1. When is sworn translation required for inheritance?
Translation is required when you submit a document not issued in Polish in a Polish inheritance matter — regardless of whether the notary or judge understands the original language.
Translation is required for:
- Certificate of inheritance at a notary: the notary verifies family ties, the will and estate composition — all foreign acts require sworn translation.
- Court inheritance proceedings: in disputes between heirs, absence of a will or property in several countries the court handles the case — translations are attached to the application.
- Foreign death certificate: if the deceased died outside Poland, the act from another country is translated in full, including all annotations.
- Will in a foreign language: both holographic and notarial — the court and notary will not accept without sworn translation.
- Foreign court decisions: Grant of Probate (UK), Erbschein (Germany), decisions on accepting inheritance — translation is needed for the Polish case.
- European Certificate of Succession: an EU form, but in a language other than Polish usually requires sworn translation.
Important!
2. Which documents are translated for inheritance
Before ordering translation, use the table below — it shows which documents most often appear in an inheritance package and when translation is mandatory. Save it — when preparing a notary submission, checking line by line is safer than relying on memory.
The exact set depends on the situation — request a list from the notary before ordering. The table below shows a typical list and when translation is mandatory.
| Death certificate (foreign) | always, unless there is a Polish act or EU multilingual form. Translated in full, including apostille and all annotations. |
|---|---|
| Heirs' birth certificates | to confirm family ties. Names must match the passport and other acts. |
| Marriage / divorce certificates | if they affect the circle of heirs. |
| Will in a foreign language | holographic and notarial. Illegible handwriting may increase the price. |
| Foreign court decisions | confirmation of accepting inheritance, property division, invalidation of a will. |
| Power of attorney | if the heir acts through a representative in Poland. |
| Property documents | registry extracts, sale agreements — if the notary or court requested them to assess the estate. |
| European Certificate of Succession | yes — even as an EU standard form in a language other than Polish requires sworn translation. |
3. Notary or court: where to submit the translation
In Poland inheritance can be handled two ways — the choice depends on the will, heirs' agreement and nature of the property.
- Notary (poświadczenie dziedziczenia): voluntary procedure when heirs agree and there are no disputes. You submit the translation with a copy of the original. The notary adds documents to the file.
- Court (postępowanie spadkowe): mandatory in disputes, heir refusal or property requiring court confirmation. Translations are attached to the application or submitted on request.
Note
4. Translation requirements for inheritance documents
The notary and court require sworn translation into Polish with a seal from a Ministry of Justice register translator.
- Full translation: all pages of the original, including stamps, seals, signatures and apostille — no summaries.
- Order: apostille (or legalisation) in the issuing country first, then sworn translation. Translating before apostille means the clause will not be included.
- Acts from EU countries: some civil status acts may be submitted in multilingual form without translation — confirm with the notary.
- Data accuracy: names, dates, places and document numbers must match across all acts and the passport.
Note
5. Common mistakes when translating inheritance documents
- Mistake 1: Submitting regular translation without a sworn translator seal. The notary and court will not accept it.
- Mistake 2: Forgetting apostille on foreign acts.
- Mistake 3: Translating the document before affixing apostille.
- Mistake 4: Using a translation with a notary seal from a CIS country. Polish inheritance matters require sworn translation by a Polish translator.
- Mistake 5: Not translating all documents on the list — confirm the list in advance.
6. Step-by-step guide
Ask the notary or lawyer for a written document list for your situation.
Obtain originals or certified copies in the issuing country. For a death certificate from an EU country check the multilingual form.
Affix apostille (or legalisation) if the notary or court requires it — before ordering translation.
Make quality scans of all pages.
Send scans to a translation agency — after review they confirm cost and turnaround. At LEGIX we match a translator from the Ministry of Justice register for the correct language pair.
Receive the finished sworn translation with seal.
Before submission verify all data in translations against originals and passport.
7. Cost and turnaround for inheritance translation
Cost depends on document volume, source language and text complexity. Exact pricing is confirmed after reviewing scans — indicative rates on the price list.
A typical death or birth certificate from Ukraine is usually 1–2 translation pages.
Standard turnaround: 24–48 hours. A set of 5–10 documents may take up to one or two weeks.
Pre-submission checklist