Poland regulates the psychologist profession by statute
For professionals. Not clinical advice for clients.
A law passed 23 January 2026 introduces a mandatory Register of Psychologists and protects the professional title. It enters into force 19 May 2028 (2 years and 3 months after publication).
The law defines who may use the title "psychologist" in Poland and provide the four categories of psychological services listed in Article 23. That right begins on entry into the Register of Psychologists, kept by regional psychologist councils under the National Council of Psychologists.
Article 5(5)(2) explicitly allows a diploma issued outside the EU as a basis for registration, once it has been nostrified in Poland as equivalent to the Polish psychology degree under the 2018 Law on Higher Education and Science.
Non-EU citizens must document Polish at CEFR level B2, unless they studied or took their school-leaving exam in Polish (Art. 5(6)–(7)); Polish and EU citizens only need to declare proficiency.
After registration, a psychologist starting practice spends 150 hours (at least 75 in person) working with a mentor who has at least 3 years of practice (Art. 17).
Using the title "psychologist" without the right to practice is punishable by a fine; providing psychological services without that right by a fine, restriction of liberty, or — in aggravated cases involving financial gain or misrepresentation — up to a year's imprisonment (Art. 126–129).
This is a general summary, not legal advice. The transitional provisions (Art. 147–148) set additional conditions for people already practicing or still studying — consult the full text or a lawyer for an individual case.