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Recognition of qualifications of a doctor or a dentist

Are you a citizen of an EU Member State and hold a licence obtained in this Member State allowing you to practise the profession of doctor or dentist? See how you can obtain a licence to practise the profession of doctor or dentist in Poland.

How to proceed

This procedure can be completed:

  • at an office
  • by post
  • electronically
Complete the procedure online Use the tools available at biznes.gov.pl to create an application for recognition of qualifications under the general system.

What you should know and who can use this service

Your qualifications will be recognised if:

  • you are a citizen of the Republic of Poland or another European Union Member State,
  • you hold:
    • a document confirming formal qualifications of a doctor or dentist meeting the minimum training requirements stipulated in the provisions of the European Union law, issued by a European Union Member State other than the Republic of Poland, included in the list referred to in Article 6b, along with a relevant certificate included in the list referred to in Article 6b (see Article 5(1)(2)(c) of the Act of 5 December 1996 on the professions of doctor and dentist).

a document confirming formal qualifications of a doctor, evidencing the beginning of training prior to a particular date, with relevant certificates (see Articles 5a and 5b of the Act of 5 December 1996 on the professions of doctor and dentist),

  • you have full legal capacity,
  • you are in a state of health that allows you to practise the profession of doctor or dentist,
  • you demonstrate an impeccable ethical conduct;
  • you have a verbal and written command of the Polish language sufficient to practise the profession of doctor or dentist.

Note!

From 18 January 2016 all persons, regardless of their nationality, who have completed medical studies in a language other than Polish, in order to obtain in Poland the licence to practise the profession of doctor or dentist are required to demonstrate knowledge of the Polish language by taking a Polish language examination conducted by the Supreme Medical Council.

When you should complete this procedure

At any time

Where you can complete this procedure

You can complete this procedure at:

  • District Medical Chambers
  • Ministerstwo Zdrowia

If you apply for the automatic recognition of qualifications, you should submit an application to the regional medical chamber relevant to the place where you intend to practise. The application may be submitted in paper only.

If you do not meet the conditions set out in the Act on the professions of doctor and dentist and your qualifications have to be recognised under the so-called general system for the recognition of qualifications, you should submit your application to the Ministry of Health. This application can be submitted in paper or online.

To find out where to complete service enter place of professional activity.

What to do step by step

  1. Submit your application together with attachments

Documents

You can submit a document as:
Oryginał
You can submit a document as:
Oryginał
You can submit a document as:
Oryginał
You can submit a document as:
Kopia
You can submit a document as:
Kopia
You can submit a document as:
Kopia
You can submit a document as:
Oryginał
You can submit a document as:
Kopia
You can submit a document as:
Kopia
  1. Formal and substantive verification

Formal verification

The regional medical council (Polish: Okręgowa Rada Lekarska, ORL) verifies the correctness and completeness of the application and the attachments required for the proper conduct of the procedure.

If the application and the attachments do not meet the formal requirements, the regional medical council requests the applicant to supplement the documentation within 14 days (with information that if he or she fails to remedy the defects, the application shall be left unconsidered); the applicant has 7 days to remedy the defects in documentation, counted from the date of receiving the request. If the applicant fails to remedy the defects in documentation within the specified time limit, the application shall be left unconsidered. The applicant may apply for suspension of the procedure if the time limit of 7 days is insufficient to remedy the defects.

Substantive verification

The formal verification is followed by a substantive verification, during which the council assesses, on the basis of an analysis of submitted documents, whether the applicant meets the requirements necessary for automatic recognition of formal qualifications acquired in EU countries, for being granted the licence to practise the profession, and being entered in the list of members of the regional medical chamber.

Verification of the authenticity of submitted documents and obtaining a confirmation that the doctor has received complete education in accordance with the provisions applicable in a given EU country (conditionally).

After verification of submitted diplomas and other documents, the Committee may, and in the case of justified doubts should, send diplomas and other documents confirming the doctor’s formal qualifications to the Centre for Recognition of Qualifications, operating by the Supreme Medical Chamber, hereinafter referred to as “the Centre”, with a request for opinion on compliance of submitted diplomas and other documents confirming the doctor’s formal qualifications with diplomas and other documents confirming formal qualifications of a doctor, included in the list referred to in Article 6b of the Act on the professions of doctor and dentist.

If the Centre has justified doubts as regards the authenticity of the diploma or other documents confirming the doctor’s formal qualifications sent by the Committee, the regional council, on the basis of the Centre’s opinion, immediately requests the competent authorities of the EU Member State which have issued the diploma or other document in doubt, to confirm the authenticity of the diploma or other document confirming the doctor’s formal qualifications via the electronic Internal Market Information system (IMI). The IMI allows for preparation of requests and answers to requests from other Member States in the Polish language, and for effective and accurate search for a competent institution in another country.

After receiving an answer from the competent authority of an EU Member State on the authenticity of the diploma or other document confirming the doctor’s formal qualifications, the Committee sends it immediately to the Centre with second request for opinion, as referred to in § 15(7) of Appendix no. 1 (Rules and Regulations) to Resolution No. 1/17/VII of the Supreme Medical Council of 13 January 2017 on the detailed procedure for granting the licence to practise the profession of doctor and dentist and keeping the register of doctors and dentists

On the basis of the documents held and considering the Centre’s opinion, if applicable, the Committee prepares its opinion and forwards it, along with the entire documentation, to the regional council.

  1. Recognition or refusal to recognise qualifications

The regional medical council recognises the formal qualifications, grants the license to practise the profession of doctor or dentist and makes the entry in the list of members of the regional medical chamber and the regional register of doctors and dentists, provided that the person has submitted correct and complete documents (application with attachments) confirming the fulfilment of requirements specified in the Act on the professions of doctor and dentist, or refuses to recognise the person’s formal qualifications and to grant the licence to practise the profession. Recognition of formal qualifications or refusal to recognise them takes the form of a resolution of the competent regional medical council. the regional register of doctors and dentists is kept using the "FINN 7" IT system and as a set of personal records (a personal file).

Documents

Time limit

The qualifications are recognised within 7-14 days but no later than within one month from the date of submission of the documents.

  1. Issuing the document “Licence to practise the profession of doctor” or "Licence to practise the profession of dentist”

The regional medical council issues a document: “Licence to practise the profession of doctor” or “Licence to practise the profession of dentist” confirming the right to practise the profession of doctor or dentist in the territory of Poland and the entry made in the list of members of the regional medical chamber and the regional register of doctors and dentists. The document includes a number of the licence to practise the profession and a registration number confirming the entry in the regional register of doctors and dentists, the doctor's or dentist's photograph and personal data, data on the completed higher university institution, postgraduate internship and passed Final Medical Exam, as well as academic titles and degrees, and any official or additional entries. The document “Licence to practise the profession of doctor” or “Licence to practise the profession of dentist” contains a serial number and is the only document confirming the doctor's or dentist's right to practise the profession in the territory of Poland. A doctor or a dentist collects the document in person with the acknowledgment of receipt. In the event of a refusal to recognise formal qualifications and to grant the licence to practise the profession in the territory of Poland, taking the form of a resolution, having the force of an administrative decision, such resolution is served to the applicant (and may be appealed against to the Supreme Medical Council).

Documents

You will receive a document as:
Oryginał
You will receive a document as:
Oryginał
  1. Entry in the Central Register of Doctors of the Republic of Poland

On the last working day of each month, a regional medical council transmits electronically information including entries made in the regional register of doctors and dentists to the Supreme Medical Council. The Supreme Medical Council, as the owner and administrator of the Central Register of Doctors of the Republic of Poland, updates the register on a monthly basis, based on the data received from the regional registers of doctors, the PESEL register and the register kept by the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS). The records of the Central Register of Doctors of the Republic of Poland are kept in electronic form for each doctor (using the "FINN 7 NIL" national IT system).

Time limit

The entry is made once a month.

How much you will have to pay

The service is free of charge

How long you will have to wait

You can complete the entire procedure within one month from the date of submitting the documents.

How can you appeal

Resolutions of the regional medical councils on recognition of formal qualifications, granting the right to practise the profession of doctor/dentist, and entry in the register of members or on the refusal and deprivation of or suspension of the licence to practise the profession due to an inability to practise it or declaring the loss of the licence are subject to the provisions of the Code of Administrative Procedure on administrative decisions.

A refusal to recognise formal qualifications, to grant the licence to practise the profession and to make an entry in the register is served to the applicant in the form of a resolution having the force of an administrative decision. The resolution may be appealed against within 14 days from the date of receipt. The appeal is filed through the regional council to the Supreme Medical Council. A resolution of the Supreme Medical Council may be appealed against to the Supreme Administrative Court.

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