There is no English KRK certificate: the National Criminal Register (Krajowy Rejestr Karny) issues certificates in Polish only. The English version is the Polish certificate plus a sworn translation into English, and some receivers also want an MSZ apostille on top (state fee 60 PLN). Format matters more than language: the US and Canada take only paper certificates for immigration, while the UK Home Office accepts a scan.
So start with the receiver. Read what they actually ask for, then order. An apostille nobody asked for costs money and days, and the wrong format means ordering a new certificate.
Why there is no English certificate
The KRK's own FAQ is blunt: "We issue certificates in Polish only. All translations are procured by a person requesting a certificate."
People often confuse this with the multilingual standard form (wielojęzyczny formularz), a 17 PLN add-on to the certificate. It's narrow:
- only Polish nationals can get it;
- it's meant for use in another EU country;
- it's issued only when the register holds no data on you;
- the KRK calls it a translation aid, and a sworn translation is still separate.
If you are a foreigner heading to the UK, US or Canada, that route is closed. Sworn translation it is. Where the multilingual form does help is covered in multilingual form instead of an apostille.
One more point for citizens of other EU countries: the KRK also asks your home country's register, which has up to 20 working days to answer. No next-day certificate in that case; we plan for 3-5 weeks.
Paper or e-KRK: what the receiver accepts
The KRK issues two forms. The electronic one from e-KRK is a file with an electronic signature (how to get it: the e-KRK online certificate), and gov.pl warns plainly: "Nie drukuj zaświadczenia, bo nie będzie ono urzędowym dokumentem" (don't print it, a printout isn't an official document). The paper one carries a seal and comes from the KRK Information Office (ul. Czerniakowska 100, Warsaw) or a KRK point at a court. The MSZ apostilles only paper originals.
| Destination | Format | Translation | Apostille | How recent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK, Skilled Worker in health, education, social care | original or scan | into English, per paragraph 39B(f) of the Immigration Rules | not mentioned in Home Office guidance | issued no earlier than 6 months before applying, if Poland is your latest country |
| US, immigrant visa | paper only | certified translation, unless in English or the official language of the country you apply from | not mentioned | generally valid 2 years |
| Canada, IRCC | paper with the Ministry round seal; electronic not accepted | into English or French by a certified translator | not mentioned | per your application package |
| Australia, Home Affairs | from a national authority | accurate English translation | - | per your visa |
| Employer in Poland | e-KRK file | not needed | not needed | as the employer sets |
| Another EU country | paper or as the office sets | if the office asks | not required for a Polish citizen since 16 February 2019 (Regulation (EU) 2016/1191); for a foreigner, if the office requires it | per that country |
A few details that change the decision.
The UK doesn't ask everyone. Home Office guidance (version 4.0, 11 November 2025) applies the requirement to Skilled Worker entry clearance in listed SOC codes in health, education and social care, and to their partners. You need a certificate from every country where you spent 12 months or more in the last 10 years while aged 18 or over.
The US asks applicants aged 16 and over for certificates from their country of nationality if they lived there more than 6 months, from their current country of residence on the same rule, from any other country where they lived 12 months or more, and from anywhere they were arrested. The State Department's Poland page adds one point few people know: if the certificate shows an entry, you must provide the court documents for the case.
Canada's IRCC page for Poland says Polish embassies and consulates no longer accept certificate applications. You apply by post, in person at the KRK, or through someone else under a power of attorney.
Do you need an apostille for a UK, US or Canadian visa
The official immigration instructions of these three countries don't mention one. An apostille is needed when the receiver says so, an employer or a university for example. Countries outside the Hague Convention, such as the UAE, want consular legalisation instead; see apostille or consular legalisation. Check the receiver's document list before ordering: if "apostille" isn't there, skipping it saves 500 PLN.
The order: certificate, apostille, translation
- A paper KRK certificate, if the receiver needs paper. The paper request form is "Zapytanie o udzielenie informacji o osobie", the fee is 30 PLN, and in person the certificate is usually issued on the spot. Through e-KRK it's 20 PLN and up to 7 days, but you need a Trusted Profile (profil zaufany) or a qualified signature. Without either, see getting a KRK certificate without a PESEL.
- An MSZ apostille, if required. 60 PLN per document, paper originals only. In person, book through e-Konsulat and go to the legalisation unit at ul. Krucza 38/42; it's usually issued during the visit, up to 10 documents a day. By post the MSZ takes up to 30 days.
- A sworn translation into English, including the apostille text. The sworn translator (tłumacz przysięgły) certifies that the translation matches the original with a signature and seal.
The translation always comes last. The apostille is a separate text with its own number, and translating before it leaves the stamp untranslated. Details in apostille on a criminal record certificate.
When an electronic PDF will do
For an employer in Poland, yes: gov.pl says you can hand over the e-KRK file, on a USB stick for instance. A private employer abroad decides for itself, so just ask whether a PDF with a translation works. For US and Canadian immigration, no: paper only. The UK Home Office accepts an original or a scan, but if the same package also goes to an employer or a regulator, paper is the safer choice.
A mistake we keep seeing: someone prints the e-KRK, gives the printout to a translator, then takes it to the MSZ. A printout isn't a document, the MSZ won't apostille it, and the translation has to be redone from a paper certificate.
Cost and timing
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| KRK certificate under power of attorney, PDF in Polish, state fees included | 500 PLN |
| MSZ apostille on that certificate | +500 PLN |
| Apostille on a Polish certificate you already have | 500 PLN |
| Sworn translation into English or another language | quoted on request |
| Certificate by a set hour | +150 PLN |
| Originals by DHL courier abroad | about 250 PLN, exact at dispatch |
The certificate with an apostille costs 1000 PLN, covering state fees, the MSZ apostille and the power of attorney. The sworn translation is quoted separately, as the price depends on the language. You sign the power of attorney by hand and send a scan; no notary. If payment, the signed power of attorney and a clear passport scan reach us today, we usually collect the certificate the next working day, although the KRK's own rules allow up to 7 days. We keep originals for 2 months and can courier them in that time.
Example. A nurse who has lived in Poland for four years is moving to England on a Skilled Worker visa. The Home Office wants a Polish certificate no older than 6 months on the application date and an English translation, with no apostille. She needs the certificate for 500 PLN plus a sworn translation, which we quote once we've seen the certificate. It's best ordered 2-3 weeks before the visa application: a certificate taken right after the job offer may be older than 6 months by the filing date.
Quick answers
Can I get a KRK certificate in English directly
No. The register issues certificates in Polish only; the English version is a sworn translation.
How long is a criminal record certificate valid for a visa
The receiver decides. For the UK, the certificate from your latest country must be issued no earlier than 6 months before you apply; for a US immigrant visa, police certificates generally expire after 2 years. The KRK itself sets no validity period.
What if the certificate shows an entry
The translation will show it as it is. For a US visa you'll need the court documents; in the UK, the officer considers it under the Suitability rules. Spent convictions don't appear on the certificate, explained in zatarcie skazania: when a record disappears from the KRK.
A KRK certificate with an MSZ apostille costs 1000 PLN with state fees and power of attorney included; the English translation is quoted separately. You don't need to come to Poland. Order the certificate in English →