In Poland, it is planned to cease the action of the simplified procedure for access to the medical profession for citizens of Ukraine. At the end of January, the Senate adopted a decision to abolish the extraordinary provisions of a special law that since 2022 allowed Ukrainian doctors and dentists to work under eased rules. After the signing of the document by the president, access to the profession will be carried out under the general conditions that apply to foreigners. This is reported by InPoland.
The simplified license for Ukrainian doctors in Poland may disappear
The decision to abolish special provisions was made by the Polish Senate. These provisions allowed Ukrainian medical professionals to work in Polish hospitals without the full procedure for diploma recognition. After the changes, access to the profession for citizens of Ukraine will be implemented exclusively according to the standard rules that apply to all foreigners.
At the same time, already issued conditional licenses formally remain in effect and do not lose their validity automatically from the moment the special provisions are abolished.
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Legal uncertainty for Ukrainian medical professionals in Poland
Lawyers emphasize that the new regulation does not provide answers to key practical questions. According to lawyer Aleksandra Povezha from the law firm «Podsadli-Gensikowska, Povezha», the law does not define:
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how long doctors with conditional licenses will be able to continue working
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what deadlines and under what conditions they must switch to the standard procedure
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whether it will be necessary to confirm the right to medical practice again
Experts warn that the absence of transitional norms creates a state of legal uncertainty for Ukrainian doctors and dentists already working in Poland.
It is noted that as of the end of 2025, about 740,000 to 780,000 Ukrainian citizens were working in Poland, according to employment statistics published by Gremi Personal.