Sworn Polish translation in Kyiv
A sworn translation is rarely ordered in advance: the client is already inside a procedure - applying for a karta pobytu, entering a Polish university, registering length of service with ZUS, or assembling a citizenship file. The procedure determines which set of documents is required and whether an apostille joins them.
So we start by asking what the papers are for. Then we take scans, or the originals at the office at 3-B Sofiivska St, route them to a sworn translator (tłumacz przysięgły) from the register of the Polish Ministry of Justice, and return the finished set by courier or Nova Poshta. From UAH 350 per page, usually 2-5 business days.
- The first question is which Polish procedure the file is for, not how many pages it runs to
- A translator from the Polish Ministry of Justice register, with a personal seal carrying a register number
- No separate notary is needed - in Poland the sworn seal is itself the certification
- For Poland an apostille is usually not required: a bilateral legal-assistance treaty applies
- If the exception applies, Justice, Education and Internal Affairs are all in Kyiv, and we file
The Kyiv office at 3-B Sofiivska St has one practical advantage: every authority that issues apostilles sits in this same city. So the rare case where a Polish institution does demand an apostille on the original never turns into a trip: we file the document for you and hand it straight to the sworn translator.
One seal instead of two procedures
A sworn translation (tłumaczenie przysięgłe) is produced by a translator entered in the register of the Polish Ministry of Justice. They sign the text and apply a personal seal carrying their register number, taking personal responsibility for its accuracy. In the Polish legal system that is a self-sufficient document, so no notary is added on top - and you do not pay twice.
A Ukrainian notarised translation works differently: a qualified translator does the work and a notary certifies only that the signature is genuine. The notary does not check the content, which is precisely why Polish institutions largely do not accept that format in their procedures.
The practical rule is short: if the document goes to a Polish institution, you need a sworn translation. If it stays in Ukraine, or goes to a country with no such institution, a notarised one is enough. The final word always belongs to whoever receives the papers.
| Procedure | Usually required | What we prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Karta pobytu, legalising residence | Sworn translation of personal documents | Certificates, statements, employment and residence papers |
| Recognition and university admission | Sworn translation of the diploma together with its transcript | Diploma, transcript, school certificate, academic record |
| ZUS, employment | Sworn translation of employment and pension papers | Employment record book, length-of-service and income statements |
| Citizenship, court, inheritance | Sworn translation, sometimes with an apostille on the original | Court judgments, powers of attorney, notarial deeds, ancestry papers |
Which procedure the file is for
In Kyiv four scenarios cover most of what reaches us. Karta pobytu and residence legalisation: a set of personal documents, in which a police-clearance certificate almost always features. Recognition and admission: diploma, transcript, school certificate - and this is where an incomplete set costs the most.
The third is ZUS and employment: the employment record book, length-of-service and income statements, pension-period papers. The fourth covers procedures where legal status rather than work history is at stake: citizenship, court cases, inheritance, proof of Polish ancestry.
Why we ask: the required set differs for each, and institutions send a file back not because a translation was poor but because a document was missing from it. So before quoting we ask about the procedure, not only about the page count.
An apostille for Poland: the rule and the exception
The rule: most documents for Poland get by without an apostille. The basis is the legal-assistance treaty in force between the two countries: it lets a Polish institution take a Ukrainian certificate or statement with a sworn translation and ask for no further legalisation. That sets Poland apart from countries where an apostille is always mandatory.
The exception: some institutions ask for one anyway - most often during diploma recognition and in certain administrative procedures. We do not promise that "no apostille is needed", because the body that gets to decide is the institution you file with, not a translation bureau.
When the exception does apply, a Kyiv resident has the shortest route in the country: Justice (civil-registry, notarial and court documents), Education (educational ones) and Internal Affairs (the police-clearance certificate) are all here. Their turnarounds differ: Justice up to 3 business days, Education 5 business days and up to 20 if verification is needed, Internal Affairs an extract in up to 10 business days plus the apostille itself. We handle the filing.
Diploma with transcript: the most common mistake
A diploma and its transcript are two separate documents, not one document with an insert. The mistake is expensive in both directions: in translation, because each is counted, and in the apostille, because the state fee doubles as well. A Polish university looks precisely at the transcript: it holds the list of subjects, hours and grades from which programme equivalence is judged.
So we run the diploma and its transcript as a single set: the same spelling of the name, the same rendering of the institution, consistent subject titles. Translated separately and at different times, a divergence in the transliteration of a surname or a university name becomes grounds to return the file.
Such a set is quoted individually by volume: transcripts run anywhere from one page to six.
How the work runs, and how long
You send scans or bring the originals to 3-B Sofiivska St. We check the set against your procedure, reconcile the spelling of names with your passport, and hand the documents to an accredited sworn translator. It usually comes to 2-5 business days; when a deadline is tight, we agree on speeding it up in advance rather than after the fact.
Some Polish institutions accept an electronic sworn translation with a qualified signature. If yours does, that saves several days of posting a paper copy - worth confirming with them in advance.
The finished set is collected at the office, delivered by courier across Kyiv, or sent by Nova Poshta across Ukraine. When an apostille is part of the job, we run both steps as one order so that dates and names do not drift apart between documents.
How we work
- 1Procedure and scansYou tell us what the papers are for and send the scans. We check the set is complete and come back with a price and a date.
- 2Handover to a sworn translatorThe documents go to a specialist from the register of the Polish Ministry of Justice - the one whose seal is accepted in the Polish procedure.
- 3Translation and personal sealThe translator signs the text and applies a seal with their register number. No separate notarial certification is needed for this format.
- 4Collection or deliveryCollect at 3-B Sofiivska St, or receive by courier across Kyiv or by Nova Poshta across Ukraine.
Prices
- Sworn Polish translation per pagefrom UAH 350
- Personal documents (certificates) depending on volumefrom UAH 350
- Diploma with supplement two documents; priced by volume - send a scanindividual quote
- Notarized translation (for Ukraine) when a sworn one is not requiredfrom UAH 250
- Apostille via the Kyiv ministries state fee included; when the institution requires itfrom UAH 950
Prices are indicative: the exact amount is calculated from the actual page count and the deadline you name. Reviewing your scans and quoting are free.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, a sworn or a notarised translation?
Per page the notarised one is cheaper, but for a Polish institution it mostly will not do, and you end up paying twice. A sworn translation starts at UAH 350 per page and that figure is the whole bill - the certification is the sworn translator own seal, so no notary takes part at all.
Do documents for Poland need an apostille?
Mostly not: a bilateral legal-assistance treaty applies. But diploma recognition and some administrative procedures do ask for one, so we verify the requirement for your institution rather than promising an answer in advance.
Do a diploma and its transcript count as one document?
No, they are two separate documents - both in translation and for the apostille, where the state fee doubles accordingly. We run them as one set so the spelling of the name and the institution match.
Do you have your own sworn translator?
No, and we say so plainly: a sworn translator is accredited in Poland. We take in the documents, check the set is complete, route it to a specialist from the Polish register, and answer for the turnaround and the return of the finished file.
How long does it take?
The benchmark is 2-5 business days; how complex the document is and how much work the accredited specialist has on right now both move it. An apostille, if the set includes one, is counted separately - from the day it is filed with the authority.
Will an electronic sworn translation be accepted?
Some Polish institutions accept one with a qualified signature, which saves several days of posting paper. Whether yours does is worth asking them - we deliver in whichever format they name.
Updated: 2026-09-10
