Document Translation Requirements in Poland
Official bodies in Poland generally require a sworn translation of foreign-language documents, and many documents also need an apostille or legalization before they are translated. Below: who can translate, when an apostille is needed, and where the official rules are published.
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.
Poland requirements at a glance
| Translation standard | Sworn translation · tłumaczenie przysięgłe |
|---|---|
| Who can translate | Sworn translator (tłumacz przysięgły) registered with the Ministry of Justice |
| Apostille | Sometimes (when a Polish public document is used abroad). Apostilles are issued by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Official guidance |
| 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) |
Who can translate documents for use in Poland?
What makes a translation official in Poland?
How does Poland treat documents from abroad?
Legal basis
Apostille & legalization for Poland
Poland is part of the Hague Apostille Convention (since 2005), so public documents are authenticated with a single apostille — no consular legalization.
Documents 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.
U.S. documents going to 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.
The apostille should be obtained before the translation, so the apostille certificate is translated too. See how apostilles work, or order a translation with e-apostille.
How to get a Poland document translation accepted
- 1
Request the odpis zupełny, not the odpis skrócony
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.
- 2
Order a certified English translation of the full document
Cover the USC registry data, the dual-format dates, and any apostille, with a signed Certificate of Accuracy.
- 3
Submit the original plus the certified translation
File the copy with the certified translation to USCIS, the university, or the credential evaluator (WES/ECE).
Ready to translate your Polish documents?
Certified for USCIS, universities, and credential evaluators — from $24.95/page.
Which direction are your documents going?
Translating Polish documents for the U.S.?
Polish birth certificates, diplomas, and transcripts submitted to USCIS, universities, or credential evaluators need a certified English translation — that is exactly what we do — backed by our revise-free-or-refund acceptance guarantee.
Sending U.S. documents to Poland?
U.S.-issued documents usually need an apostille before they can be used in Poland — and the apostille should be obtained before the translation, so the certificate itself gets translated too. We offer e-apostille processing as an add-on to any order.
Popular certified translations
The Polish documents we translate most often — each with its own pricing and requirements page.
Why Poland document translations get rejected
The mistakes we see most often on Polish documents — and what a correct certified translation does instead.
Voivodeship adjective read as the city name
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.
Read the caseA date spelled out in words mis-transcribed
Older Polish certificates write the date in words; misreading the Polish numeral changes the date of birth, which then mismatches the passport.
Read the caseOdpis skrócony used instead of odpis zupełny
The 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.
Real Polish translation cases we've handled
Anonymized Polish-to-English orders. Each case shows the exact translation problem and how we solved it for the receiving authority.
RecentMay 2026Country-specific document quirksPolandWhen 'Łódzkie' on a Polish Birth Certificate Means the Voivodeship
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.
Handled by Elena Sokolova, Certified Legal & Official Documents TranslatorUS agency filingRead case →
RecentMay 2026Country-specific document quirksPolandWhen a Polish Birth Certificate Spells Out the Date of Birth in Words
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.
Handled by Elena Sokolova, Certified Legal & Official Documents TranslatorUSCISRead case →
Cost & turnaround
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 delivery is 24–48 hours, with notarization and e-apostille available as add-ons. See full pricing.
Poland translation requirements — FAQ
What translation does Poland require for foreign documents?
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 workDo I need a sworn translator for a Polish document used in the U.S.?
No. 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 translationIs Poland in the Hague Apostille Convention?
Yes, 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 countriesShould I order the odpis zupełny or odpis skrócony?
For 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 translationWhy does my Polish birth certificate show a voivodeship instead of a city?
Polish 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 translationHow are Polish grades translated for WES?
Polish 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 translationHow much does a Polish document translation cost?
Pricing 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 e-apostille are optional add-ons.
see live pricingCan I translate my own Polish documents?
No. 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 isRequirements in related countries
Neighbors and countries with a similar translation standard.
Sources
- List of sworn translators (lista tłumaczy przysięgłych)Ministerstwo Sprawiedliwości (Polish Ministry of Justice)
- Apostille Convention — specialised sectionHague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH)
Information verified against official sources. Last verified June 2026.
Need a certified Polish translation?
Signed Certificate of Accuracy with every order, a revise-free-or-refund acceptance guarantee, optional notarization and e-apostille — delivered in 24–48 hours.