Anyone who has arrived recently knows the scene: an employer or an urząd (office) asks for a zaświadczenie o niekaralności (criminal record certificate), you open the e-KRK portal, and you hit a wall. The system wants a PESEL and a Profil Zaufany, and you have neither. Getting a criminal record certificate as a foreigner without a PESEL is harder than it is for a Pole, but it is entirely doable - the route just goes around the online account.
Below are all the working methods for 2026, the documents you will need, and what to do if you also need a certificate from your country of origin.
Why It Does Not Work Online Without a PESEL and a Profile
Electronic issuance through the e-KRK system requires a Profil Zaufany (trusted profile) or a podpis kwalifikowany (qualified electronic signature) to log in and sign the zapytanie (request). And a Profil Zaufany is tied to a PESEL. No PESEL means no profile, which means no convenient online route through ePUAP.
That does not put the certificate out of reach. The Krajowy Rejestr Karny (KRK, the National Criminal Register) under the Ministerstwo Sprawiedliwości (Ministry of Justice) issues information on foreigners without a Polish identifier too - identification runs on passport data and date of birth. You just file through other channels rather than a personal online account.
Four Working Ways to Get a KRK Certificate Without a PESEL
Here are the real options, from the most self-sufficient to the most convenient when you would rather not dig into the procedure at all.
1. Qualified electronic signature
If you hold a podpis kwalifikowany (it can be set up at Polish certification authorities on your passport, without a PESEL), you can sign the zapytanie o udzielenie informacji o osobie (request for information about a person) and file it electronically. This is the fastest path if you already have the signature or are ready to get one - it also comes in handy for other matters, company registration included.
2. Paper filing at a KRK point
The classic method. The paper zapytanie form is completed with passport data and filed:
- at a punkt informacyjny KRK (register information point) at the sąd (court);
- these points operate at courts across Poland, Warsaw included.
Identification is by passport. The fee is 30 PLN for the paper form (for comparison, the electronic one costs 20 PLN). The finished certificate is handed over at the point or sent to you.
3. By post
A completed and paid form can be sent to the KRK by post, with proof of payment attached. The reply comes back by letter. This suits you if there is no point nearby or no time to queue, but it demands care in filling it in - an error in the data means filing again.
4. Through a proxy (power of attorney)
If you would rather not handle it yourself - the Polish forms are unfamiliar, there is no time to go to the court, you are in another city - the request can be filed through a pełnomocnik (representative) under a power of attorney. Then the whole process, from filling in the zapytanie to collecting the finished document, sits with the representative. This is how we work most often: the client never sets foot in an urząd.
| Method | PESEL/profile needed | Price | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Podpis kwalifikowany | No | 20 PLN | Those who already have the signature |
| KRK point in person | No | 30 PLN | Those near a court and willing to go |
| Post | No | 30 PLN | Those outside a major city |
| By proxy | No | 30 PLN + service | Those who do not want to deal with it |
What Data and Documents You Need
Whichever method you choose, a request about yourself needs:
- passport data (series, number, issuing authority and date);
- full name and surname exactly as in the passport (this matters for the Latin transliteration);
- date and place of birth;
- parents' names - a standard identification field on Polish forms;
- proof of payment (20 or 30 PLN).
The typical error is a discrepancy in the spelling of the name across the passport, the contract, and the request. One misplaced letter can get the certificate returned, or issued with data that will not match the rest of your documents. We always check the transliteration against the passport in advance.
When You Also Need a Certificate From Your Country of Origin
Worth understanding separately: the KRK certificate shows only the Polish criminal register. It answers the question "was this person prosecuted in Poland." But for many procedures - citizenship, permanent residence, certain permits - the urząd or another country wants to see a clean record from your country of origin, where you lived before.
That certificate is requested back in your own country (or through its consulate), and to use it in Poland you usually have to:
- obtain it in the country of origin;
- add an apostille (if the country is in the Hague Convention) or go through consular legalisation;
- have it translated by a sworn translator in Poland.
We covered this in detail in our article on the criminal record certificate from your country of origin. In short, the two certificates (the Polish one and the one from your country of origin) answer different questions, and both are often needed.
When Your Polish Certificate Needs an Apostille
The reverse situation: you have your Polish KRK certificate, but you need it abroad - for work, a visa, or legalisation in another country. Then the certificate itself needs an apostille. It is placed by an authorised body of the Ministerstwo Sprawiedliwości, and a sworn translation is often required on top. More on that in our piece on the apostille for a criminal record certificate.
Without a PESEL and a profile, a criminal record certificate can feel out of reach, but really it is a matter of the right filing channel and a carefully completed form. We obtain KRK certificates for foreigners under a power of attorney - you do not have to visit the court, wrestle with Polish forms, or worry about transliteration. This is general information, not individual legal advice. To get your certificate without the trips between offices, get in touch with us to arrange your criminal record certificate.