Working as a doctor in Poland: broad prospects for foreign specialists

The current situation in Polish healthcare has led to the fact that working as a doctor in Poland has become more accessible than ever for foreign citizens, particularly from post-Soviet countries. The reason is an acute shortage of qualified specialists. The number of patients per doctor is the highest in Europe, specialists are constantly overworked, and hospital patients are unable to receive adequate care. Therefore, there is always work for doctors in Poland — a foreign specialist only needs to meet a number of requirements.

Which medical specialties are in demand?

Experts note that a shortage of qualified personnel exists across all areas of Polish healthcare. Doctors are in the highest demand, while mid-level medical staff — such as nurses and paramedics — are needed to a lesser extent.

The most acute shortages are observed among:

• therapists;

• family doctors;

• general surgeons;

• pediatricians;

• radiologists;

• nephrologists;

• gastroenterologists;

• anesthesiologists;

• cardiologists;

• obstetricians and gynecologists;

• endocrinologists;

• pediatric surgeons;

• neonatologists;

• traumatologists;

• neurologists;

• otorhinolaryngologists;

• ultrasound diagnostics physicians.

There are also always promising doctor vacancies in Poland for experienced and highly qualified dentists.

Working conditions and salary

Working in a Polish medical institution implies official employment. This means that the candidate can expect their rights to be respected in accordance with current legislation, certain social guarantees, and no claims from tax authorities.

A standard working day lasts 8 hours. Night shifts, on-call duties, overtime, and additional consultations are paid separately.

When considering the possibility of working as a doctor in Poland, it is important to know that salaries in both public and private clinics are quite high, especially compared to post-Soviet countries.

A Polish doctor’s income depends on specialization, length of service and experience, region, the specific medical institution, position, workload, and level of responsibility. Very roughly, the salary range can be described as from 9,700 to 40,000 PLN per month. During the internship period, a doctor’s salary amounts to 9,700 PLN per month.

Most employers from smaller towns offering jobs in Poland for Ukrainian doctors, specialists from Belarus, and other countries provide free accommodation for their foreign employees. Most often, this is comfortable, modern hotel-type dormitories with shared rooms and excellent living conditions. Residents in such dormitories usually pay only utility costs. In large cities, such options are generally not available.

If the housing offered by the medical institution is unsuitable for any reason — for example, when a doctor relocates to Poland together with their family — they can rent a room, an apartment, or even a house at their own expense.

Requirements for candidates

The first thing most applicants are interested in is the procedure for nostrifying their educational diploma. There is good news here: the difficult situation with medical specialists has motivated the Polish authorities to introduce changes to the legislation. As a result, it has become possible to work as a doctor in Poland without prior nostrification. More precisely, confirming the validity of a foreign diploma is still required, but this can be done after employment. In addition, candidates are not required to take specialty exams.

This nuance applies to migrants from any country, including post-Soviet states. This format of employment in the medical sector is referred to as the simplified procedure.

As of 2023, there are two simplified programs for employing doctors in Poland. The first applies to specialists from non-EU countries. It includes the following requirements:

• proficiency in the Polish language in the medical field;

• having a specialization and at least 3 years of experience in the specialty within the last 5 years;

• written consent from a medical institution to employ the applicant on a temporary or permanent basis after a preliminary interview.

The second format makes it possible to provide employment as a doctor in Poland for refugees from Ukraine. They may apply for vacancies without work experience and without declaring language proficiency. The mandatory requirements are a higher medical education diploma in the relevant specialty and permission from the Minister of Health of Poland. As of 2023, this option is valid until March 4, 2024. However, it is possible that it will be extended.

In addition, before starting work — even under the simplified procedure — the applicant must obtain:

• permission from the Ministry of Health;

• a license to practice medicine from the regional medical chamber;

• a tax identification number.

Additional advantages include references from previous workplaces, although this is not a mandatory requirement. And, of course, personal qualities of a candidate applying for a doctor’s position in Poland are important — openness, friendliness, lack of conflict behavior, communication skills, ability to learn, and a desire to improve and enhance professional qualifications.

Additional advantages include references from previous workplaces, although this is not a mandatory requirement. And, of course, the personal qualities of a candidate applying for a doctor’s position in Poland are important — openness, friendliness, lack of conflict behavior, communication skills, ability to learn, and a desire for continuous professional development and qualification improvement.

Advantages of working with our company

Independent job searches in an unfamiliar country are always associated with specific challenges. It is especially difficult to do this without knowing the language, the structure of the industry, and the nuances of the legislation.

We provide real assistance in employing doctors in Poland under the simplified procedure, guaranteeing reliable professional support at every stage.

It works as follows. You contact us, ask the questions that interest you, and receive detailed, reliable, and clear answers. After that, we sign an official written contract and begin our cooperation. What does it involve?

First, we assist with learning the Polish language with a focus on medical specifics. As a rule, mastering conversational Polish is not difficult for Ukrainians and Belarusians due to its similarity to their native languages. However, this is not enough: an applicant relocating to work as a doctor in Poland and aiming to secure a good, promising position in a Polish clinic must command professional terminology, read medication instructions and medical equipment manuals, maintain documentation, and be able to convey information about a patient’s health professionally yet clearly. All of the above is covered in our specialized language courses.

Second, we not only find a suitable vacancy for you, but also help you obtain the required permission and license in the shortest possible time. When trying to get employed independently, this process can drag on for months or even years. With our assistance, you will go through all stages as efficiently as possible.

In addition, our company helps to:

• resolve issues related to visas and obtaining a residence permit;

• promptly collect all required documents;

• organize the specialist’s relocation — individually or with their family;

• cope with various everyday challenges during the adaptation process;

• save time and money while completing all stages of the preparatory process.

Would you like to work in the field of modern, progressive medicine with good earnings and positive prospects? Get in touch — with us, working as a doctor in Poland for Ukrainians and Belarusians becomes a reality!

And right now, you can ask any questions that may have arisen after reading this article. We will do our best to answer them clearly and in detail.