Certificate confirming full qualifications as a medical doctor obtained in Poland.
A holder of a Polish medical diploma with the degree of “lekarz” who passed the LEK exam and obtained a decision of the Minister of Health recognizing the internship as fully equivalent to the standard postgraduate internship which is carried out in Poland, fulfills all the qualification requirements in Poland as a medical doctor with basic medical training.
In that case, on request of the doctor the Supreme Medical Council can issue a certificate with a confirmation that under Polish law – as a holder of Polish medical diploma, holder of certificate confirming positive result of LEK and a holder of a decision recognizing the internship – the doctor has obtained full Polish qualifications as a medical doctor indicated in Annex V point 5.1.1 of the Directive 2005/36/EC after completion of training in accordance with the minimal requirements laid down in art. 24 of the Directive.
This certificate is aimed to provide additional information for the competent authorities in other EU Member States and serve as a basis for recognizing the professional qualifications obtained in Poland.
In order to issue such a certificate the doctor should submit:
- filled in and signed request form:
- may be sent by post or submitted personally in original or sent electronically as a scanned copy;
- the diploma awarded by a Polish medical university (in Polish language version) and the diploma supplement (in Polish or in English):
- they should be sent by post or submitted personally as original documents or as copies certified by a notary or the Polish embassy or consulate – documents submitted in original are sent back;
- alternatively photocopies or scanned copies of these documents may be sent, provided that a separate confirmation of authenticity from the University is sent to the Chamber by post or by email from the email box of the University – in that case, the doctor should arrange himself/herself with the University to send such a confirmation;
- decision of the Minister of Health recognizing the internship, certificate of positive result of LEK exam:
- they should be sent by post or submitted personally as original documents (documents submitted in original are sent back ) or as copies certified by a notary or the Polish embassy or consulate;
- alternatively photocopies or scanned copies of these documents may be sent, provided that a separate confirmation from the issuing authority (Ministry of Health and/or CEM) is sent to the Chamber – in in that case, the doctor should arrange it himself/herself;
- a proof of payment of a fee of 127,26 PLN which since 1 January 2024 is charged for each certificate (the fee changes every year as it is based on the minimal remuneration in Poland)
Certificate confirming the conformity of medical studies completed in Poland with requirements laid down in art. 24 of the Directive 2005/36/EC.
In case of holders of a Polish medical diploma with the degree of “lekarz” who have not passed the LEK exam and/or have not completed the postgraduate internship (staż podyplomowy), the Supreme Medical Council may issue a certificate which confirms that the medical studies completed in Poland that led to the award of the diploma with the degree of “lekarz” were compliant to the minimal requirements laid down in art. 24 of the Directive 2005/36/EC and that the awarded diploma with the degree of “lekarz” is the evidence of formal qualifications in basic medical training listed for Poland in Annex V point 5.1.1 of Directive 2005/36/EC.
This certificate is usually used by graduates who intend to apply for authorization in another EU Member State in order to complete an equivalent of the Polish postgraduate internship – this certificate does not confirm that the doctor has fulfilled in Poland all the qualification requirements allowing access to independent exercise of the medical profession which are subject to automatic recognition under the Directive 2005/36/EC.
Please note that this certificate does not confirm neither that its holder is entitled to practice the medical profession in Poland nor that its holder has fulfilled in Poland all the qualification requirements allowing access to independent exercise of the medical profession.
Under Polish law, in order to fulfill all the qualification requirements allowing access to independent exercise of the profession (authorisation to practise the profession which is called in Poland the “Right to practice the profession), a holder of a medical diploma with the degree “lekarz” has to complete an obligatory postgraduate internship (staż podyplomowy) that lasts 13 months and pass the Final Medical Exam (Lekarski Egzamin Końcowy, LEK). The certificate confirming positive result of the Final Medical Exam and the certificate confirming completion of post graduate internship are listed in point 5.1.1 of Annex V to Directive 2005/36/EC as certificates accompanying the Polish medical diploma.
Therefore, in case of a holder of a Polish medical diploma who has not passed the LEK exam and/or has not completed the postgraduate internship it is possible that in order to get the recognition of the qualifications in another EU Member State (or EEA State or Switzerland) and to be awarded the full entitlement to practice the profession the competent authorities in that State require that this exam be passed in Poland and that a post graduate internship be completed.
Postgraduate internship and the LEK exam are additional requirements to be awarded the right to practice the profession in Poland which go beyond the minimal requirements of the Directive which are met at the point when the medical diploma is awarded by the university following completion of medical studies.
In order to issue such a certificate the doctor should submit:
- filled in and signed request form:
- may be sent by post or submitted personally in original or sent electronically as a scanned copy;
- the diploma awarded by a Polish medical university (in Polish language version) and the diploma supplement (in Polish or in English):
- they should be sent by post or submitted personally as original documents or as copies certified by a notary or the Polish embassy or consulate – documents submitted in original are sent back;
- alternatively photocopies or scanned copies of these documents may be sent, provided that a separate confirmation of authenticity from the University is sent to the Chamber by post or by email from the email box of the University – in that case, the doctor should arrange himself/herself with the University to send such a confirmation;
- a proof of payment of a fee of 127,26 PLN which since 1 January 2024 is charged for each certificate (the fee changes every year as it is based on the minimal remuneration in Poland).
Certificate of Good Standing
(Certificate of non-registration as a medical doctor in Poland).
In case of holders of a Polish medical diploma with the degree of “lekarz” who do not hold and have not applied for the authorisation to practise the profession in Poland (the “Right to practice the profession”) the Supreme Medical Council may issue, on request of the graduate, a certificate of non-registration with the chambers in Poland (meant to confirm that the Chamber has no negative information related to the doctor's good character).
Certificate of Good Standing is a commonly used name for a certificate confirming that a person fulfils the requirements related to good character/good repute which in most countries have to be met to be allowed to practice as a doctor (shortly speaking this certificate is to confirm that the person has not been subject to criminal or disciplinary sanctions). In case of a graduates of medical studies in Poland who have not applied for and do not hold the right to practice the profession in Poland it is in fact a certificate of non-registration confirming that the graduate does not possess the right to practice in Poland and has not applied for it.
In order to issue such a certificate the doctor should submit:
- filled in and signed request form:
- may be sent by post or submitted personally in original or sent electronically as a scanned copy;
- the diploma awarded by a Polish medical university (in Polish language version) and the diploma supplement (in Polish or in English):
- they should be sent by post or submitted personally as original documents or copies certified by a notary or the Polish embassy or consulate – documents submitted in original are sent back;
- alternatively photocopies or scanned copies of these documents may be sent, provided that a separate confirmation of authenticity from the University is sent to the Chamber by post or by email from the email box of the University – in that case, the doctor should arrange himself/herself with the University to send such a confirmation;
- a proof of payment of a fee of 127,26 PLN which since 1 January 2024 is charged for each certificate (the fee changes every year as it is based on the minimal remuneration in Poland).