As we reported, foreign doctors in Poland are facing problems: The Supreme Medical Chamber has begun to revoke their right to work. In the Pomeranian Voivodeship, the procedure has already started concerning 161 medical professionals — all of them risk losing their right to practice.
After the war began in Ukraine, Poland simplified employment for foreign doctors, allowing them to work without confirmed language proficiency. However, this measure was temporary: by May 1, 2026, they were required to pass a B1 level exam and provide a certificate.
As of today, about three thousand doctors have not done this.
The situation in Pomerania
In the Gdańsk Medical Chamber, 637 doctors are registered with limited rights to practice. Of these, 435 have already confirmed their language proficiency, 30 have lost their right to work due to expiration, and another 161 are under administrative procedure. If they do not provide the documents on time, their licenses will be revoked.
— In Pomeranian hospitals, we employ nearly 160 citizens of Ukraine, — says company spokesperson Krzysztof Piotrowski. — Until May 14, we had not received a single refusal from the Ministry of Health regarding the issuance of permits for foreigners.
A similar situation exists in the Copernicus company, which manages the hospitals named after Nicolaus Copernicus and in Zaspa in Gdańsk. There, 29 doctors from non-EU countries work, including three with conditional rights to practice. All of them have already passed their exams.
— I know of two doctors who may have their right to work revoked in one of the voivodeship hospitals in Pomerania, — notes Dr. Tadeusz Endzejczyk. — One recently arrived in Poland, the other did not pass the exam on the first attempt.
Even the loss of 200 doctors could seriously impact the healthcare system — especially district hospitals. It is often foreign medical professionals who take on the heaviest shifts: night duties, holidays, and work in emergency departments (SOR).
Experts urge that such cases be considered individually — taking into account the position of hospital management. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health is discussing the possibility of extending the transitional period until May 1, 2027.
