Checklist: 23 Things Before Opening a Practice
A plain checklist, no fluff. 23 points you need to tick off before opening your practice. Print this page, bring it to the practice, and check each box as you…
A plain checklist, no fluff. 23 points you need to tick off before opening your practice. Print this page, bring it to the practice, and check each box as you complete it.
The complete checklist (printable)
LEGAL FORMALITIES (5 points)
- [ ] Right to Practise confirmed with KIF -- Confirmation of your Right to Practise the Profession with the Chamber of Physiotherapists (KIF, Krajowa Izba Fizjoterapeutów -- Poland's statutory professional body for physiotherapists). Check on the KIF website that you're in the register and have no practice ban.
- [ ] Legal form chosen -- Solo practice (sole trader) or group practice (limited company, partnership)? This decision affects every step that follows.
- [ ] Business registered in CEIDG/KRS -- Solo practice: CEIDG online (0 PLN fee). Group practice: KRS (National Court Register) with a notary (~1,500 PLN fee).
- [ ] NIP and REGON assigned -- You'll get these automatically after registering in CEIDG/KRS. You'll need them for everything that follows.
- [ ] Bank account opened -- In the name of your practice. Needed for settling payments with patients, tax and social insurance (ZUS).
REGISTRATION (4 points)
- [ ] Certificate of no criminal record -- Obtain from the criminal division of your district court. Can take 1-2 weeks to arrive.
- [ ] Registration in RPWDL (Register of Entities Performing Medical Activity) -- Portal rpwdl2.ezdrowie.gov.pl. Fee: approx. 175 PLN in 2026 (2% of the average monthly salary). Time: 7-14 days from submitting documents.
- [ ] Professional liability insurance (OC) -- Minimum limits: EUR 30,000 per incident, EUR 150,000 per year. Cost: 1,000-1,500 PLN/year. Send the certificate to RPWDL.
- [ ] KIF membership fee paid -- Membership dues to the Chamber of Physiotherapists, ~200 PLN/year. Mandatory since 2017.
PREMISES (5 points)
- [ ] Lease or ownership title -- Get it in writing. The owner or landlord must agree to a medical business operating on the premises.
- [ ] Floor area measured -- Minimum 20 m² net per patient (can be in one room). Measure it to be sure.
- [ ] Toilet and washbasin -- One for patients, one for staff. Mandatory under Sanepid (the State Sanitary Inspectorate) rules. If missing, change premises.
- [ ] Ventilation -- Natural (windows) or mechanical. Sanepid checks whether the air is breathable. A ceiling vent flap doesn't count as ventilation.
- [ ] Accessibility for people with disabilities -- At minimum, ground-floor entrance and an adapted toilet (handrails, 80 cm doors). A statutory requirement since 2019.
MEDICAL RECORDS (4 points)
- [ ] Patient record template -- Must include: personal details, medical history, initial assessment, therapy plan, session notes, patient signature. Paper or digital -- both are legal.
- [ ] Therapy plan template -- For each patient: diagnosis, goals (short- and long-term), methods, number of sessions, expected outcomes.
- [ ] Treatment log (journal) -- A log of date, patient, treatment type, duration, outcome. Where will you keep it? (Paper, spreadsheet, medical software?)
- [ ] Treatment consent form -- Patient signs before the first session. Covers: consent to treatment, to personal data collection, to photographs (optional).
GDPR (3 points)
- [ ] Privacy notice -- The text you show the patient before collecting their data. Must cover: the purpose of collection, the legal basis, how long you store it, and the patient's rights. 2-3 pages, printed and signed.
- [ ] Data processing consent form -- Patient signs it. Required for every patient. Keep it together with the patient record.
- [ ] Privacy policy -- A fuller document on your website or in print. Describes: what you collect, why, where, for how long, the patient's rights, and how to report a breach.
SANEPID & HYGIENE (3 points)
- [ ] Hygiene plan (sanitary plan) -- A document describing cleaning and disinfection procedures. Includes: schedule, substances used (e.g. Dezolex 5%), who's responsible, how often. Print it and put it on the practice wall.
- [ ] Disinfection log -- Where you record every disinfection: date, what, how, who, signature. Sanepid checks this. If it's empty, you can be fined.
- [ ] Contract with a medical waste contractor -- Waste from treatments (paper, bandages, disposable gloves) counts as medical waste. Yellow bin, collected by a licensed medical waste contractor. A contract is mandatory. Cost: 50-150 PLN/month.
Checklist grouped by FizjoReady packages
Where does FizjoReady help you?
STARTER PACKAGE (299 PLN)
Templates for 8 of these 23 points:
- Patient record (template)
- Therapy plan (template)
- Treatment consent form
- GDPR privacy notice
- Data processing consent
- Hygiene plan
- Disinfection log
- 23-point checklist (this page)
You save: 8-10 hours of work drafting templates. Every template is approved by a lawyer specialising in healthcare and GDPR.
FULL PACKAGE (799 PLN)
Everything from STARTER plus:
- Full privacy policy (3-5 pages)
- Personal data breach procedure (required under GDPR Article 33)
- Practice regulations for patients
- Employment contract templates (if you hire staff)
- Sanepid inspection procedure (what they check, how to prepare)
You save: 15-20 hours. You get full documentation for 2-3 years, with no legal-error risk.
PREMIUM PACKAGE (1,999 PLN)
Everything from FULL plus:
- Live training (60 min.) -- how to keep medical records, what Sanepid checks, how to prepare for an inspection
- Email support for 6 months (24-hour response)
- Template updates whenever the law changes
You save: peace of mind for 6 months. Got a question you don't understand? Email us, we answer the same day.
Practical guide -- how to use this checklist
Phase 1: Preparation (2-3 weeks)
Tick off points 1-5 from "Legal formalities." This requires paperwork from government offices (Right to Practise confirmation from KIF, certificate of no criminal record).
Actions:
- Go to the KIF website and check that your Right to Practise is active
- Go to the district court and file for a certificate of no criminal record
- Choose your legal form (solo practice or limited company?)
- Register in CEIDG (online, 30 minutes)
- Open a bank account
Phase 2: Registration (one month)
Tick off the "Registration" group. RPWDL takes time, so start early.
Actions:
- Buy OC insurance (call 3 insurers, compare prices)
- Register in RPWDL (portal rpwdl2.ezdrowie.gov.pl, fee approx. 175 PLN in 2026)
- Pay your KIF membership fee (~200 PLN)
Phase 3: Premises (2-3 weeks)
Tick off the "Premises" group. This requires on-site visits.
Actions:
- View at least 5 premises
- Measure the floor area
- Check the toilet, ventilation, accessibility
- Sign the lease
Phase 4: Documentation (1 week)
Tick off the "Medical records," "GDPR" and "Sanepid" groups.
Actions:
- Get your templates (from the STARTER package or find them online)
- Adapt them to your situation
- Print them and prepare them for patients to sign
- Put the hygiene plan on the wall
- Prepare a notebook for the disinfection log
- Sign the medical waste contract
Phase 5: Final preparations (a few days)
Tick off the last points. Check you haven't forgotten anything.
Actions:
- Read through this checklist again
- Take photos of the practice (proof for Sanepid that everything's in order)
- Check that all documents are signed
- Create backups of patient records (if digital)
How long will it take?
| Phase | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation (1-5) | 2-3 wks | Depends on official processes (certificate, CEIDG registration) |
| Registration (6-9) | 3-4 wks | RPWDL can take time, insurance is quick |
| Premises (10-14) | 2-3 wks | Depends on how many premises you view |
| Documentation (15-23) | 1 wk | Fast if you have templates, slow if writing from scratch |
| TOTAL | 8-13 weeks | Roughly 2-3 months |
Want to speed it up? Buy the STARTER package (299 PLN) and cut the "Documentation" phase down to 1 day instead of 1 week.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to tick off the points in this order?
A: No. You can work on several at once. For example, while waiting for the certificate from the court, you can look for premises and compare OC insurance quotes.
What happens if I forget one point?
A: Sanepid or a UODO (Poland's Data Protection Authority) inspector may show up and find the gap. The most common errors: no disinfection log (fine of 500-1,000 PLN), no GDPR notice (fine up to EUR 20 million), no hygiene plan (30-day suspension of operations).
That's exactly why this checklist exists -- so you don't forget anything.
Can I open without the STARTER package?
A: Of course. But then you'll be writing templates yourself or hunting online and adapting them. That takes 8-10 hours and comes with the risk of missing something. The STARTER package is an investment in certainty.
How much time will the STARTER package save me?
A: Preparing templates yourself: 8-10 hours. What's your time worth? If you charge 15 PLN per visit's worth of margin, that's 120-150 PLN of revenue you could be earning instead of writing templates.
Are the STARTER templates adapted to my city/region?
A: The templates are nationwide and comply with the Act on the Physiotherapist Profession, the GDPR, and Sanepid requirements. There may be minor regional differences (e.g. the data breach procedure), but the core is the same everywhere in Poland.
Final word
This isn't a scare tactic to put you off opening a practice. It's a map so you know where you're going. 23 points is a reasonable number -- thorough, but not excessive.
Physiotherapists who get this right from the start work more safely and with less stress. Those who rush and forget something end up waiting on Sanepid and fines.
The choice is yours.
CTA: See FizjoReady packages →
Want to tick off these 23 points with confidence? The STARTER package includes templates for 8 of them. Every template is prepared by a lawyer specialising in healthcare and GDPR. You save 8-10 hours of work.
STARTER package -- 299 PLN. [STRIPE LINK]
Or choose the FULL PACKAGE (799 PLN) if you want the complete set of documentation and procedures (Sanepid inspection procedure, data breach procedure, patient regulations).
Related articles:
- How to open a physiotherapy practice in 2026 -- a complete step-by-step guide
- 7 most common compliance mistakes in physiotherapy practices (and how to avoid them)
- How to choose premises for a physiotherapy practice -- requirements and pitfalls
- RPWDL registration -- step by step
- Professional liability insurance for physiotherapists -- cost and coverage
- Medical records for physiotherapists -- patient record, therapy plan, treatment log
- GDPR for physiotherapy practices -- what you need to know
- Sanepid requirements for physiotherapy practices -- hygiene plan and disinfection log