Public documents

Poland

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Poland

Article 24(1)(a) - languages accepted by the Member State for the public documents to be presented to its authorities pursuant to point (a) of Article 6(1)

Polish

Article 24(1)(b) – an indicative list of public documents falling within the scope of this Regulation

1) short-form birth certificate;

2) long-form birth certificate;

3) court ruling establishing the content of a Registry Office record;

4) notarised life certificate;

5) short-form death certificate;

6) long-form death certificate;

7) court ruling on the presumption of death;

8) court ruling repealing the decision on the presumption of death;

9) court ruling on the declaration of death;

10) court ruling repealing the decision on the declaration of death;

11) decision of the head of the Registry Office on the change of name and surname;

12) short-form marriage certificate;

13) long-form marriage certificate;

14) certificate of civil status;

15) certificate of no impediment to marriage under Polish law;

16) court ruling permitting a woman under the age of eighteen to enter into marriage;

17) court ruling permitting a mentally ill person or a person with a learning disability or linear relatives by affinity to enter into marriage;

18) court ruling establishing the existence of a marriage;

19) court ruling establishing the non-existence of a marriage;

20) court ruling on divorce;

21) court ruling on legal separation;

22) court ruling on termination of legal separation;

23) court ruling on the annulment of a marriage;

24) court ruling on adoption;

25) court ruling on termination of adoption;

26) court ruling on the establishment of paternity;

27) court ruling on the establishment of maternity;

28) court ruling on the rebuttal of paternity;

29) court ruling on the rebuttal of maternity;

30) court ruling on an ineffective acknowledgement of a child;

31) court ruling on the annulment of acknowledgement of a child;

32) certificate of registration for permanent residence;

33) certificate of registration for temporary residence;

34) certificate of stay at a specific place;

35) decision on recognition as a Polish citizen;

36) decision on reinstatement of Polish citizenship;

37) decision confirming Polish citizenship;

38) decision on recognition as a repatriate;

39) certificate of no criminal record in the National Criminal Register issued at the request of the interested party;

40) certificate issued by the municipal authorities to Polish citizens residing in other Member States who express a wish to vote or to stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament or municipal elections in the Member State of residence in accordance with the relevant provisions of Council Directive 93/109/EC of 6 December 1993 laying down detailed arrangements for the exercise of the right to vote and stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament for citizens of the Union residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals (OJ L 329, 30.12.1993, p. 34-38) and Council Directive 94/80/EC of 19 December 1994 laying down detailed arrangements for the exercise of the right to vote and to stand as a candidate in municipal elections by citizens of the Union residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals (OJ L 368, 31.12.1994, p. 38).

Article 24(1)(c) – the list of public documents to which multilingual standard forms may be attached as a suitable translation aid

1) short-form birth certificate;

2) short-form marriage certificate;

3) short-form death certificate;

4) certificate of civil status;

5) certificate of no impediment to marriage under Polish law;

6) certificate of registration for permanent residence;

7) certificate of registration for temporary residence;

8) certificate of stay at a specific place;

9) notarised life certificate;

10) certificate of no criminal record in the National Criminal Register issued at the request of the interested party.

Article 24(1)(d) – the lists of persons qualified, in accordance with national law, to carry out certified translations, where such lists exist

In Poland, the persons qualified to draw up certified translations are sworn translators entered in the list of sworn translators of the Ministry of Justice. The list is available in the Public Information Bulletin (Biuletyn Informacji Publicznej): https://bip.ms.gov.pl/pl/rejestry-i-ewidencje/tlumacze-przysiegli/lista-tlumaczy-przysieglych/search.html).

This follows from the provisions of the Act of 25 November 2004 on the profession of sworn translator (Journal of Laws (Dziennik Ustaw) 2017, item 1505).

Article 24(1)(e) – an indicative list of types of authorities empowered by national law to make certified copies

In Poland, notaries are the authorities empowered to certify the conformity of official copies, extracts and unofficial copies with the documents presented to them. This follows from the Notaries Act of 14 February 1991 (Journal of Laws 2017, item 2291; 2018, items 398, 723 and 1496).

Article 24(1)(f) – information relating to the means by which certified translations and certified copies can be identified

a) features of certified translations: The document which contains the translation bears an imprint of the sworn translator’s seal with the translator’s name and surname in the rim, and an indication of the language from and into which the translator is authorised to translate, as well as the translator’s number in the list of sworn translators. All certified translations also bear the number under which they are recorded in the sworn translator’s register (repertorium). In addition, a sworn translator also specifies whether a given certified translation has been done from an original document, a translation or a copy and whether such translation or copy has been certified and by whom.

b) features of certified true copies — notarial certification of conformity of a copy with a document presented to the notary takes the form of a clause affixed to the document in the form of a stamp or printed inscription, or provided on a separate sheet. If the certification clause is attached as a separate sheet, such sheet must be permanently attached to the document: it must be attached to the back of the document rather than precede it, and the place where the sheets are joined must bear an imprint of the notary’s official seal. The clause may also be placed on the same sheet as the copy of the document being certified, provided that it is clear that the content of the clause is separate from the content of the document. If the document to be certified has special features (e.g. notes, corrections, damage), the notary makes an appropriate note in the certification clause. Each certification clause should specify the date on which and the place in which the certification was performed, the indication of the notary’s office, it should bear the notary’s seal and signature, and it should also specify the time of the notarial deed if requested.

Article 24(1)(g) – information about the specific features of certified copies

Features of certified true copies — notarial certification of conformity of a copy with a document presented to the notary takes the form of a clause affixed to the document in the form of a stamp or printed inscription, or provided on a separate sheet. If the certification clause is attached as a separate sheet, such sheet must be permanently attached to the document: it must be attached to the back of the document rather than precede it, and the place where the sheets are joined must bear an imprint of the notary’s official seal. The clause may also be placed on the same sheet as the copy of the document being certified, provided that it is clear that the content of the clause is separate from the content of the document. If the document to be certified has special features (e.g. notes, corrections, damage), the notary makes an appropriate note in the certification clause. Each certification clause should specify the date on which and the place in which the certification was performed and should indicate the notary’s office; it should bear the notary’s seal and signature, and it should also specify the time of the notarial deed if requested.

Last update: 18/12/2023

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