Poland revokes 441 foreign doctors' licenses over language requirement
President Nawrocki vetoed a one-year extension, forcing 441 non-EU doctors—mostly Ukrainian—to lose their right to practice after failing to submit Polish B1 certificates by May 1.
Poland has revoked medical licenses from 441 doctors, the vast majority Ukrainian, who failed to prove Polish language proficiency at the B1 level by a May 1, 2026 deadline. President Karol Nawrocki vetoed a parliamentary extension on June 11 that would have given affected doctors another year to obtain the required certificate.
The simplified pathway that allowed Ukrainian and other non-EU doctors to work in Poland during the war expired in October 2024. Those granted conditional five-year licenses under that program were required to submit a B1 Polish language certificate by May 1, 2026. According to the Supreme Medical Council, as of early May around 2,321 doctors and 1,014 dentists still lacked the document.
Regional impact and next steps
The Lower Silesian Medical Chamber in Wrocław revoked the most licenses—129—followed by Warsaw with 99. Nearly 3,000 Ukrainian doctors work in Poland's healthcare system, and almost a third have not yet provided language certificates. The Supreme Medical Council lobbied strongly for the veto, with its head stating that "patients will be treated by doctors who know Polish."
Doctors who lost their licenses cannot use the simplified procedure again. They must undergo the full qualification process: diploma nostrification, passing the Medical Verification Examination, completing postgraduate internships, and passing the Final Medical Examination. Poland's Health Ministry had backed the extension to prevent staffing shortages in hospitals already struggling with physician vacancies.
What this means for foreign doctors
If you are a non-EU doctor practicing in Poland under a conditional license, verify your language certificate status immediately through your regional medical chamber (okręgowa izba lekarska). The May 1 deadline has passed; any outstanding cases are now at risk of revocation. If you plan to continue practicing, start the full nostrification and examination process without delay—it can take many months. EU/EEA doctors remain unaffected by this requirement and can continue practicing under mutual recognition rules.
