The Presidium of the Supreme Medical Council has appealed to the Health Minister to rescind the provision allowing recognition of Polish language documents issued by unspecified foreign entities. According to the doctors, this is a serious threat to patient safety and the quality of medical care in Poland.
Doctors call for change in regulations on confirmation of Polish language skills
Published Aug. 4, 2025 11:05
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The Presidium of the Supreme Medical Council has issued an appeal to the Minister of Health to urgently amend the announcement of May 12, 2023, on the list of documents confirming knowledge of the Polish language (M.P. of 2023, item 524). The doctors want point 3 of the notice repealed, which, in their view, opens the door to the recognition of documents of questionable merit.
According to the challenged provision, knowledge of the Polish language, both oral and written, can be confirmed by a document issued in another European Union member state. The PNRL stresses that this provision does not specify what kind of documents these are, thus failing to meet the requirement to clearly and unambiguously indicate the criteria set forth in the Law on the Profession of Physician and Dentist.
"Such a construction of the provision not only makes it difficult for the medical self-government to assess the credibility of the documents submitted, but most importantly poses the risk that those practicing medicine in Poland will not actually know the Polish language at a level that would allow safe and effective treatment," the appeal reads.
The PNRL reminds that knowledge of the Polish language is a basic prerequisite for practicing medicine and dentistry in Poland, and its absence can lead to serious risks for patients. It also points out that this requirement is reflected in EU regulations - including Article 53 of Directive 2005/36/EC and Directive 2013/55/EU, which amends it - which allow verification of language proficiency in practitioners of professions that affect patient safety.
Meanwhile, as the medical self-government stresses, documents issued abroad are not verified for compliance with Polish regulations, do not contain information on the methodology for assessing language proficiency, and do not guarantee knowledge of specialized medical terminology. This is precisely why, according to the PNRL, it is necessary to limit the list only to the documents indicated in points 1 and 2 of the notice, such as the certificate of secondary education in Polish or the diploma of graduation from medical studies conducted in Polish.
"We do not question the competence of Polish national institutions to assess the knowledge of the Polish language. On the other hand, it is unacceptable that unspecified foreign entities should decide whether someone meets the conditions for practicing medicine in Poland - and without any verification from the Polish state." - The Bureau stresses.
In conclusion, doctors remind that the most important things for patients are safety and effective communication with medical personnel. Without a reliable knowledge of the Polish language, this cannot be ensured. Therefore, they call for the immediate removal of point 3 from the current notice.
Source: NIL
