Certified translation from and into Polish – on paper or with an electronic signature
Paper with a sworn translator's seal, a QES-signed PDF or both – we collect offers from several translators for you.
Need a certified Polish translation for an office, court, bank or university, but only have a photo of the document? Send a photo or scan by e-mail, through the form or on WhatsApp. We will ask several sworn translators and send you a quote with a delivery date agreed for your document.
Not every sworn translator has a QES. Choose the form in your request – PDF with QES, paper or both – and we will send it to translators who can deliver it.
How to order a certified translation
- Take a clear photo or scan of the document.
- Send it through the online quote form, by e-mail or on WhatsApp, and choose the form: paper, PDF with QES, or both.
- Receive a quote and a delivery date.
- Get your translation – a QES-signed PDF or scan by e-mail, or the paper version at an InPost parcel locker in Poland (free) or by courier (at an extra charge). Details: shipping.
Certified, sworn, official translation – what does it mean?
In Poland, "certified translation", "sworn translation" and "official translation" usually mean the same thing: a translation whose accuracy is certified by a sworn translator (tłumacz przysięgły). The Polish Sworn Translator Profession Act of 25 November 2004 speaks of "certifying translations"; in everyday English you will see both "sworn" and "certified".
Polish translations are certified by a sworn translator entered on the list kept by the Polish Minister of Justice (see the Ministry of Justice list of sworn translators). Every certified translation is recorded in the translator's official register. We work with translators worldwide, especially across Europe.
What does a Polish sworn translation look like?
A certified translation contains, among other things:
- the translated text with a description of the original's elements (seals, signatures, watermarks),
- a note on whether it was translated from the original or from a copy, scan or another translation (Article 18(2) of the Act),
- the certification clause and the entry number from the translator's register,
- on paper: the sworn translator's seal and handwritten signature; in electronic form: a qualified electronic signature.
The translator staples and seals a multi-page paper translation so that it forms a single document.
The sworn translator's seal
A Polish sworn translator's seal is round. Under Article 18(1) of the Act, its rim shows the translator's name, and its centre shows the language they are qualified in and their entry number on the list of sworn translators. The seal is made by the Polish Mint on the order of the Minister of Justice.
How to tell that a translation is certified
On paper: the seal impression, a handwritten signature, the certification clause and the register number. A translation agency's stamp or an ordinary translator's signature does not make a translation certified.
Paper version with the translator's ink seal and signature
The paper version is a printed translation with the sworn translator's seal impression (the "wet stamp") and handwritten signature. We send it free of charge to an InPost parcel locker in Poland, or by courier at an extra charge – details on the shipping page.
When do you need the paper version?
- when the receiving institution (office, court, notary, university, foreign authority) requires a physical document,
- when you do not know which form the recipient expects – it is best to check with that institution.
Translation with a qualified electronic signature, or both forms
A sworn translator can also certify a translation electronically with a qualified electronic signature (Article 18(1a) of the Act). Only the signed file is then the original – a printout of it is not a certified translation. More and more institutions accept such files, but always check with yours. We explain the details, including how to verify the signature, in our guide sworn translation with a qualified electronic signature or on paper.
You can order both forms: a file for online procedures and paper for an institution that requires it. The translation price includes one form: either the paper version sent to an InPost parcel locker, or a scan or QES-signed PDF sent by e-mail. Courier delivery and a second form (for example paper plus scan, or paper plus a QES copy) are available at an extra charge – see shipping. Not every sworn translator has a qualified signature, so please state the form you need in your request.
QES translations are also accepted in some countries outside Poland – whether a file is enough is decided by the institution that receives the translation. More: which institutions and countries accept QES.
Frequently asked questions
Which documents need a certified translation?
- birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates,
- diplomas, school certificates, exam certificates,
- contracts, notarial deeds, powers of attorney, wills,
- court, registry and company documents,
- medical records, identity documents, customs documents.
Whether a certified translation is needed is decided by the institution you submit the document to – requirements vary by country and by case.
What is the difference between a regular and a certified translation?
Any translator can produce a regular translation, and it carries no certification. A certified translation is certified by a sworn translator with a seal and signature or with a qualified electronic signature – this is what offices and courts usually require.
When does a document have to be translated into Polish?
Polish is the official language in Poland (Article 4 of the Polish Language Act). If a foreign-language document is to have legal effect at a Polish office or court, the institution will usually ask for a sworn translation.
Do sworn translators also interpret?
Yes, the Act covers both written translation and interpreting.
Send a photo of your document.
We collect offers from translators for you.
Tell us which document needs translating, which form you need (PDF with QES, paper or both) and by when. We will ask several sworn translators.