A birth certificate from Ukraine, a diploma from Kazakhstan, a criminal record certificate from Belarus, a marriage certificate from Russia - sooner or later any of these has to be presented to a Polish urząd (public office). And the same question always surfaces: just translate it, or apostille it first? Get this wrong and it costs you time, because a document without the right certification will not be accepted, and you start the process over.
Here is how to prepare foreign documents for use in Poland in 2026: where the apostille goes, when consular legalisation is required instead, and why you cannot skip the sworn translation.
The core rule: the apostille is issued by the country of origin
A foreign document for Poland is legalised in the country that issued it, not in Poland. If that state is party to the 1961 Hague Convention, its authorised bodies stamp an apostille on the document. If the country is not a party, consular legalisation is required instead of an apostille. The finished document - apostilled or legalised - is then translated in Poland by a tłumacz przysięgły (sworn translator).
This is the key fork in the road. Many people arrive with a plain certificate and assume the apostille will be stamped in Warsaw. It will not - the Polish MSZ (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) apostilles only Polish documents. The apostille on your birth certificate should have been stamped by the country where it was issued.
Two scenarios: convention or consulate
Everything that follows depends on whether the issuing country belongs to the Hague Convention.
Country in the Hague Convention - you need an apostille
Most former USSR states are party to the convention. In that case:
- an apostille is stamped on the document in the issuing country (usually by the ministry of justice, the foreign ministry or a specialist authority, depending on the document type);
- a sworn translator translates the document in Poland;
- the Polish urząd accepts the document with its apostille and translation.
Country not in the convention - you need consular legalisation
If the state is not a party, the apostille does not apply. Instead comes multi-step consular legalisation: the document is certified in turn by the authorities of the issuing country and then at the Polish consulate (or the country's consulate in Poland, depending on the direction). This is slower and more involved, so such cases are best planned well ahead.
| Type of issuing country | What you need | Where it is done |
|---|---|---|
| Hague Convention party | Apostille | In the issuing country |
| Not a party | Consular legalisation | Consulates / foreign ministry |
| After that - always | Sworn translation | In Poland |
By document type
Different authorities in the issuing country apostille different documents, but the principle is the same. Here is what our clients most often prepare for Polish procedures.
Civil registry documents (akty stanu cywilnego)
Certificates of birth, marriage, divorce, or a change of name. Needed for a karta pobytu (residence card) based on marriage, family reunification, registering children, and permanent residence. The authorised body in the issuing country stamps the apostille, then comes the sworn translation in Poland.
Diplomas and school certificates
For work, study, or nostrification. They are apostilled in the country where the education document was issued. Sometimes, for a diploma to be recognised in Poland, nostrification is also required - but that is a separate procedure after legalisation and translation.
Criminal record certificates from the country of origin
A frequent companion to citizenship and permanent residence cases. You obtain the certificate in your country of origin, have it apostilled there, and get a sworn translation in Poland. We covered this in our article on the criminal record certificate from your country of origin.
Powers of attorney and notarial documents
If a power of attorney is issued abroad and needed in Poland, it too goes through an apostille in the issuing country and a sworn translation. For the reverse situation - the apostille of a Polish power of attorney for use abroad - see our piece on apostille of powers of attorney and notarial documents.
Why a sworn translation is mandatory
Even a document with a flawless apostille will not be accepted by a Polish urząd in a foreign language. You need a translation done by a tłumacz przysięgły entered in the Polish register of sworn translators. An ordinary translation, however good, has no legal force.
A few details people trip over:
- it is not only the text of the document that is translated but the apostille itself - it is part of the document too;
- the translation is attached to the copy or original under the rules, and the translator certifies it with a seal;
- if the document contains corrections, seals or stamps, all of it is reflected in the translation.
We run this stage alongside the apostille so the finished document is ready to file rather than sent back for rework. For how nostrification, apostille and translations connect, see our separate article on apostille, nostrification and sworn translations.
Common mistakes
Over years of practice we see the same slip-ups:
- Trying to apostille a foreign document in Poland. The Polish MSZ apostilles only Polish documents - foreign ones are legalised by the issuing country.
- Getting an ordinary translation instead of a sworn one. That translation will not be accepted.
- Forgetting to translate the apostille itself. The translation must include the apostille.
- Apostilling a photocopy without notarial certification where the original is required. Requirements for the medium differ, so confirm in advance.
- Getting the document too early. Some certificates have a validity window, and it may lapse before you file.
A foreign document for Poland is always a chain: apostille or legalisation in the issuing country, then a sworn translation here. Miss a link and your filing falls apart. We advise on what to apostille and where for your specific procedure, and handle the sworn translations so the document is ready to file the first time. This is general information, not individual legal advice. To review your document package, get in touch with us about apostille and legalisation.