From 18 October, occupational health certificates only electronically
The transition period for the digitalization of occupational health is coming to an end. HR departments have a few days to determine how they will receive e-certificates for new and current employees.
From Sunday, 18 October 2026, occupational health doctors must issue certificates from pre-employment, periodic, and follow-up examinations in electronic form. Until 17 October, this form is optional and a paper document can still be issued. The schedule is provided by the Ministry of Health and National Health Fund service Pacjent.gov.pl (opens in a new tab), and the change has also been described by, among others, pulsHR.pl and Rynek Zdrowia.
The certificate is sent to the e-health system and to the Internet Patient Account (IKP), under the “Medical data” section and then “Occupational medicine.” The employee can download the document in PDF format and send it to the employer by email or ask the doctor for a printout. IKP also shows how long the certificate remains valid. The scope of the examinations and the certification method are not changing.
Sources describe the document's path to the company differently. According to Pacjent.gov.pl and pulsHR.pl, the certificate is provided by the employee. According to pit.pl and Rynek Zdrowia, it is provided to the employer by the facility where the examination took place, within the deadline and in the manner specified in the contract between the company and the occupational health unit. The employer does not have access to the employee's IKP. As GazetaPrawna.pl reports, the employer receives only the data needed to admit the employee to work, without disease diagnoses.
GazetaPrawna.pl points out that the regulation provides for exceptions in which the certificate may be issued on paper, for example when the doctor does not have access to the system. Since July, doctors have also been able to issue recommendations electronically. Pacjent.gov.pl and pulsHR.pl give the date as 15 July, while GazetaPrawna.pl gives 18 July.
Until 17 October, facilities do not have to send certificates to the e-health system, so the absence of a document in IKP does not necessarily mean that no certificate was issued.
For the employer, the obligation does not change: they may not allow a person without valid examinations to work. For allowing this, Article 283 § 1 of the Labour Code provides for a fine from 1,000 to 30,000 zlotys, and compliance with this obligation is monitored by the National Labour Inspectorate. Before 18 October, HR departments can review the contract with the occupational health facility, establish a secure channel for receiving documents containing health data, and inform employees where they will find the certificate.