In a late-night vote on 15 May 2026 the Sejm adopted amendments to the Health Benefits Act and related legislation that extend the deadline for non-EU doctors, dentists and nurses working on temporary licences to present a B2-level Polish-language certificate. The original two-year grace period—aimed chiefly at Ukrainian medics granted fast-track access after Russia’s 2022 invasion—expired on 1 May 2026. Without the extension, more than 200 provincial hospitals risked losing critical staff overnight.
![Poland Gives Foreign Doctors an Extra Year to Obtain Polish-Language Certificate]()
For international healthcare professionals still navigating Poland’s regulatory maze—and for HR teams handling their paperwork—platforms like VisaHQ can expedite visa renewals, residency permits, and even document translations. Their dedicated Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) streamlines applications and tracks status in real time, reducing administrative friction while clinicians prepare for the B2 exam.
Under the new rules practitioners now have until 1 May 2027 to pass the state exam, while maintaining full clinical privileges. Supporters argued that exam capacity and coaching slots have not kept pace with the sudden influx of foreign healthcare workers, and that a mass departure would cripple county-level facilities already battling record waiting lists. Opponents from the Confederation party countered that allowing medics to treat patients without confirmed language skills poses safety risks. The legislation also clarifies funding for HCV and HIV diagnostics in prisons and removes insurance-status barriers to antiretroviral treatment, signalling a broader push to align Polish healthcare with EU public-health standards. For global-mobility teams the change buys time to regularise the status of hundreds of expatriate clinicians on local contracts. Hospital HR departments should use the extra 12 months to schedule language courses and exam sittings, while reviewing employment contracts to ensure wording on licence validity mirrors the amended statute. Staffing agencies, meanwhile, may find renewed demand for Ukrainian and Belarusian nurses as regional facilities leverage the reprieve to stabilise rosters.
For international healthcare professionals still navigating Poland’s regulatory maze—and for HR teams handling their paperwork—platforms like VisaHQ can expedite visa renewals, residency permits, and even document translations. Their dedicated Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) streamlines applications and tracks status in real time, reducing administrative friction while clinicians prepare for the B2 exam.
Under the new rules practitioners now have until 1 May 2027 to pass the state exam, while maintaining full clinical privileges. Supporters argued that exam capacity and coaching slots have not kept pace with the sudden influx of foreign healthcare workers, and that a mass departure would cripple county-level facilities already battling record waiting lists. Opponents from the Confederation party countered that allowing medics to treat patients without confirmed language skills poses safety risks. The legislation also clarifies funding for HCV and HIV diagnostics in prisons and removes insurance-status barriers to antiretroviral treatment, signalling a broader push to align Polish healthcare with EU public-health standards. For global-mobility teams the change buys time to regularise the status of hundreds of expatriate clinicians on local contracts. Hospital HR departments should use the extra 12 months to schedule language courses and exam sittings, while reviewing employment contracts to ensure wording on licence validity mirrors the amended statute. Staffing agencies, meanwhile, may find renewed demand for Ukrainian and Belarusian nurses as regional facilities leverage the reprieve to stabilise rosters.
