Apostille in Poland 2026: Where to Get It and Costs

An apostille is a simplified form of legalisation of official documents between countries party to the Hague Convention of 1961. Poland joined the convention in 2005, and since then the apostille has replaced the lengthy procedure of legalizacja konsularna for documents issued for use in over 120 countries. In Poland the apostille is issued by the Ministerstwo Spraw Zagranicznych (MSZ) at ul. Krucza 38/42 in Warsaw. Cost - 60 PLN per document. In person the apostille is issued the same day; by post it takes up to 30 days.

What an Apostille Is - A Brief Explanation

An apostille is a special stamp or sticker on a document that confirms:

1. The authenticity of the signature on the document
2. The validity of the seal
3. The authority of the official who issued the document

After an apostille is affixed, the document is automatically accepted in any country party to the Hague Convention without further action.

In Poland the apostille is not required for documents transmitted to EU countries - Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 abolishes apostille for principal civil-status documents within the EU.

When You Need an Apostille - Practical Cases

In Poland the apostille is requested for documents to be used abroad (i.e., issued in Poland and used in non-EU countries):

The apostille is also needed for foreign documents brought to Poland - but in that case the apostille is affixed in the country of issue, and in Poland the document is simply translated (see marriage to Polish citizen guide).

How to Obtain an Apostille in Poland

Step 1. Confirm the document is eligible and where it goes. MSZ apostilles originals of Polish public documents: USC records, court and notarial documents, KRK certificates, KRS extracts and the like. MSZ does not take university diplomas - NAWA apostilles those, and school certificates go to the kuratorium oświaty or the OKE.

Step 2. A notarial document, including a notarised copy, must first be certified by the competent regional court (sąd okręgowy), and only then does MSZ issue the apostille. Court documents are certified beforehand by the president of the regional court. Photocopies and ePUAP printouts are not accepted.

Step 3. Book your MSZ slot at legalizacja.msz.gov.pl. Fresh slots open every working morning, two weeks ahead, so log in early. Questions go to [email protected].

Step 4. Pay the 60 PLN. It is an opłata skarbowa and it goes to the city, not to MSZ: the payee is Centrum Obsługi Podatnika, account 21 1030 1508 0000 0005 5000 0070 at Bank Handlowy w Warszawie. Use "opłata skarbowa za wydanie apostille" as the transfer title, print the confirmation and bring it along - you cannot pay on the spot at MSZ.

Step 5. Bring the original document to MSZ (Krucza 38/42, II piętro). Submission takes 5-10 minutes.

Step 6. If you come in person, the apostille is issued during the visit wherever possible, capped at 10 documents per person per day. Applications posted to al. Szucha 23 are processed within 30 days of arrival at MSZ. Two ways to collect:

• In person at MSZ (no appointment needed for collection)
• By post: MSZ returns documents only by registered letter (not by courier) and only to addresses in Poland, the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. If you live anywhere else, the application must name an agent for service in Poland (pełnomocnik do doręczeń).

Alternative - Legalizacja Konsularna

If the destination country has not joined the Hague Convention, full legalizacja konsularna is required in three stages:

1. Legalisation of the document at Polish MSZ - 26 PLN per document
2. Translation into the destination-country language by a sworn translator - 100-300 PLN
3. Legalisation at the destination country's consulate in Warsaw - 50-300 PLN

Time - 4-8 weeks, most of it at the consulate. An apostille, by comparison, is issued during a single MSZ visit.

Countries requiring legalizacja konsularna (not apostille):

• Many African countries, e.g. Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya (South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria are already parties)
• Middle East: UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq, Iran
• Asia: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar
• Cuba

The list changes: Vietnam joined the Convention in September 2026, and Thailand joins in February 2027. Before filing, check the country in the status table on the Hague Conference (HCCH) website.

Apostille for Foreign Documents in Poland

If your documents are issued in the country of origin and needed in Poland, the apostille is affixed in the country of issue, not in Poland. After that:

1. Sworn translation into Polish (50-200 PLN)
2. The document is ready for use in Polish offices

List of authorities issuing apostilles, by country:

In CIS countries, apostille typically costs 30-100 USD equivalent and is processed in 1-3 weeks.

Documents Most Often Requiring an Apostille

Cost - Typical Package

For a typical karta pobytu by family, the foreign applicant brings:

To this add the cost of travel to the country of origin or remote processing through contacts (50-200 USD additional).

Most Common Mistakes

1. Apostille on copy instead of original. MSZ affixes apostille only to originals or to a notary's certificate of the copy.

2. Apostille on an expired document. A criminal record certificate has no fixed validity: the Polish KRK rules set none, and the receiver decides how old it may be. If the receiver wants a recent one, order a new certificate first, then the apostille.

3. Ordering apostille in one country for a document from another. Apostille is affixed in the country that issued the document. A Polish apostille does not legalise a Ukrainian document.

4. Translation before apostille. The apostille must be affixed before translation. Otherwise translation must be redone after apostille (including the apostille text itself).

5. Late MSZ booking. Slots open every working morning, two weeks ahead, and go fast. Only MSZ in Warsaw issues apostilles - there are no "alternative" offices in other cities. If you can't travel, post the documents to al. Szucha 23 and allow up to 30 days.

When You Need a Lawyer

Self-handling is realistic for one simple document. A lawyer makes sense if:

• Apostille needed on 5+ documents (logistics)
• Documents from a country with restricted cooperation (RU in 2024-2026)
• Document gathering parallel to karta pobytu or USC processes
• A previous MSZ refusal or urgent procedure
• Complex cases (documents 30+ years old, defunct urzędy)

At LegalWin our apostille service includes processing at MSZ or remote processing in the country of issue. Apostille at MSZ - 500 PLN per document, the 60 PLN stamp duty is extra; for remote processing in the country of issue we quote after seeing a scan of the document.

Order document apostille →

This article is informational. Specific timelines and decisions depend on your situation. For individual cases, consult a lawyer for assessment.

Apostille in Poland - the full series:

• Apostille in Warsaw 2026: Where to Get One and How to Book
• Apostille on a Polish Birth Certificate 2026: MSZ, Fee, Order
• Apostille on a Diploma in Poland 2026: NAWA or Kuratorium
• Apostille on a POA in Poland 2026: Court First, Then MSZ
• Apostille for company documents: KRS, articles, power of attorney
• Apostille on a Criminal Record Certificate (KRK) 2026 for Abroad
• Apostille on Foreign Documents for Poland 2026
• Apostille or consular legalisation: how to choose in 2026
• Electronic documents and the apostille: what Poland accepts in 2026
• Why the Polish MFA turns documents away: 9 reasons an apostille fails
• Apostille, Nostrification, Sworn Translation in Poland 2026
• Service: apostille in Warsaw, done for you