Need your Polish document translated for the U.S. — or a U.S. document accepted in Poland? Start with the direction: the translation, certification, and apostille rules are not the same.
Requirements reviewed by Elena Sokolova
Certified Legal & Official Documents Translator · Last verified June 2026
Reviewed June 2026 · Elena Sokolova
Poland recognizes a tłumaczenie przysięgłe — a sworn translation by a tłumacz przysięgły entered on the Ministry of Justice list, who stamps and signs it with a repertory number. For a Polish document used in the United States you instead need a certified English translation with a signed Certificate of Accuracy, which USCIS and universities accept. Poland has been in the Hague Apostille Convention since 2005, so a Polish akt is apostilled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs — not legalized at a consulate.
Confirm final requirements with the authority receiving the document.
Need a certified Polish → English translation?
From $24.95/page · signed certification included
Quick reference
Confirm final requirements with the authority receiving the document.
| Translation standard | Sworn translation · tłumaczenie przysięgłe |
|---|---|
| Who can translate | Sworn translator (tłumacz przysięgły) registered with the Ministry of Justice |
| Apostille | When the receiving authority requires authentication; separate from translation |
| Apostille authority | The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MSZ) for most public documents; higher-education diplomas are authenticated through NAWA or the issuing institution before the apostille is issued. |
| Accepted languages | Polish (for official use in Poland) |
| Responsible authority | Ministry of Foreign Affairs (apostille / legalisation) |
Official-use requirements
The local certification system, who may translate, and what gives the finished document legal effect.
Cross-border authentication
Poland is part of the Hague Apostille Convention (since 2005), so public documents are authenticated with a single apostille — no consular legalization.
From Poland
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MSZ) for most public documents; higher-education diplomas are authenticated through NAWA or the issuing institution before the apostille is issued.Poland has been a party to the Convention since 14 August 2005.
Toward Poland
A U.S. document going to Poland is apostilled in the United States — the state Secretary of State, or the U.S. Department of State for federal documents — and then translated into Polish by a tłumacz przysięgły.
When the receiving authority requires an apostille on the original, obtain it before translation so the apostille certificate can be translated too. See how apostilles work, or order a certified translation.
Submission checklist
For a U.S. submission, ask the Urząd Stanu Cywilnego (USC) for the full copy (odpis zupełny), which carries all annotations the short copy omits.
Cover the USC registry data, the dual-format dates, and any apostille, with a signed Certificate of Accuracy.
File the copy with the certified translation to USCIS, the university, or the credential evaluator (WES/ECE).
Need the Polish translation service rather than the rules?
Continue to the language hub or choose the exact document you have.
Two directions, two rulebooks
Choose the destination first. It determines the language, certification, and whether an apostille belongs in the packet.
Polish birth certificates, diplomas, transcripts, and other non-English records need a complete certified English translation for USCIS, U.S. universities, and credential evaluators.
A U.S. document going to Poland is apostilled in the United States — the state Secretary of State, or the U.S. Department of State for federal documents — and then translated into Polish by a tłumacz przysięgły.
Choose the document you have for its format-specific translation guidance. These links cover the records most often submitted from Poland to USCIS, universities, and credential evaluators.
plakt urodzenia
Polish birth certificate translation is one of the most common request types for USCIS petitions and identity-verification workflows.
Signed & stamped Certificate of Accuracy
Word-for-word · exact structure preserved
Polish diploma translation is often required for admissions, licensing, and employment verification.
Signed & stamped Certificate of Accuracy
Word-for-word · exact structure preserved
Academic supporting records require line-level translation of courses, grades, scales, institutional headers, and annexes.
Signed & stamped Certificate of Accuracy
Word-for-word · exact structure preserved
akt małżeństwa
akt zgonu
Polish records reviewed by Elena Sokolova — Legal translation specialist — RU / UK / PL
Avoid preventable delays
The mistakes we see most often on Polish documents — and what a correct certified translation does instead.
On a Polish akt the place can appear as a voivodeship adjective (ŁÓDZKIE), which is the region, not the city (ŁÓDŹ); translating one as the other puts the wrong place of birth in the packet.
See how we handled itOlder Polish certificates write the date in words; misreading the Polish numeral changes the date of birth, which then mismatches the passport.
See how we handled itThe short-form copy (odpis skrócony) omits the annotations a U.S. office may need; for immigration the full copy (odpis zupełny) is the safer source document.
Anonymized Polish-to-English orders. Each case shows the exact translation problem and how we solved it for the receiving authority.
A Polish 'Odpis zupełny aktu urodzenia' issued electronically recorded the child's date of birth twice on the same line: first spelled out in full Polish words, then in DD.MM.YYYY digits. We rendered both forms in English — the words spelled out in English, the digits as Month DD, YYYY in parentheses — and added a Translator's Note explaining the Polish anti-tampering convention and the qualified-electronic-signature block. The certified translation was delivered for the client's USCIS filing.
A Polish abridged birth certificate (Odpis skrócony aktu urodzenia) issued in 2002 was stamped 'łódzkie' under Województwo — the adjective form of the Łódź Voivodeship, not the city of Łódź — and 'Tomaszowie Mazowieckim' under Registry Office, the locative case of the city. We rendered the voivodeship as 'Łódzkie' and restored the registry office to 'Tomaszów Mazowiecki', with a Translator's Note. The certified translation was delivered for the client's US filing.
Clear per-page pricing
A one-page akt is priced as a single page; a diploma supplement and multi-page court judgments are priced by their page count. Standard translation delivery is 24 hours for most 1–3 page orders. Notarization, hard-copy mailing, and apostille service are priced separately because their timelines differ.
Certified translation from
One physical source page, any length.
Start my translation See all pricing and add-onsQuestions people ask before submitting
Poland requires a tłumaczenie przysięgłe by a tłumacz przysięgły entered on the Ministry of Justice list. The foreign document is apostilled first, then translated by the sworn translator.
how apostilles workNo. U.S. authorities do not use Poland's tłumacz przysięgły system. A Polish akt or dyplom needs a certified English translation with a signed Certificate of Accuracy, which USCIS, WES, and ECE accept.
certified Polish translationYes, since 14 August 2005. A Polish public document used abroad is apostilled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, not legalized at a consulate.
requirements for other countriesFor a U.S. submission, request the odpis zupełny — the full copy. It carries every registry annotation; the odpis skrócony is a short form that can omit details USCIS or a university needs.
Polish birth certificate translationPolish certificates sometimes give the place as a voivodeship adjective (e.g. ŁÓDZKIE) rather than the city (ŁÓDŹ). A certified translation preserves the distinction so the place of birth stays consistent across your documents.
birth certificate translationPolish grades run 2–5, with ECTS credits on the diploma supplement. A certified transcript translation preserves the scale and the credits so WES or ECE can map them, rather than converting to a U.S. GPA.
WES translationPricing is per page. A one-page akt is a single page; a diploma supplement or multi-page court judgment is priced by page count. Notarization and apostille are optional add-ons.
see live pricingNo. USCIS and universities reject self-translation. An independent qualified translator must complete and certify the translation with a statement of accuracy.
what a certified translation isInformation verified against official sources. Last verified June 2026.
