01 / 08
US birth certificate for USC
Long-form with seal. USC always wants it sworn-translated for umiejscowienie. The short certified copy without a seal will get bounced before the clerk reads the names.
MoJ-certified · ~15 in-house translators
Sworn translations in Warsaw
MoJ-certified translators for USC, courts, KRS, banks
A tłumacz przysięgły is not the same animal as a US notarised translator. They sit a state exam, swear an oath before the Minister of Justice, and are listed in the public register at arch-bip.ms.gov.pl. Their stamp is the only translation a Polish urząd, USC, sąd, or KRS will actually accept on a foreign document. We work with a stable of around 15 sworn translators across the main EU languages and most of the rarer ones. Send a scan, we quote within the hour, and the standard turnaround is 1 to 3 working days.
Turnaround
1-3 days
rush 24 h adds 50-100%Polish page
1,125 chars
with spaces, post-translationEnglish page
50-80 PLN
German 60-100, rare 80-150Accepted by
USC · sądy · KRS
banks, ZUS, US, urzędyWhen you need a sworn translation
These are the cases foreigners in Warsaw hit most often. Public register of every sworn translator lives at arch-bip.ms.gov.pl.
02 / 08
UK FCDO-apostilled docs
If the original is already in English with a UK apostille, some urzędy dzielnicy in Warsaw accept it as-is. Others demand a sworn translation regardless. Ochota tends to ask, Wola usually doesn't. We check before you file.
03 / 08
Court hearings
A sworn translator can also work live in court as tłumacz na rozprawie. Same registry, same oath. We book the same person for the document and the hearing so terminology stays consistent.
04 / 08
Driving licence exchange
Both sides of the foreign licence have to be sworn-translated for wymiana prawa jazdy. US, UK, Israeli, Ukrainian licences all need it. 60 to 100 PLN total in most cases.
05 / 08
Diplomas for nostryfikacja
University degrees and transcripts of records bound for a Polish university or NAWA recognition. Apostille goes on the original; the sworn translation is bound to that apostilled original.
06 / 08
KRS and corporate filings
Foreign articles of association, board resolutions, parent-company KRS-equivalent extracts. For a Sp. z o.o. registration with a non-Polish founder the notariusz won't accept anything else.
07 / 08
KRK criminal record checks
FBI Identity History Summary, UK ACRO, Bundeszentralregister, MVD certificates. For karta pobytu, citizenship, professional licences. KRK validity is 6 months, so translate fresh.
08 / 08
Medical and insurance documents
Vaccination records for school enrolment, GP histories for NFZ, accident reports for insurance claims. Sworn version is what NFZ and insurers archive.
How a sworn translation actually moves
Quote in the hour, finished stamped translation in 1 to 3 working days. Rush is doable but it costs.
- 01
Send a scan
5 minEmail the scan or PDF. 300 dpi minimum. If a stamp is unreadable the translator has to mark it nieczytelne, which weakens the document at the urząd.
- 02
Hourly quote
1 hourWe count the page output, not the input. A one-page US birth certificate often comes out as 1.5 Polish pages because of how the seal text expands. You get a fixed number, not a range.
- 03
Translator assignment
same dayWe match by language and document type. Spanish, Italian, Portuguese have fewer sworn translators in Warsaw, so plan ahead by a day or two. For English, German, Ukrainian, Russian we usually start the same day.
- 04
Translation and certification
1-3 daysTranslator does the work, signs with their personal stamp, adds the certification formula, and registers the job in their repertorium. Every page is numbered and the translator's MoJ number is on each one.
- 05
Delivery
same dayPaper copy bound to a printed scan of the original for office or courier pickup. Or a digitally signed PDF with a qualified electronic signature, valid the same way on paper. mObywatel-native digital sworn translations are slated for 2026 but no urząd accepts them yet.
- 06
Apostille on the pair (optional)
3-5 daysIf you need the translation valid abroad, MSZ apostilles the sworn translation itself. We file at Krucza 38 and pick up. The apostille on the foreign original is a separate step done in that country before we translate.
/ documents
What we need from you
Enough to quote and start. Originals come into play only if a clerk wants to compare.
- High-resolution scan or photo, 300 dpi or better, every page01
- All stamps, apostille foils, seals, and signatures clearly readable02
- Your name as it appears on your passport, in Latin script03
- Spelling for any other proper nouns (place names, employer names)04
- Target use: USC, sąd, KRS, ZUS, bank, university — affects the certification wording05
- Apostille on the original (if your downstream filing requires one)06
- Standard or rush — rush is +50 to +100% depending on language and length07
- Delivery preference: paper to our office, courier, or QES-signed PDF08
Pricing
Polish standard page = 1,125 characters with spaces, counted on the translated text. Not the same as a US or UK "page".
English ↔ Polish
50-80 PLN
per 1,125-char pagePopularGerman ↔ Polish
60-100 PLN
per 1,125-char pageArabic, Chinese, Vietnamese
80-150 PLN
fewer translators, higher rateRush 24 h
+50-100%
depends on language and length* Final price depends on character count of the translation, language pair, and how fast you need it. Minimum charge is one page. Repeat clients and corporate accounts get a flat per-page rate negotiated up front. We don't bill for the quote itself.
Legal basis
- §01Ustawa z 25 listopada 2004 r. o zawodzie tłumacza przysięgłego (the Sworn Translator Act)
- §02Rozporządzenie MS w sprawie wynagrodzenia za czynności tłumacza przysięgłego (state-set rates)
- §03Public register of sworn translators: arch-bip.ms.gov.pl/pl/rejestry-i-ewidencje/tlumacze-przysiegli
- §04Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 (drops the legalisation requirement for some EU public documents)
- §05Kodeks postępowania administracyjnego, art. 5 (Polish-language requirement before urzędy)
/ questions
Frequently asked
Because a US notary is not a sworn translator under Polish law. The notary in the States only confirms the translator signed in front of them — they don't verify the translation itself. Polish urzędy, USC, and sądy only accept work from a translator on the MoJ register, stamped and entered in their repertorium. Doesn't matter how good the US translation is. We redo it from scratch.
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Everything a foreigner needs in Poland/ Send request
Sworn translation, stamped and accepted
Send a scan. We quote within the hour, hand it to one of about 15 MoJ-registered translators we work with, and deliver paper or QES-signed PDF in 1 to 3 working days.