terminate the agreement or remove the doctor from performing professional activities. For the doctor this means a real risk of losing salary, shifts, contract and the possibility of practising the profession.
However, if the decision of the medical chamber is later overturned by the Supreme Medical Council or the voivodeship administrative court, the question may arise of the liability for damages of the authority which unlawfully deprived the doctor of the possibility of working.
In such a case, the amount of damage may include lost earnings. This will, however, be a separate case conducted in civil proceedings. First, the decision of the medical chamber must be effectively challenged. Only later can a claim for damages be considered.
What should be done after receiving a resolution or order concerning the loss of the right to practise medicine?
If the doctor is served with a resolution of the regional medical council, an order of the president or chairperson of the regional medical council, information about removal from the list, a declaration of expiry of PWZ or another letter concerning the loss of the right to practise medicine, there should be no delay. Loss of the right to practise medicine, failure to challenge the decision and continuing to work may mean practising medicine without authorisation, which is an offence under Article 58 of the Act of 5 December 1996 on the professions of doctor and dentist.
Additionally, the National Health Fund may refuse to pay the hospital or clinic public funds for medical services provided by you. You may also expose yourself to an allegation of fraud under Article 286 of the Criminal Code.
Time limits in such cases may be short, and missing them may close the path to challenging the decision.
The doctor should primarily:
- keep the envelope, proof of delivery and the entire served letter,
- not send chaotic letters to the chamber on their own,
- not rely on templates found on the Internet,
- not assume that “everyone received the same thing”,
- not wait until the last day of the deadline to contact a lawyer.
Each decision must be analysed individually.
The Law Firm’s experience in cases of doctors from outside the EU
The Law Office of Advocate Tomasz Chudzinski has for years handled cases of doctors who obtained professional qualifications outside the European Union and wish to practise in Poland.
In the years 2021–2026, the Law Firm represented or has been representing over 600 doctors in proceedings concerning, among others:
- consents of the Minister of Health to practise medicine,
- conditional right to practise medicine,
- right to practise medicine limited to a specific scope of professional activities, time and place of employment,
- proceedings before regional medical councils,
- appeals to the Supreme Medical Council,
- complaints to voivodeship administrative courts,
- proceedings before the Supreme Administrative Court,
- nostrification of diplomas,
- recognition of postgraduate internships,
- crediting periods of work towards postgraduate internship,
- recognition of specialisations,
- loss of the right to practise medicine — challenging the action of removal from the register of doctors after disclosure of work in another entity,
- obtaining technical PWZ numbers,
- cases concerning refusal to issue PWZ,
- cases concerning discontinuance of proceedings,
- cases concerning refusal to initiate proceedings,
- cases concerning inactivity of regional medical councils,
- representation before disciplinary courts,
- representation before the Patient Rights Ombudsman,
- drafting doctors’ positions in inspections by ZUS or the National Health Fund.
In dozens of cases, voivodeship administrative courts held that regional medical councils could not refuse to grant a conditional right to practise medicine due to alleged lack of knowledge of the Polish language.
Administrative courts also found inactivity of regional medical councils after unlawful leaving of an application unexamined or after demanding documents which the medical chamber was not entitled to demand.
Before 1 May 2026, the Law Firm sent, on behalf of approximately 150 doctors, certificates confirming knowledge of Polish or confirmations of a positive exam result to regional medical chambers.
Therefore, we know the practical problems that have arisen at the intersection of doctors, language schools, NAWA and regional medical chambers. These are not theoretical issues. These are cases that decide whether the doctor can go to work the next day.
The Law Firm’s fee and the case intake procedure
Our Firm will handle cases of doctors who, after 1 May 2026, receive decisions or letters concerning the loss, expiry, withdrawal or limitation of the right to practise medicine in connection with failure to submit a document confirming knowledge of Polish.
Fee for full representation at the appeal and administrative court stage is PLN 9,900 gross. The amount includes:
- analysis of the served decision,
- preparation of the appropriate remedy,
- conduct of the appeal proceedings,
- preparation of a complaint to the voivodeship administrative court,
- preparation of a motion to suspend enforcement, if necessary,
- representation before the voivodeship administrative court,
- the court fee for the complaint,
- stamp duty on the power of attorney.
The amount does not include the costs of possible translations of documents. They ought to be provided by the doctor. A possible cassation complaint to the Supreme Administrative Court or a response to a cassation complaint of a medical self-government body will be priced separately after service of the statement of reasons for the WSA judgment or the cassation complaint of the authority.
We realise that PLN 9,900 gross is a high amount. Unfortunately, already in April many doctors contacted the Law Firm while waiting for decisions concerning removal from the list, expiry of PWZ or loss of the right to practise medicine. These cases require quick reaction, individual analysis and preparation of procedural letters within a short time. In order for the level of service to be as high as possible and the quality of procedural letters to be the highest possible, legal representation unfortunately must cost money.
To streamline case handling, the cooperation process has been automated to the maximum possible extent.
Case intake procedure
If the doctor is served with a resolution of the regional medical council, an order of the president or chairperson of the regional medical council, a letter on removal from the list, a declaration of expiry of PWZ or another decision concerning the loss of the right to practise medicine, the doctor should immediately send it to:
kancelaria[at]adwokatchudzinski.pl
Replace [at] with **@**.
In the first e-mail, please send:
- a scan or clear photo of the served decision,
- a scan of the envelope or proof of delivery, if available,
- PESEL number,
- residential address,
- proof of payment of the fee for handling the case,
- if the doctor needs an invoice instead of a receipt — the tax identification number and full invoice details.
Bank account number:
54 1240 1053 1111 0011 0734 1795
Recipient:
Kancelaria Adwokacka Adw. T. Chudzinski
After sending the proof of payment and the scan of the decision, the doctor will receive a power of attorney template to print, sign, scan and return by e-mail.
The original power of attorney should be sent by post to the Law Firm’s address:
Kancelaria Adwokacka Adw. T. Chudzinski
Aleje Jerozolimskie 100/1037
00-807 Warszawa
FAQ
Does every doctor without a certificate automatically lose PWZ after 1 May 2026?
This cannot be simplified in that way. The provision provides for the sanction of loss of the right to practise medicine, but the way in which this sanction is applied will depend on the actions of the particular medical chamber. The form of the decision, legal basis, instruction on remedies, reasoning and possibility of challenge will matter.
Is a confirmation of passing the exam sufficient?
In many situations yes, but the confirmation should clearly state that the doctor took the exam, obtained a positive result and is waiting for the certificate to be printed. The problem begins when the confirmation does not clearly indicate the result or was issued by an entity that does not meet the requirements.
Can a medical chamber request documents other than a certificate or confirmation?
In practice, medical chambers approach documents differently. Some accept confirmations, others require certificates, and yet others request additional documents. Each such request must be assessed individually.
Can a resolution on removal from the list or expiry of PWZ be challenged?
Yes. Depending on the form of action taken by the chamber, an appeal, a complaint to the WSA, a complaint against a material and technical action or a motion to suspend enforcement of an act or action may be possible.
Does the Law Firm handle such cases?
Yes. Lawyers of the Law Office of Advocate Tomasz Piotr Chudzinski handle cases of foreign doctors concerning the right to practise medicine, decisions of the Minister of Health, resolutions of regional medical councils, appeals to the Supreme Medical Council and complaints to administrative courts. On 29 April, when this article was prepared, we cannot write that appeals or complaints against decisions of medical councils have already been filed, because such decisions will be issued only after the May long weekend.
It may also happen that no decision is served on the doctor, but the doctor loses rights in the e-Health system. In such a situation we may also intervene and effectively challenge the material and technical action of which the party was not informed.
