1. Lesser Poland Voivodeship Office in Kraków: translations for a residence card
The Lesser Poland Voivodeship Office at ul. Basztowa 15 in Kraków handles applications for residence cards for foreigners in the Lesser Poland voivodeship. Any document not in Polish requires sworn translation.
- A typical package: a criminal record certificate, a birth certificate, an employment contract, and ZUS insurance confirmation. Each document requires a separate translation sealed on every page.
- For a long-term resident card, an extended package is requested: the legal basis for residence over recent years, health insurance documents, and a Polish language certificate. All pages are translated in full.
- Appointments are booked via the office helpline or ePUAP. Order translations in advance: missing translation can suspend an application for weeks.
- Clients from Kazimierz, Podgórze, and Nowa Huta file at the same voivodeship office — requirements don't depend on which district of Kraków you live in.
- Check the translator's number in the Ministry of Justice register: a seal, signature, and language pair (Ukrainian–Polish, Russian–Polish) are required on every page. A mismatch in name spelling is a common cause of a correction request.
- Additional documents requested after the first visit are also translated under oath — as a supplement to the case, not a correction of the earlier translation.
Important!
2. Documents most often translated in Kraków
Kraków, and Kazimierz in particular, is home to a large Ukrainian community — the most common language pairs are Ukrainian→Polish and Russian→Polish.
| Documents and procedures | Kraków, and Kazimierz in particular, is home to a large Ukrainian community — the most common language pairs are Ukrainian→Polish and Russian→Polish. Civil status records for the USC offices in Kraków-Krowodrza, Kraków-Śródmieście, and Kraków-Podgórze: birth, marriage, and divorce certificates. Translation includes the record number, registering authority, and name-change annotations. Documents for work in Kraków's tourism sector, IT companies, and industry: employment contracts, employment certificates, certificates. Employers require sworn translation. |
|---|---|
| Education and work | Medical documents: work certificates, disability rulings — for the labour office and sanitary inspectorate of Kraków. Vehicle documents for the Kraków municipal transport department: purchase agreements, foreign registration certificates. Powers of attorney: when a representative files the application, the power of attorney must also be translated — without it, the office returns the whole package. |
| Deadlines and delivery | Families in Kazimierz and Krowodrza commonly translate a set: a child's birth certificate + a parent's passport + a lease for registration. |
3. Jagiellonian University, AGH and work: translation for study and employment
Jagiellonian University (UJ) is Poland's oldest university, while AGH trains engineers and specialists in mining and IT. Both require sworn translation of diplomas and grade transcripts for admission and diploma recognition.
- NAWA and university faculties request an apostille on the original educational document from the country of origin — apostille on the original, sworn translation separately.
- International students at UJ submit translations to the Foreign Students Office; at AGH, to the faculty dean's office. Admission deadlines are strict.
- IT companies and the tourism sector in Kraków hire specialists with diplomas and certificates — employers require sworn translation before signing a contract.
- The Kraków Labour Office and ZUS accept translated employment certificates for calculating pension seniority. Every page with dates is translated in full.
- For regulated professions (nurse, architect), besides the diploma, the decision on registration in the professional register of the country of origin is also translated.
- Working on a B2B contract in Kraków — the tax office and residence card both require sworn translation of the contract into Polish, even if the original is in English.
4. Online order and delivery in Kraków: Kazimierz, InPost and courier
LEGIX accepts orders online: PDF/JPG scans from 300 dpi through the website form or Telegram. After the quote, the sworn translator starts work — standard turnaround is 24–48 hours.
Courier delivery covers Kraków: Kazimierz, Krowodrza, Podgórze, Nowa Huta, Bronowice, Śródmieście. The courier delivers the original sealed translation.
InPost parcel lockers: many points across the agglomeration — convenient for UJ students or those working in Kazimierz. You choose the locker when ordering.
Step by step: (1) a document list from the office; (2) scans of every page; (3) language pair and purpose; (4) a quote; (5) pickup by courier or InPost; (6) checking data before the office appointment.
Same-day express is available for short documents if scans arrive before noon. Same-day express courier delivery in Kraków is available by arrangement.
You don't need to find a translator with the right language pair locally — the Ministry of Justice register is nationwide, and LEGIX assigns the right accreditation.
Before visiting the voivodeship office, arrange your originals and translations according to the application checklist.
5. Cost and timelines for sworn translation in Kraków
The price doesn't depend on the city — Kraków, Wrocław, and Poznań have the same rates at LEGIX. From 161 PLN for a one-page document. Price list: /cennik.
A birth certificate is 1 page. A diploma with a supplement is 3–15 pages. A criminal record certificate is 1–2 pages. We confirm the exact amount after reviewing the scan.
When ordering several documents at once, a discount often applies — ask when requesting a quote.
Standard: 24–48 hours plus courier delivery the next day, or 1–2 days via InPost.
Checklist before the voivodeship office: (1) translator listed in the MS register; (2) all pages translated; (3) names match the passport; (4) certificates are valid; (5) apostille if required.
Pre-submission checklist