Documents from Ukraine in Poland: translation scope and preparing a complete set

Start with the matter and the document recipient

Provide the practice with the authority’s request or the list of documents required in the proceedings. This distinguishes a birth certificate from a register extract, a diploma from a supplement, and a power of attorney from a document confirming its later revocation. These documents may have similar names but prove different circumstances. The assignment should state the recipient, purpose, deadline and whether the document is to remain on file.

The sequence of events is also considered when compiling material. If a person uses a surname different from the one on a diploma, a document explaining the change may be needed. If a representative signed a contract, the files may also need to include their authority. It is useful to supply all available copies for a preliminary scope assessment and then identify which documents are to be translated in full. This reduces orders for translations of documents that are not useful in the particular matter.

Original, copy and scan as the translation basis

Art. 18 ust. 2 of the Act on the Profession of Sworn Translator requires a statement of whether the translation was prepared from an original, translation or copy. For an earlier translation or copy, it must also state whether it was certified and by whom. The issued translation bears its professional register entry number. A quotation based on a scan and presentation of the paper original for translation are therefore separate stages best agreed before the assignment begins. [1]

A scan should include the entire sheet, its reverse and attached certifications. A photograph showing only the main text may omit a register number, seal or annotation that changes the document's meaning. For a file originating from an electronic system, provide the file received from the issuer together with available information establishing its form. A printout, screenshot and electronic document may contain different ranges of data, which must be reflected in the source description.

Seals, additions and attachments

An official document may contain information outside the main table or form. A stamp identifies the issuer, an annotation may record a change of details, and a note on the reverse may concern a duplicate. Legible elements are included in the translation; illegibility is described according to the material supplied. If a stamp impression is unclear in a photograph, a better image or inspection of the document is needed. The institution’s name supplied by the client cannot replace reading the source.

Attachments should be arranged so that their connection with the main document can be established. A supplement usually has its own number and sheet count, a notarial document may be bound to its certification, and a register extract may contain several pages. Bindings or affixed elements should not be removed before scanning. If a selected part of extensive material is commissioned for translation, the scope must be identified so that the recipient knows which passages are presented in translation.

Recording names and changes of details

For given names and surnames written in a non-Latin alphabet, Art. 14(2) of the Act requires transliteration or transcription to be based on travel documents or copies. If these are unavailable, the spelling rules of the document's country of origin apply. A legible copy of the relevant travel document page should therefore accompany the documents. It establishes the applicable spelling without reconstructing it from correspondence or informal forms. [1]

The chronology of surnames also matters. A birth certificate, marriage document and passport may show successive, correct details for the same person. The translator preserves information from each source and does not replace an earlier surname with the current one throughout the set. If two travel documents contain different variants, both should be shown and their periods identified. The father's first name, surname at birth and surname after marriage are identified separately according to the document fields.

When exemption from legalisation is checked

Art. 15 of the Polish–Ukrainian agreement on legal assistance covers documents drawn up or authenticated by a competent authority, bearing an official seal and the signature of an authorised person, within the scope of the agreement. Such documents are exempt from legalisation. Before ordering an apostille, it is therefore necessary to establish the issuer, type of certification and intended use. Exemption cannot be inferred solely from the text being in Ukrainian or the document being presented by a Ukrainian citizen. [2]

Poland and Ukraine also participate in the Hague Apostille Convention. The Convention preserves facilitations arising from other agreements; its Art. 3 provides that an apostille cannot be required where an applicable agreement abolishes or simplifies authentication. If an apostille has already been attached, it forms part of the material supplied and its translation scope must be agreed. When contacting the recipient, it is useful to cite the applicable basis for exemption and identify the specific document concerned. [3]

Different documents require different sets

For civil status records, establish whether the recipient needs the foreign document with a translation or is transcribing it into the Polish register. Art. 31 of the Civil Status Records Act governs official translation of documents submitted, while art. 104 lays down transcription rules. These are separate acts. For a marriage certificate, surname details may matter; for a divorce document, the type of ruling and additional annotations may also be important. [4]

Educational documentation is read as a set: the diploma identifies the qualification, the supplement describes the course of study, and an additional certificate may explain the institution's status or programme. For vehicle documents, consistency of the VIN and the chain of contracts matters. For property matters, the contract is considered alongside the power of attorney and attachments. This review identifies missing pages or discrepancies before translations are prepared. Detailed requirements follow from the procedure conducted by the particular recipient.

Terminology and discrepancies within the set

Names of authorities, qualifications and acts must be understood within the system in which the document originated. In the literature, Deborah Cao presents legal translation as a specialist field connected with law and legal proceedings. [5] In practice, working with Ukrainian records requires distinguishing document functions: extract, certificate, attestation and ruling are not interchangeable labels. The name chosen in translation should allow the recipient to identify the source type and the act it concerns.

If one document contains a different date, number or spelling of a surname, the translation preserves that information. The issuer can first be asked for an explanation or a corrected document, but details are not standardised by changing the translation. It is useful to identify discrepancies in the assignment and state whether a new copy is to replace the previous one. Where there are several versions of the same document, filenames should identify the issue date and state of completeness.

Transfer, delivery and subsequent use of translations

The assignment establishes the number of copies, how documents will be delivered and the translation’s delivery format. A paper translation is certified using the sworn translator’s stamp, while art. 18 ust. 1a permits electronic certification with a qualified signature. If the recipient accepts files, check the required channel and format before the work begins. Sending a scan for a quotation does not itself determine whether the completed translation will be issued on paper. [1]

After receiving a translation, compare the identifying details, document number and number of attachments with the scope of the assignment. If a new extract, official copy or duplicate is issued later, it should be presented to the office as new material. The recipient may require a current copy even if a translation of an older document is already held. Keeping an organised copy of the entire set makes subsequent correspondence, ordering an additional copy and identifying which document was previously translated and in what form easier.

Questions and answers