Document translation for residence permit card in Poland: complete guide

To obtain a residence permit card in Poland, a certain set of documents is required. The exact list depends on the basis for obtaining the card (work, study, family reunification, etc.), but there is a standard set of documents that are needed almost always.

Most often, the following documents are needed for a residence permit card: passport or identity card, birth certificate, marriage certificate (if applicable), diploma or education certificate, employment contract or work certificate (if the card is based on work), income certificate, health insurance, certificate of no criminal record, documents confirming the basis for obtaining a residence permit card.

It is important to understand: if the document was issued in another language (not Polish), it needs to be translated. For official purposes (applying for a residence permit card), sworn translation is usually required.

This is one of the most important questions. The answer is simple: yes, for a residence permit card, sworn translation of documents is almost always needed.

Sworn translation is mandatory because: the voivodeship office must make sure that the documents are authentic and correctly translated, official bodies must understand your documents in Polish, many documents require confirmation of authenticity, which can only be in Polish, sworn translation has legal force and is accepted by all state bodies of Poland.

A regular translation will not work for applying for a residence permit card. The voivodeship office will not accept documents without the official seal of a sworn translator, as they do not have legal force.

It is important to remember: if you are not sure which translation is needed, it is better to do a sworn translation. It has legal force and will be accepted everywhere where an official document is required.

Let's figure out which documents need to be translated most often and what exactly is required for each type:

Passport or identity card — this is the main document needed for a residence permit card. If the passport was issued in another language, it needs to be translated by a sworn translator. Usually, only the page with personal data is translated.

Birth certificate — confirms your identity and date of birth. This is one of the most important documents for a residence permit card. The birth certificate must be translated by a sworn translator.

Marriage certificate — if you are married, you will need a marriage certificate. It must also be translated by a sworn translator.

Diploma or education certificate — if the residence permit card is issued on the basis of work, a diploma or education certificate may be required. These documents must be translated by a sworn translator.

Important: for some professions, diploma nostrification may be required, but for many cases, just a sworn translation is enough.

Employment contract or work certificate — if the residence permit card is issued on the basis of work, you will need an employment contract or work certificate. These documents must be translated by a sworn translator.

Income certificate — confirms your financial stability. If the certificate was issued in another language, it needs to be translated by a sworn translator.

Health insurance — confirms the presence of health insurance in Poland. If the insurance document was issued in another language, it needs to be translated by a sworn translator.

Medical certificate — in some cases, a medical certificate of health may be required. It must also be translated by a sworn translator.

Proper preparation of documents is the key to fast and successful application for a residence permit card. Here's what you need to do:

Make sure all documents are well visible: text is readable, seals and signatures are distinguishable, there are no darkening or glare. The translator must see all the details to make an accurate translation.

Provide all necessary documents at once. If you have a diploma, be sure to attach the diploma supplement. If you have a marriage certificate, attach all pages.

Clarify with the voivodeship office which documents are needed for your case. Different bases for obtaining a residence permit card may require different documents.

The deadlines for document translation for a residence permit card depend on the volume of text and urgency. Usually, standard documents (passport, birth certificate, diploma, employment contract) are translated within 24-48 hours.

For urgent cases, express translation within a few hours is possible, but the cost will be higher. If you need to translate several documents at once, it may take a bit more time.

The cost of translation depends on several factors: type of document (certificate costs less than diploma), volume of text (number of pages), urgency (express translation is more expensive), number of documents (when translating several documents, there may be a discount).

Usually, sworn translation of a passport costs from 50 to 100 zloty, birth certificate — from 80 to 150 zloty, diploma — from 100 to 300 zloty, employment contract — from 80 to 200 zloty. The exact cost depends on the specific document.

Many people make mistakes when preparing documents for a residence permit card, which delays the application process. Here are the most common:

The most common mistake is using a regular translation for official purposes. Remember: for applying for a residence permit card, sworn translation is needed. A regular translation does not have legal force and will not be accepted by the voivodeship office.

Often people forget to attach all necessary documents or their translations. This delays the process, as the voivodeship office will request missing documents.

Some documents (for example, certificate of no criminal record, medical certificate) have a validity period. If the document is expired, it needs to be renewed and translated again.

Documents must be properly prepared: have all necessary seals, signatures, meet the requirements of Polish authorities. Incorrectly prepared documents may be rejected by the voivodeship office.

To make the application process for a residence permit card go smoothly, follow these tips:

Start preparing documents in advance. Don't wait until the last moment — document translation can take time, especially if there are many documents.

Clarify with the voivodeship office which documents are needed for your case. Different bases for obtaining a residence permit card may require different documents.

Choose an experienced translator. The translator must have permission from the Ministry of Justice of Poland and experience working with documents for residence permit cards.

Check the translation after receiving. Make sure all data is translated correctly, there are no typos, all dates and names match the original.

Keep originals of documents and their translations in a safe place. You may need copies for other purposes in the future.

Besides the main residence permit package, you often need a certificate of no criminal record translation (/blog/perevod-spravki-o-nesudimosti) and documents for PESEL and meldunek (/blog/perevod-dokumentov-dlya-pesel-i-meldunku). At LEGIX we perform sworn translation of all these documents.