Certificate confirming full qualifications as a medical doctor obtained in Poland in accordance with requirements of the Directive 2005/36/EC.
A holder of a Polish medical diploma with the degree of “lekarz”, who has not applied for the right to practice in Poland, but has passed the Final Medical Exam (LEK) and has obtained a decision of the Minister of Health recognizing the internship completed abroad or practical training organized in Poland by the University as fully equivalent to the standard Polish postgraduate internship, can apply to the Supreme Medical Council for a certificate confirming that the graduate has completed training in Poland that meets the minimal training requirements laid down in article 24 of Directive 2005/36/EC and has obtained the professional qualifications required to practice as a medical doctor in Poland (which are subject to automatic recognition in other EU Member States in line with the provisions of Directive 2005/36/EC).
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.
To obtain such a certificate, the following documents must be submitted to NIL:
- a filled in and signed request, which is to be submitted in one of the following forms:
- submitted at the NIL office;
- sent by regular post;
- sent as a scan by email
- the diploma with the degree of “lekarz” (in Polish language version) and the diploma supplement (in Polish or in English), which are to be submitted in one of the following forms:
- presented in their original versions at the NIL office;
- submitted at the NIL office or sent by regular post as copies certified by a notary or a Polish embassy or consulate;
- sent by regular post or by email as photocopies or scanned copies, provided that a separate confirmation of authenticity of these documents is sent directly from the University to the Chamber by regular post or by email – in that case, the applicant should arrange himself/herself with the University to send such a confirmation
- certificate of positive result of LEK exam, which is to be submitted in one of the following forms:
- presented in its original version at the NIL office;
- submitted at the NIL office or sent by regular post as copy certified by a notary or a Polish embassy or consulate
- the decision of the Minister of Health regarding the recognition of the postgraduate internship:
- currently these decisions are issued in electronic form (with electronic signature) and in that electronic form should be sent by email
- a proof of payment of the fee, which is to be submitted in one of the following forms:
- submitted at the NIL office;
- sent by regular post;
- sent by email
Please do not send the original versions of the diploma,
diploma supplement and LEK certificate to NIL by regular post.
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 kind of 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.
This certificate relates only to completed studies - it confirms that the studies in Poland leading to the award of the diploma met the minimal training requirements laid down in article 24 of Directive 2005/36/EC. However, it does not confirm that the doctor, a graduate of a Polish university, has obtained in Poland the full qualifications to practice the profession as those who possess all the documents listed for Poland in point 5.1.1. of Annex V to Directive 2005/36/EC (i.e., qualifications allowing to apply for the "full" right to practice the profession in Poland).
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) 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
To obtain such a certificate, the following documents must be submitted to NIL:
- a filled in and signed request, which is to be submitted in one of the following forms:
- submitted at the NIL office;
- sent by regular post;
- sent as a scan by email
- the diploma with the degree of “lekarz” (in Polish language version) and the diploma supplement (in Polish or in English), which are to be submitted in one of the following forms:
- presented in their original versions at the NIL office;
- submitted at the NIL office or sent by regular post as copies certified by a notary or a Polish embassy or consulate;
- sent by regular post or by email as photocopies or scanned copies, provided that a separate confirmation of authenticity of these documents is sent directly from the University to the Chamber by regular post or by email – in that case, the applicant should arrange himself/herself with the University to send such a confirmation
- a proof of payment of the fee, which is to be submitted in one of the following forms:
- submitted at the NIL office;
- sent by regular post;
- sent by email
Please do not send the original versions of the diploma and the
diploma supplement to NIL by regular post.
Certificate of Good Standing (non-registration as a medical doctor in Poland).
In case of a holder of a Polish medical diploma with the degree of “lekarz” who does not hold and has 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 confirming that the graduate has not applied for the right to practice the profession in Poland, and that the Supreme Medical Council 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 medical 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.
To obtain such a certificate, the following documents must be submitted to NIL:
- a filled in and signed request, which is to be submitted in one of the following forms:
- submitted at the NIL office;
- sent by regular post;
- sent as a scan by email
- the diploma with the degree of “lekarz” (in Polish language version) and the diploma supplement (in Polish or in English), which are to be submitted in one of the following forms:
- presented in their original versions at the NIL office;
- submitted at the NIL office or sent by regular post as copies certified by a notary or a Polish embassy or consulate;
- sent by regular post or by email as photocopies or scanned copies, provided that a separate confirmation of authenticity of these documents is sent directly from the University to the Chamber by regular post or by email – in that case, the applicant should arrange himself/herself with the University to send such a confirmation
- a proof of payment of the fee, which is to be submitted in one of the following forms:
- submitted at the NIL office;
- sent by regular post;
- sent by email
Please do not send the original versions of the diploma and the
diploma supplement to NIL by regular post.
OSTATNIA AKTUALIZACJA 04.07.2024 R.