What is an apostille?

An apostille confirms the official status of a domestic document that needs to be used abroad – in a country from the list. It confirms the authenticity of the signature, the capacity in which the person who signed the document acted and the identity of the seal or stamp on the document.

Apostilles are recognized and issued by Poland and over 120 other countries.

Countries that do not recognize the apostille require holders of foreign documents to legalize them.

The apostille is issued in a uniform format. In Poland, it has the form of a printed sticker with a handwritten signature of an official, an official seal and a hologram.

 

When is the apostille issued?

The apostille is issued at the request of the holder of the document.

In Poland, it is affixed to Polish official documents in paper form or on letters containing official attestations.

In those countries that recognize the apostille, the document bearing the apostille clause does not require any other authentication to prove its official character.

 

Do I need to visit other offices before applying for an apostille at the MFA?

Some documents require additional authentication before being apostilled at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

1. notarial acts and court documents – should be authenticated by the president of the competent regional court (sąd okręgowy), while documents issued by courts of appeal should be authenticated by the president of the competent court of appeal (sąd apelacyjny);

2. certificates, diplomas, course records or authentications of higher education institutions – should be authenticated by the National Agency for Academic Exchange (Narodowa Agencja Wymiany Akademickiej);

3. certificates, diplomas, course records or authentications issued by art schools – should be authenticated by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (Ministerstwo Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego);

4. master craftsman’s certificates and craftsman’s certificates – should be authenticated by the Polish Crafts Association in Warsaw (Związek Rzemiosła Polskiego);

5. primary school, middle school and high school certificates and documents – should be authenticated by the competent school superintendent (kurator oświaty);

6. primary school and high school diplomas, A-level certificates (matura diplomas) – should be authenticated by the competent director of Regional Examination Board (Okręgowa Komisja Egzaminacyjna);

7. documents of consulting points and schools abroad established by the Minister of Education – should be authenticated by the Ministry of Education (Ministerstwo Edukacji Narodowej);

8. documents concerning medical qualifications (specialised doctors diplomas, national medical exam certificates, certificates issued by medical chambers) – should be authenticated by the Ministry of Health (Ministerstwo Zdrowia);

9. copies from the National Court Register – should be authenticated by the entitled official of the General Information of the Court Register (Centralna Informacja Krajowego Rejestru Sądowego);

10. copies from the Central Register and Information on Economic Activity (Centralna Ewidencja i Informacja o Działalności Gospodarczej) – should be authenticated by the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology (Ministerstwo Rozwoju i Technologii);

11. commercial documents – should be authenticated by the Polish Chamber of Commerce in Warsaw (Krajowa Izba Gospodarcza) and by regional chambers of commerce. Note: Administrative documents dealing directly with commercial or customs operations cannot be apostilled as they do not fall within the scope of the HCCH 1961 Apostille Convention.

 

Is the MFA the only authority to issue apostilles in Poland?

No. The authorities competent to issue the apostille are:

Authority competent to issue the apostille	Types of documents apostilled by this authority
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerstwo Spraw Zagranicznych)	Other than specified below
National Agency for Academic Exchange (Narodowa Agencja Wymiany Akademickiej; NAWA) ul. Polna 40, 00-635 Warszawa tel.: +48 22 390 35 80 e-mail: apostille@nawa.gov.pl	Diplomas of graduation with supplements, copies of diplomas of graduation, certificates of diplomas and post-graduate certificates, duplicates of diplomas and post-graduate certificates, certificates of graduation, doctoral and postdoctoral diplomas, as well as their duplicates and copies — in the case of doctoral and postdoctoral degrees awarded by the authorized organizational units of the university
Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (Ministerstwo Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego) Department of Art Education ul. Mikołaja Kopernika 36/40, 00-924 Warszawa tel.: +48 22 551 55 90 e-mail: dsa@kultura.gov.pl	Certificates, diplomas, course records or authentications issued by art schools; documents issued by art schools, other than mentioned above, intended for legal transactions with foreign countries
Ministry of Education (Ministerstwo Edukacji Narodowej) al. Szucha 25, 00-918 Warszawa tel.:  + 48 22 347 41 00 e-mail: kancelaria@men.gov.pl	Certificates issued by schools and vocational schools in Poland, mentioned in Article 8(5)(2)(c) of the Educational Act of 14 December 2016, and by schools, vocational schools and school consultation points at the diplomatic representations, consular offices and military representations of the Republic of Poland
School superintendents (kuratorium oświaty) responsible for the school’s official address	Promotion certificates and certificates of graduation as well as course records issued by schools; documents issued by schools, continuing education facilities and practical education facilities, other than mentioned above, intended for legal transactions with foreign countries
Directors of Regional Exam Commissions (Okręgowa Komisja Egzaminacyjna)	Certificates of completion of primary and secondary education at the level of external exams, certificates of secondary education, annexes to the secondary education certificates, certificates confirming professional qualifications, diplomas and certificates issued by regional exam commissions

 

In what cases is the apostille redundant?

EU Member State authorities cannot require an apostille for certain documents issued in another EU country. This applies to documents relating to: birth, death, a person being alive, name and surname, marriage (also capacity to marry and marital status), divorce, separation or annulment of marriage, child's origin, adoption, place of residence or place of stay, citizenship, or absence of a criminal record.

- personally or through a third party:

The apostille is issued during a personal visit to the Legalization Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

1) Make an appointment here. Take the printed confirmation of your appointment with you.

2) Prepare the original document to which we are to affix the apostille.

3) You can complete the application on site or print and complete it in advance.

4) Pay the stamp duty (see below) and attach its confirmation.

5) If the application for an apostille is submitted by a third party/proxy/intermediary whose details are not included in the application, he/she should bring a written authorization to act on behalf of the applicant (with the applicant’s handwritten signature) to the meeting.

The stamp duty charged for certification of documents amounts to PLN 60 for each apostilled document. Payment is due for every certified document. Stamp duty may be paid by wire transfer made to the following account:

                  Recipient: Centrum Obsługi Podatnika

Bank Handlowy w Warszawie S.A.
21 1030 1508 0000 0005 5000 0070

Payments from abroad:
SWIFT CODE: CITIPLPX
IBAN: PL 21 1030 1508 0000 0005 5000 0070

   Visitors service office:

Legalization Department

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
ul. Krucza 38/42

00-512 Warszawa

NOTE: This is not a correspondence address – please do not send your documents there!

 

How long will I have to wait?

Whenever possible, documents are ready on the same day.

IMPORTANT: During one day, it is possible to certify up to 10 documents. If you have more documents, the office employee will inform you when to collect them.

Contact:

e-mail: legalizacja@msz.gov.pl

Helpline: +48 22 250 01 16

Due to a high number of calls, your waiting time may be longer. We apologize for the inconvenience.

PLEASE NOTE: the helpline consultant does not provide information on the status of ongoing cases.

- by post:

You can send the documents to be apostilled by post from Poland or from abroad.

CORRESPONDENCE ADDRESS:

Legalization Department
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
ul. Szucha 23, 00-580 Warsaw

When applying for an apostille by post, please enclose the following with the parcel:

1) the original document to which we are to affix the apostille,

2) the application,

3) printed confirmation of stamp duty payment (see above).

PLEASE NOTE:

1. If you either do not live in Poland or another European Union Member State or in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, or you do not have your habitual residence or registered office in any of these countries, and you have not appointed a proxy who is in Poland, you must indicate a proxy for deliveries in Poland in your application. We will send the apostilled document to his/her Polish address.

2. If the application is submitted by a third party/proxy/intermediary whose details are not included in the application, he/she should enclose a written authorization to act on behalf of the applicant (with the applicant’s handwritten signature).

NOTE:                 Do not send cash enclosed with the application (send transfer confirmation). We do not process applications sent by post with a cash payment. We will return the money transferred by postal order after deduction of its costs.

 

How long will I have to wait?

We process applications within 30 days from the date of receipt by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

We will issue an apostille and then send the document to the applicant’s address. We send documents by registered mail (not by courier) to addresses in Poland, a European Union country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland only. If the applicant has indicated a proxy in Poland, we will send documents to the address of this proxy.

Helpline: +48 22 250 01 16

Due to a high number of calls, your waiting time may be longer. We apologize for the inconvenience.

PLEASE NOTE: the helpline consultant does not provide information on the status of ongoing cases.

A visit for the purpose of legalization is possible only after making an appointment in the e-Konsulat system. Please be punctual and bring the following to your visit: 1. printed confirmation of the appointment, 2. a set of documents, 3. a completed application. 4. printed confirmation of stamp duty payment. Applications for legalization can also be submitted by post.

What is legalization?

It is certification of the official character of a national document required if the document is to be used abroad in a country not included on the list.

However, if the country of destination of the document recognizes and issues apostilles, then legalization is unnecessary. In such case, you should apply for an apostille.

In Poland, legalization takes the form of a printed sticker with a handwritten signature of an official, an official seal and a hologram.

When is a document legalized?

Legalization is carried out at the request of the document’s holder.

In Poland, you can legalize Polish official documents in paper form or letters containing official attestations.

Does a document already legalized at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs require additional authentication?

Yes. After legalization at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the document requires additional authentication before it is submitted to the competent authorities of another country. For this purpose, you should present it at a diplomatic representation or consular office of the country of destination of the document, accredited on the territory of the Republic of Poland.

Do I need to visit other offices before applying for legalization at the MFA?

Some documents require additional authentication before being legalized at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: 

1. notarial acts and court documents – should be authenticated by the president of the competent regional court (sąd okręgowy) while documents issued by courts of appeal should be authenticated by the president of the competent court of appeal (sąd apelacyjny);

2. certificates, diplomas, course records or authentications of higher education institutions – should be authenticated by the National Agency for Academic Exchange (Narodowa Agencja Wymiany Akademickiej);

3. certificates, diplomas, course records or authentications issued by art schools – should be authenticated by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (Ministerstwo Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego);

4. master craftsman’s certificates and craftsman’s certificates – should be authenticated by the Polish Crafts Association in Warsaw (Związek Rzemiosła Polskiego);

5. primary school, middle school and high school certificates and documents – should be authenticated by the competent school superintendent (kurator oświaty);

6. primary school and high school diplomas, A-level certificates (matura diplomas) – should be authenticated by the competent director of Regional Examination Board (Okręgowa Komisja Egzaminacyjna);

7. documents of consulting points and schools abroad established by the Minister of Education – should be authenticated by the Ministry of Education (Ministerstwo Edukacji Narodowej);

8. documents concerning medical qualifications (specialised doctors diplomas, national medical exam certificates, certificates issued by medical chambers) – should be authenticated by the Ministry of Health (Ministerstwo Zdrowia);

9. copies from the National Court Register – should be authenticated by the entitled official of the General Information of the Court Register (Centralna Informacja Krajowego Rejestru Sądowego);

10. copies from the Central Register and Information on Economic Activity (Centralna Ewidencja i Informacja o Działalności Gospodarczej) – should be authenticated by the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology (Ministerstwo Rozwoju i Technologii);

11. commercial documents – should be authenticated by the Polish Chamber of Commerce in Warsaw (Krajowa Izba Gospodarcza) and by regional chambers of commerce. Note: Administrative documents dealing directly with commercial or customs operations cannot be apostilled as they do not fall within the scope of the HCCH 1961 Apostille Convention.

Public documents include acts of civil status, administrative and court documents, notarial deeds and official certificates which are placed on documents signed by persons in their private capacity. Pursuant to the convention, they do not include administrative documents dealing directly with commercial or customs operations. The issuance of an apostille or legalisation of a document is not necessary when either the laws, regulation or practices in force in the State where the document is produced or an agreement between two or more contracting states have abolished or simplified it or exempt the document itself from legalisation.

Following documents require authentication before being legalized (before apostille is being issued – if applicable) by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
1.      notarial acts and court documents shall be authenticated by the president of the competent regional court;
2.      certificates, diplomas, indexes or authentications of higher education institutions shall be authenticated by the National Agency for Academic Exchange (Narodowa Agencja Wymiany Akademickiej);
3.      certificates, diplomas, indexes or authentications issued by art schools shall be authenticated by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (Ministerstwo Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego);
4.      master craftsman’s certificates and craftsman’s certificates shall be authenticated by the Polish Crafts Association in Warsaw (Związek Rzemiosła Polskiego);
5.      primary school, middle school and high school certificates and documents shall be authenticated by the competent school superintendent (kurator oświaty);
6.      primary school and high school diplomas, A-level certificates (matura diplomas) shall be authenticated by the competent director of Regional Examination Board (Okręgowa Komisja Egzaminacyjna);
7.      documents of consulting points and schools abroad established by the Minister of Education shall be authenticated by the Ministry of Education (Ministerstwo Edukacji Narodowej);
8.      documents concerning medical qualifications (specialised doctors diplomas, national medical exam certificates, certificates issued by medical chambers) shall be authenticated by the Ministry of Health (Ministerstwo Zdrowia);
9.      copies from the National Court Register shall be authenticated by the entitled official of the General Information of the Court Register (Centralna Informacja Krajowego Rejestru Sądowego);
10.   copies from the Central Register and Information on Economic Activity (Centralna Ewidencja i Informacja o Działalności Gospodarczej) shall be authenticated by the Ministry of Economic Development, Labour and Technology (Ministerstwo Rozwoju, Pracy i Technologii);
11.   commercial documents shall be authenticated by the Polish Chamber of Commerce in Warsaw (Krajowa Izba Gospodarcza) and by regional chambers of commerce.

- in person or by a third party:

1. Make an appointment here. Take the printed confirmation of your appointment with you.

2. Prepare the original document for legalization.

3. You can complete the application on site or print and complete it in advance.

4. Pay the stamp duty (see below) and attach its confirmation.

5. If the application for legalization is submitted by a third party/proxy/intermediary whose details are not included in the application, he/she should bring a written authorization to act on behalf of the applicant (with the applicant’s handwritten signature) to the meeting.

The stamp duty charged for certification of documents amounts to PLN 26 for each legalized document. Payment is due for every certified document. Stamp duty may be paid by wire transfer made to the following account:

                  Recipient: Centrum Obsługi Podatnika

Bank Handlowy w Warszawie S.A.
21 1030 1508 0000 0005 5000 0070

Payments from abroad:
SWIFT CODE: CITIPLPX
IBAN: PL 21 1030 1508 0000 0005 5000 0070

Visitors service office:

Legalization Section

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

ul. Krucza 38/42

00-512 Warsaw

NOTE: This is not a correspondence address – please do not send your documents there!

How long will I have to wait?

Whenever possible, documents are ready on the same day.

IMPORTANT: During one day, it is possible to certify up to 10 documents. If you have more documents, the office employee will inform you when to collect them.

Contact:

e-mail: legalizacja@msz.gov.pl

Helpline: +48 22 250 01 16

Due to a high number of calls, your waiting time may be longer. We apologize for the inconvenience.

PLEASE NOTE: the helpline consultant does not provide information on the status of ongoing cases.

- by post

You can send the documents for legalization by post from Poland or from abroad.

CORRESPONDENCE ADDRESS:

Legalization Department
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
ul. Szucha 23, 00-580 Warsaw

When applying for legalization by mail, please enclose the following with the parcel:

1. the original document which we are to legalize,

2. the application (include return address and contact details),

3. printed confirmation of stamp duty payment (see above).

PLEASE NOTE:

4. If you either do not live in Poland or another European Union Member State or in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, or you do not have your habitual residence or registered office in any of these countries and you have not appointed a proxy who is in Poland, you must indicate a proxy for deliveries in Poland in your application. We will send the legalized document to his/her Polish address.

5. If the application is submitted by a third party/proxy/intermediary whose details are not included in the application, he/she should enclose a written authorization to act on behalf of the applicant (with the applicant’s handwritten signature).

NOTE:                 Do not send cash enclosed with the application (send transfer confirmation). We do not process applications sent by post with a cash payment. We will return the money transferred by postal order after deduction of its costs.

How long will I have to wait?

We process applications within 30 days from the date of receipt by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

We will legalize the document and then send it to the applicant’s address. We send documents by registered mail (not by courier) to addresses in Poland, a European Union country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland only. If the applicant has indicated a proxy in Poland, we will send documents to the address of this proxy.

Helpline: +48 22 250 01 16

Due to a high number of calls, your waiting time may be longer. We apologize for the inconvenience. PLEASE NOTE: the helpline consultant does not provide information on the status of ongoing cases.