01 / 08
Transcribing a birth certificate
Usually for a child of a Polish citizen born abroad. A Polish birth record is needed to give the child a PESEL and a Polish passport.
USC · transcription · certificates · apostille
Civil status records
Transcription of foreign birth, marriage and death certificates, and copies from the Polish civil registry
A foreign birth, marriage or death certificate is entered into the Polish register by transcription (transkrypcja): you can file with any civil registry office (USC) in Poland you choose or through a Polish consul, and the full copy issued after transcription costs 50 PLN. For a Polish citizen who already has Polish records, transcription is mandatory before getting an ID card, a passport, a PESEL or marrying in Poland. We prepare the application and the sworn translation, file at the USC and collect the copies, with an MSZ apostille if needed.
Copy after transcription
50 PLN
full copy issued after transcriptionUSC copy
22 / 33 PLN
abridged / fullWhere to file
Any USC
or through a Polish consul abroadTranslation
Sworn
translator from Poland, the EU/EEA, or a consul (Art. 31)Cases we handle
The Civil Status Records Act lets you file most applications at the office of your choice, so we handle cases for people outside Warsaw in Warsaw too.
02 / 08
Transcribing a marriage certificate
A marriage concluded abroad is entered into the Polish register. If the foreign record has no statements by the spouses about their surnames, they can make them in the transcription application (Art. 106).
03 / 08
Transcribing a death certificate
Needed among other things for inheritance cases in Poland. A person with a factual interest in transcribing a death record can also apply.
04 / 08
When transcription is mandatory
When a Polish citizen covered by the foreign record already has records made in Poland and wants a USC procedure, a Polish identity document or a PESEL (Art. 104(5)). A foreigner applies when they need a Polish copy.
05 / 08
Copies from a Polish USC
Abridged copy 22 PLN, full copy 33 PLN. You apply to the USC head of your choice. A copy is issued to the person concerned, their spouse, direct relatives, siblings or someone with a legal interest (Art. 45).
06 / 08
Reconstructing a record
If a copy of the foreign record cannot be obtained or only with serious difficulty, the USC head reconstructs its content from other documents (Art. 109). No court is needed.
07 / 08
Correcting or completing a record
An error in a date, surname or place of birth is corrected by the USC head on application. A court establishes the content of a record only where the USC cannot decide itself.
08 / 08
Apostille on Polish copies
For use abroad the MSZ places an apostille on a Polish copy. Within the EU, civil status records are exempt from the apostille (Regulation 2016/1191), so we first check whether one is needed at all.
How transcription works
The timing depends on the office and on a complete file. Delays usually come from the translation or doubts about the foreign document.
- 01
Consultation
30 minWe establish whether transcription is mandatory, who can apply and whether the foreign document qualifies.
- 02
Sworn translation
2-5 daysA document in a foreign language is filed with a sworn Polish translation (Art. 31). We order it from a translator on the Ministry of Justice list.
- 03
Application to the USC
1 dayWe file the transcription application at the USC of your choice, with surname statements where needed.
- 04
Transcription
per the officeThe USC head transfers the content into the register faithfully and literally, without changing the spelling of names. At a Polish citizen's request the spelling is adapted to Polish rules.
- 05
Full copy
1 dayAfter transcription the USC issues a full copy for 50 PLN. Further copies: abridged 22 PLN, full 33 PLN.
- 06
Apostille (if needed)
1-3 working daysApostille at the MSZ on the Polish copy for use outside the EU.
/ documents
What we need from you
The list depends on the type of record and the issuing country.
- Foreign birth, marriage or death certificate - original01
- Sworn Polish translation - we order it02
- Applicant's ID03
- PESEL number, if assigned04
- For a marriage: the spouses' surname statements, if the record lacks them05
- Power of attorney if we file for you (17 PLN stamp duty)06
- Application - we prepare it07
Pricing
USC fees and the sworn translation are paid separately.
Consultation
300 PLN
Document review and written plan · credited towards the servicePopularTranscription or USC copy
Individual quote
Depends on the record and issuing country · given after the consultationMSZ apostille on a Polish copy
500 PLN
You courier the original to our Warsaw officeSworn translation
on request
Price and timing given once we see the scan* Official fees: full copy after transcription 50 PLN, abridged copy 22 PLN, full copy 33 PLN, power of attorney 17 PLN.
Legal basis
- §01Act of 28 November 2014 - Civil Status Records Law (Prawo o aktach stanu cywilnego)
- §02MSWiA Regulation on the templates of USC odpisy
- §03Hague Apostille Convention of 5 October 1961
- §04Stamp Duty Act of 16 November 2006
- §05Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 (multi-lingual forms, no apostille within the EU)
/ questions
Frequently asked
With any civil registry office head in Poland you choose, regardless of where you live (Art. 104(4)). If you live abroad, you can file with a Polish consul, who forwards it to the USC of your choice (Art. 104(4a)). We can also file it in Warsaw under a power of attorney.
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Everything a foreigner needs in PolandGet in touch
Transcription and USC copies without travelling
Tell us which record you have, from which country, and what you need the Polish copy for. We will say whether transcription is mandatory and which documents to prepare.
- +48 506 55 07 21
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
- Mon-Fri · 8:30 - 19:00
- ul. Świętokrzyska 30/63, 00-116 Warszawa
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