Sworn translator in Poland: when required and how much it costs

A sworn (certified) translation is needed where a provision requires a document in a foreign language to be submitted to an office together with a translation prepared by a person on the list of sworn translators kept by the Minister of Justice. This applies to most matters involving foreigners: residence and work permits, citizenship and civil-status registration. Below we explain where that requirement comes from, how to recognise a proper translation and how its price is set.

Who is a sworn translator

The profession is regulated by the Sworn Translator Act. A sworn translator may translate and certify translations from a foreign language into Polish and from Polish into a foreign one, verify and certify translations prepared by others, certify copies of documents in a foreign language, and provide oral interpretation (Article 13). The authorisation covers a specific language, and each translator has a personal number on the list kept by the Minister of Justice.

The translator bears professional responsibility for the fidelity of the rendering and must keep the content of documents confidential (Article 14(1)). Each act is entered into a repertoire, i.e. a register with the date of the order, a description of the document, the number of pages and the fee collected (Article 17).

When the law requires a sworn translation

Courts, notaries and some offices set similar requirements for the exchange of a driving licence or the registration of a vehicle brought from abroad. Private institutions, such as banks or employers, set their own rules, so before ordering a translation it is worth asking whether an ordinary translation is enough.

The requirement covers documents drawn up in a foreign language that are to serve as evidence in proceedings. The application form itself is filled in in Polish and does not need to be translated.

What a proper certified translation looks like

• Seal with the translator's first and last name around the rim and the language and list number in the middle (Article 18(1)).
• Repertoire number under which the translation has been entered (Article 18(2)).
• Certification clause stating whether the translation was made from the original, a copy or another translation.
• Translation of the whole document, including stamps, signatures and annotations, which the translator describes in words.
• Rendering of first and last names from non-Latin alphabets consistent with the travel document (Article 14(2)). It is worth showing the translator your passport, even where a different document is being translated.

A translation may also take an electronic form, certified with the translator's qualified electronic signature (Article 18(1a)). Such a file is useful where the application is filed electronically, but before ordering you need to check whether the given office will accept it.

How much a sworn translation costs

The fee for a translation for a private client or a firm is set by contract (Article 16(1) of the Act). The official rates under the Minister of Justice's regulation apply only to translations commissioned by courts, prosecutors, the police and administrative bodies. The market often refers to them, so they are worth knowing:

• a page of translation into Polish from English, German, French or Russian — PLN 44.07;
• a page of translation from Polish into those languages — PLN 57.65;
• non-European languages with a non-Latin alphabet — PLN 64.44 into Polish and PLN 94.37 from Polish;
• translation within 24 hours — rate higher by 100%.

The settlement page is 1,125 characters (25 lines of 45 characters). A short birth certificate usually fits on one page, while a diploma with a supplement may take several or more pages. For a large number of documents, it is worth asking for an upfront quote.

How to prepare documents — order of actions

1. Check with the office or on the list of required documents which attachments must be translated and whether an original is needed.
2. If a foreign document requires an apostille or legalisation, obtain it before translation. Then the translator will also render the apostille.
3. Find a translator in the search engine on the list of sworn translators of the Ministry of Justice, checking the language and direction of translation.
4. Provide the translator with legible scans together with the passport for the rendering of names, and agree whether the translation will be made from the original or from a copy.
5. Order the right number of copies, because some offices keep the translation in their files.

Polish documents for use abroad

It also works the other way round. A Polish sworn translator may translate into a foreign language, for example, a copy of a civil-registry certificate, a certificate of no criminal record or a diploma. Whether such a translation is accepted is, however, decided by the foreign institution. Some countries require a translator entered on their own list or an additional authentication of the translator's signature. Before placing an order it is worth asking the office in the destination country. This way you will not pay twice for the same document.

Most common mistakes

• An ordinary translation or a translation by a foreign translator where the office requires a translator from the Polish list.
• A translation without an apostille, which then has to be supplemented.
• A different spelling of a surname in the translation than in the passport, which triggers requests for clarification.
• Skipping reverse sides, stamps and annotations.

How Good Balance can help

We prepare a list of documents for a specific case, point out which of them require a sworn translation and in what order to collect them, and then file the complete application. We assist foreigners, among others, in matters of residence with a Polish citizen and in obtaining a permanent residence permit.