Transgender care in Poland

Poland has no specific legislation recognizing gender identity.

Legal framework

Poland has no specific legislation recognizing gender identity. Changing the sex recorded in official registers requires civil proceedings in which the transgender person sues their parents — a route criticized by international human rights organizations. The requirements imposed by the European Court of Human Rights for recognizing gender identity are set out in a separate article.

Clinical care

Transgender healthcare is limited and largely provided privately. Access and quality vary considerably.

Political climate

The political climate has been changeable since 2015; LGBTQI issues are under pressure.

Supreme Court ruling in 2025

On 4 March 2025, the Polish Supreme Court adopted a resolution simplifying the procedure. Until then, anyone wishing to change their registered sex had to bring legal proceedings against their own parents, even if they were an adult. From then on, the case proceeds as a petition filed by the person concerned, and the parents are no longer parties to the proceedings. There is still no statutory regulation; the procedure is based on case law.

2015 veto

In 2015, the Polish parliament passed a law intended to regulate legal gender recognition. President Andrzej Duda vetoed it, and parliament subsequently failed to hold a new vote. No law has been enacted since.

Healthcare

Public health insurance covers treatment only to a very limited extent, so most people pay for diagnostics, hormones and surgeries themselves. In practice, genital surgeries are not performed until a court has changed the person’s legal sex, because doctors otherwise fear prosecution for causing infertility. There is no nationwide guideline for treating minors.

Politics

Between 2019 and 2020, dozens of Polish municipalities and regions adopted declarations against what they called LGBT ideology. The European Commission linked these declarations to consequences for the distribution of European subsidies, and most of them have since been withdrawn. For information on the EU’s relationship with its member states, see EU policy and transgender rights.