Late on the evening of 21 May 2026 the Polish Senate adopted a government bill amending the Health-Care Services Act and several related statutes. A key provision—added during committee stage—extends until 1 May 2027 the deadline by which non-EU doctors, dentists, nurses and midwives working under a temporary licence must present a B1-level certificate in Polish. Since May 2026 those professionals have been required to prove language competence or risk losing their right to practise. Several licences had already been revoked, causing staff shortages in provincial hospitals. The new grace period responds to complaints from hospital directors and foreign practitioners that examination slots are scarce and waiting lists long. The bill also tidies up financing rules for HIV and hepatitis-C treatment and clarifies payment responsibilities between the National Health Fund and the prison system.
![Senate approves health-care amendment, giving foreign medics extra year to obtain Polish-language certificate]()
For foreign clinicians needing help with permits, licensing paperwork or even scheduling language exams, VisaHQ’s Poland team (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) offers an end-to-end service that keeps applications moving smoothly. Its online platform tracks visa and work-authorisation milestones in real time, helping hospitals and HR managers ensure that staff from outside the EU meet every statutory deadline—B1 Polish included—without administrative hiccups.
But for global mobility teams the headline is the reprieve for medical talent: Poland issued more than 6,000 temporary licences to third-country clinicians between 2021 and 2025, many of them from Ukraine, Belarus, India and the Philippines. Hospital groups welcomed the vote, arguing it averts an exodus of essential staff just as patient backlogs remain elevated after the COVID-19 era. The Supreme Medical Chamber, however, urged President Karol Nawrocki to veto the bill, saying language standards should not be diluted for safety reasons. If the President signs, employers should immediately update onboarding timelines, book language tests early and budget for course fees. Foreign medics already in Poland gain breathing space, but newcomers should still plan on meeting B1 Polish by next spring to secure long-term professional registration.
For foreign clinicians needing help with permits, licensing paperwork or even scheduling language exams, VisaHQ’s Poland team (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) offers an end-to-end service that keeps applications moving smoothly. Its online platform tracks visa and work-authorisation milestones in real time, helping hospitals and HR managers ensure that staff from outside the EU meet every statutory deadline—B1 Polish included—without administrative hiccups.
But for global mobility teams the headline is the reprieve for medical talent: Poland issued more than 6,000 temporary licences to third-country clinicians between 2021 and 2025, many of them from Ukraine, Belarus, India and the Philippines. Hospital groups welcomed the vote, arguing it averts an exodus of essential staff just as patient backlogs remain elevated after the COVID-19 era. The Supreme Medical Chamber, however, urged President Karol Nawrocki to veto the bill, saying language standards should not be diluted for safety reasons. If the President signs, employers should immediately update onboarding timelines, book language tests early and budget for course fees. Foreign medics already in Poland gain breathing space, but newcomers should still plan on meeting B1 Polish by next spring to secure long-term professional registration.
