Translation of Ukrainian documents for residence matters in Poland

The procedure name defines the documents' function

An application for temporary residence and work, family reunification, permanent residence or EU long-term resident status may require different materials. The office uses the procedure name, the authority handling the matter and the list of attachments or a specific request to supply missing documents as points of reference. A marriage certificate presented as evidence of a family relationship serves a different function from a diploma documenting qualifications. Each source can be identified in the order by its name, date and the person it concerns. A list prepared this way helps preserve the connection between a translation and the correct item in the case documentation.

Art. 8 ust. 1 and 2 of the Act on Foreigners provides for applications to be drawn up in Polish and foreign-language evidentiary documents to be submitted with a Polish translation made by a sworn translator. This is the general rule for proceedings conducted under that Act. Art. 8 ust. 3 separately governs proceedings before a consul or the minister responsible for foreign affairs: it specifies Polish or a language designated by those authorities. Information about the recipient of the documentation is therefore needed when the type of translation is being established, especially if a client is preparing documents for different procedures at the same time. [1]

Family, employment and supporting documents

In family matters, translation material may include birth and marriage certificates, name-change documents and decisions concerning family relationships. Names and dates matter, as do the record number, issuing authority and subsequent annotations. If the record concerns a child, the parents’ surnames should be checked against the other source documents. Identifying each person separately helps with several related assignments. A reissued document is a separate source: its issue date may differ from the event date and the date of an earlier copy.

Professional documentation may include a diploma, supplement, employment certificate, licence document or contract. Each has a defined scope: the diploma identifies the qualification obtained, while the supplement details the programme and results. Institution and specialisation names, dates and numbers must remain consistent within the set. In their study of documentation practices relating to migration in the United States, Susan Bibler Coutin and Véronique Fortin describe the importance of translation in presenting material within a procedure. [5] For an assignment in Poland, the practical starting point remains linking a particular document to the correct item in the set and agreeing consistent terminology.

Surname spelling, dates and document identifiers

A Ukrainian document may contain a surname in Cyrillic, while a passport also uses the Latin alphabet. Art. 14 ust. 2 of the Act on the Profession of Sworn Translator identifies a travel document or its copy as the basis for transliterating or transcribing first names and surnames from other writing systems. If these materials are unavailable, the spelling rules of the country in which the translated document was issued apply. The translation requires identification of the person and the correct rendering of their details, including where a diploma or earlier record was issued under a surname used before a change. [4]

The date of birth, event date, registration date and document issue date are treated as separate information. Likewise, a document's series and number are not its register entry number. A university certificate must retain the stated study period, while an employment document must retain the dates and job description supplied by the issuer. Conflicting details in two sources remain visible in their translations; an appropriate document or supplementary material serves to explain them. Matching file names with people, dates and numbers organises these details before translation and before the entire set is submitted to an authority.

Full content, attachments and certification basis

Legible material includes both sides of a document, stamps, annotations, tables and attachment pages. In a diploma and supplement, numbering or related identifiers may show which parts belong to the same set. A contract attachment may contain details requested by an authority. For an extract, the exact pages and scope must be specified. A handwritten note or faint stamp impression requires appropriate description, and its readability depends on the quality of the material supplied. A photograph taken at an angle may conceal small text near the edge even when the main content is legible.

Art. 18 ust. 2 of the Act on the Profession of Sworn Translator requires the translation to state the professional register entry number and the basis on which it was prepared: an original, translation or copy. For an earlier translation or copy, it must also state whether the source was certified and by whom. Arranging when the original will be presented may therefore affect the certification wording. The scan used for the quotation and the document presented for the work should be clearly linked. If the client receives a new copy or an additional page after the quotation, the scope must be updated. The completed translation refers to the source actually presented to the translator, in the form described in its certification. [4]

MOS and electronic documentation

From 27 April 2026, applications for temporary residence, permanent residence and EU long-term resident status are handled through the electronic MOS system. Official information describes electronic attachments and signing the application with a trusted profile, qualified signature or personal signature. [3] Translation arrangements therefore require agreement on the format of the required attachment and how it will be linked to the source document. Files named by document type and person are easier to assign to the correct fields than a series of automatically named photographs. Checking page order is especially important when material is split across several scans.

The Act on the Profession of Sworn Translator permits certification of an electronic translation with a qualified electronic signature. Such a file differs from a scan of a stamped paper translation. [4] The order may specify the expected document format and planned method of submitting the attachment from the outset. The set should preserve the complete electronically signed file, its consistent name and available source materials. Scanning a paper translation requires all pages and visible certification. Instructions on attachment format and size should be checked in the current form or request relevant to the particular order.

Changes in 2026 and supplementing an existing case

The Act of 23 January 2026 amended special arrangements concerning Ukrainian citizens; the principal changes took effect on 5 March 2026. Art. 45 ust. 1 disapplies specified obstacles relating to temporary protection under the Foreigners Act for certain people with UKR status applying for permits connected with work, high qualifications, business activity or family. [2] Preparing translations requires the name of the current procedure and the documents specified for that matter. An older set submitted under a different procedure and a new request from the authority should be described separately in the order.

When supplementing documentation, a list of translations already completed is useful: document type, date, person's name and repertory number, if available. New material can then be distinguished from another copy of the same translation. If the source content has changed, the new version and its relationship to the previous document must be identified. The authority's letter defines the scope of the supplementary material, and its stated deadline provides a reference for completion and collection arrangements. Before submission, the list should link each item to its source, the correct person and the translation prepared.

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