Official documents issued abroad (such as civil status certificates, certificates documenting education obtained, notarial deeds), may require additional authentication in the country where they were issued in order to be used and honoured in Poland. Most often, legalisation or an apostille is required. With regard to foreign documents, these must be obtained in the country where the document was issued.
Legalisation
Legalisation is the certification of the official character of a document by the authority of the country in which the document was issued. Legalisation of Polish documents is carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It takes the form of a special sticker. With regard to some documents (e.g., civil status certificates), once the procedure is completed at the Ministry, additional authentication of the document is required at a Polish diplomatic office in the country where the document is to be used. Only then is the legalisation process complete.
More information about Authentication of foreign official documents
Documents issued in countries that are parties to the Hague Convention of 05/10/1961 abolishing the requirement for legalisation of foreign public documents do not require legalisation. Documents originating from countries that are parties to this Convention require only an apostille clause.
You can check the list of States Parties to the Convention on the website of the Hague Conference on Private International Law, at: List of States Parties to the Hague Convention.
Apostille clause
This is a certification of the official character of a document, which must be obtained from the competent office in the country where the document was issued. In Poland, the apostille clause is granted, as a rule, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but the law indicates the types of documents for which other authorities are competent. For documents issued by higher education institutions, the competent authority is the Director of the National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA), and for art schools – the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. For school documents, the competent authorities are the Minister of National Education or the school director with jurisdiction over the school, or the director of the district examination board (depending on the type of document).
The apostille clause takes the form of a printed sticker. For some documents, additional authentication in Poland is required before obtaining an apostille (e.g., court and notarial documents – at the competent district court).
In countries that are parties to the Hague Convention of 05/10/1961 abolishing the requirement of legalisation of foreign public documents, obtaining an apostille clause is sufficient to authenticate the document (no additional authentication at a diplomatic office is needed). The procedures described above apply to Poland and Polish documents. Foreign documents must be authenticated in foreign offices.
Documents issued in European Union countries to be presented in Poland do not require legalisation or an apostille clause. Before arriving in Poland, it is worth checking the procedure for authentication of documents that we intend to use in Poland and obtain certification from the competent authorities in the country where they were issued. Similarly, when planning to leave Poland (e.g., after graduation), you should check the procedures that will allow you to use the diploma or certificate you have obtained in your destination country.
Legal basis:
Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, drawn up at The Hague on October 5, 1961 (Journal of Laws of 2005 No. 112, item 938)
Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 2016 on promoting the free movement of citizens by simplifying the requirements for the submission of certain public documents in the European Union and amending Regulation (EU) No. 1024/2012 (Official Journal of the EU “L” No. 200 of 26.7.2016, p. 1).
Act of July 7, 2017 on the National Academic Exchange Agency (Journal of Laws 2023, 843).
Law of July 20, 2018. – Law on higher education and science (Journal of Laws of 2024, item 1571).
Law of March 22, 1989 on crafts (Journal of Laws of 2020, item 2159).
Act of May 30, 1989 on Chambers of Commerce (Journal of Laws of 2019, item 579).
Ordinance of the Minister of Education and Science of June 7, 2023 on certificates, state diplomas and other printed matter ( Journal of Laws 2023 item 1120).
Ordinance of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of April 16, 2020 on certificates, state diplomas and other prints of public art schools and institutions (Journal of Laws 2020 item 813, 2022 item 900, 1217).
Ordinance of the Minister of Justice of January 28, 2002 on the detailed activities of courts in cases of international civil and criminal proceedings in international relations (Journal of Laws of 2014, item 1657, with OJ 2019, item 2398, with 2022, item 1342).
Regulation of the Minister of National Education of January 10, 2017 on journeyman examination, master’s examination and verification examination conducted by examination commissions of chambers of craftsmen (Journal of Laws of 2017 item 89, 1607. Of 2019 item 2468, of 2024 item 600)
Information current as of: .
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