Almost every immigration process in Poland involves documents issued abroad: diplomas for a Blue Card, birth and marriage certificates for family reunification, police clearance certificates for some visas. Polish offices will generally only accept these documents if they have been authenticated in the country where they were issued and translated into Polish by a sworn translator. Getting this wrong is one of the most common — and most avoidable — causes of delay.
Step 1: Authenticate the document
How a document is authenticated depends on the country that issued it.
Apostille. Poland has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since 2005. If your document comes from another member country of the Convention, it needs an apostille — a certificate added by the designated authority in the issuing country (often the foreign ministry or a court). No further certification by a Polish consul is needed.
Consular legalization. If the issuing country is not a party to the Convention, the document usually has to be legalized: first certified by the competent authorities of the issuing country (typically its foreign ministry), and then by the Polish consul responsible for that country.
Documents from EU countries. Under EU rules on public documents, certain documents issued in one EU member state — such as birth and marriage certificates — are exempt from the apostille requirement when used in another member state. Multilingual standard forms are also available for many of them, which can remove the need for a translation.
You can check whether a country is a party to the Apostille Convention on the website of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH).
Step 2: Get a sworn translation
Documents in a foreign language must be translated into Polish by a sworn translator (tłumacz przysięgły) on the list kept by the Polish Ministry of Justice. A few practical points:
- Translate the apostille too. The translation should cover the whole document, including stamps, seals and the apostille itself.
- Translations made abroad are generally accepted only if they have been certified by a Polish consul.
- Order certified copies if you will need the same document for more than one procedure.
Which documents usually need this?
| Document | Typically needed for |
|---|---|
| University diploma and transcript | EU Blue Card, recognition of qualifications, studies |
| Birth certificate | Family reunification, enrolling children at school |
| Marriage certificate | Family reunification, dependent visas |
| Police clearance certificate | Some visa and permit applications |
| Professional licences and certificates | Regulated professions such as healthcare |
Tips that save time
- Authenticate before you translate. The apostille must be translated together with the document, so get it first.
- Check validity periods. Some documents — police certificates in particular — are accepted only if they were issued recently.
- Make names consistent. Your name should be spelled the same way in your passport, certificates and translations. Differences in transliteration are a common reason for extra questions.
- Keep the originals safe. You may be asked to show them at your appointment.
- Plan for lead times. Authentication in some countries takes weeks, so start early.
Let us take care of the details
Our Authentication Serwis covers apostille support, document notarization, power of attorney preparation and document verification, and we also offer document translation. See Our Serwis or book a consultation and we will tell you exactly what your documents need.