Criminal Record Certificate with Apostille and Translation
You may be asked for a criminal record certificate when you apply for a karta pobytu, a visa, a job in a regulated sector or a licence. A Polish criminal record certificate is issued through the Krajowy Rejestr Karny (KRK). A Ukrainian criminal record document is a separate document issued by the competent Ukrainian authority. Whether either document needs an apostille or sworn translation depends on the specific Polish procedure and receiving office. A Polish KRK certificate is not automatically required from every karta pobytu applicant.
Ask the receiving office whether it accepts an original paper certificate or a valid electronic KRK document; printing an electronic original does not necessarily preserve its electronic authentication. Check the requirements of the office before you order, because the list of documents and the need for a sworn translation or an apostille depend on the procedure.
We order the Ukrainian original through our partners in Ukraine, arrange a sworn translation in Poland and handle the apostille where it is required. We are a private service, not a government authority.
From
80 zł
base stage
Standard package
~400 zł
original + translation + apostille where required
Typical time
3–4 weeks
our estimate; authorities set their own terms
Express
about 10–14 days
an estimate, not a guarantee; our logistics only, authority review time is unchanged
What it is
What a criminal record certificate is
It is an official statement from the criminal register of the issuing country: either that the person has no criminal record, or that there is a conviction under a stated provision, with a description.
It is also known as a Criminal Record Check or Certificate of Non-Conviction.
Where it may be requested:
Poland · voivodeship office
Karta pobytu
- Some permit procedures
- Depends on the permit type
- Check with the office handling your case
requirements vary by visa class and consular instructions; obtain police records only when requested
US visas
- Background check
- Canada — immigration
- Australia, New Zealand — screening
Regulated sector
Work and licences
- Schools, banks, casinos
- Detective work
- Administrative positions
- Arbitrators, judges, coaches
How we do it
The process in 4 steps
- 1
Order the Ukrainian original
Through family in Ukraine or our partners in Kyiv. Our typical estimate is 7–14 days; the Ukrainian authority sets the actual term.
- 2
Sworn translation
A translator from the Ministry of Justice register, word for word, with seal and signature. 1–2 days, 60–100 zł.
- 3
Apostille where required
A Ukrainian extract is apostilled by the Ukrainian MVS; a Polish document such as the KRK by the Polish MSZ. We confirm which route applies.
- 4
Ready to submit
Original + translation + apostille where required. You submit them to the voivodeship office, a consulate or a school.
Step 1. Order the original from Ukraine (MVS)
You have 2 options:
A. On your own (through a friend or relative in Ukraine):
- Check the current MVS/Diia procedures and whether an authorised representative may apply in your case
- Do not send your original passport to a relative on the assumption that it is a required MVS procedure
- The authorised person receives the original certificate, if the procedure allows it
- They post it to you
Our typical estimate: 7–10 days. Price: postage.
B. Through us (you live in Poland with nobody in Ukraine):
- We contact partners in Kyiv (MVS channels for individuals, specialised agencies)
- We order the original through the full procedure
- We receive it
- We post it to you
Our typical estimate: 10–14 days. Price: 80–120 zł + postage (~30–50 zł).
Step 2. Sworn translation
The Ukrainian original is in Ukrainian. For Poland you may need a sworn translation into Polish or English.
A sworn translator:
- translates word for word
- usually adds a seal, signature and date
- is personally responsible for it
Sworn translators are entered in the Ministry of Justice register. When a Polish office requires a sworn translation, check its document and format requirements — see our sworn translation service.
Price: 60–100 zł depending on the length of the certificate, plus VAT. Time: 1–2 days.
Step 3. Apostille where required
An apostille is a certificate confirming the authenticity of the signature and seal on a public document. It does not confirm the content of the document.
Which authority issues it depends on the document:
- A Ukrainian criminal record extract is apostilled by the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVS). Confirm the current MVS state fee using its official instructions; any private-service fee is separate.
- A Polish document, including the KRK, is apostilled by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MSZ). The fee is 60 zł per document, paid in advance to the account of Urząd m.st. Warszawy, not at the MSZ. In-person applications at Krucza 38/42 in Warsaw are accepted only by appointment in e-Konsulat, up to 10 documents per person per day, and are handled during the visit where possible. Postal applications (al. Szucha 23) are decided within 30 days and returned by registered mail.
An apostille is not automatically required for every destination. Check with the office that will receive the document; for some routes another international agreement may apply. We do not promise a faster government review.
Official fees: the Ukrainian apostille is charged by the MVS — confirm the current fee in its official instructions; the Polish MSZ charge is 60 zł per document. Our own service fee is separate from these official fees and is confirmed before we start.
Step 4. Ready to submit
You receive:
- the original certificate from the Ukrainian MVS (in Ukrainian), or a Polish KRK certificate
- a sworn translation (Polish / English) where required
- the document with the apostille where required
Submit them to the voivodeship office, the US consulate or a school — wherever they are needed. See also our apostille guide.
Packages
Our criminal record packages
Standard
~400 zł
280 zł + postage + VAT
Express
~480 zł
10–14 days, our logistics
Combo extract + karta
500 zł
+ postage + VAT
VAT
23%
added to all prices
”Standard criminal record” package
- Ordering the original from the Ukrainian MVS (via our partners)
- Sworn translation into Polish
- Apostille where required
- Delivery by post in Poland
Price: 280 zł + postage (~40 zł) + VAT = ~400 zł. Typical time: 3–4 weeks, depending on the authorities. For whom: applicants who want the full set prepared in one order.
”Express criminal record” package
The same, but:
- Priority order from Ukraine (+30 zł)
- Translation to your deadline (+20 zł)
- Priority courier and scheduled submission (+15 zł)
Priority handling changes our own logistics only; it does not shorten an authority’s review.
Price: 350 zł + postage + VAT = ~480 zł. Typical time: 10–14 days, subject to the authorities’ terms. For whom: you are filing a karta pobytu application or leaving for work.
”Combined: criminal record + karta pobytu” package
- Criminal record document with an apostille where required (as above)
- Certified copy of your passport (5 pages)
- Your PESEL number or official confirmation of its assignment, if the receiving office requests it
- CV-A form (if you are applying for a karta pobytu through work)
- Guidance for filing at the voivodeship office in your region
Price: 500 zł + postage + VAT. Typical time: about 4 weeks, depending on the authorities. For whom: you are applying for a karta pobytu for the first time and want the set prepared in one order; see our karta pobytu guide.
Common questions
Is a KRK required for a karta pobytu?
Answer: Not automatically. A Polish KRK certificate is not required from every karta pobytu applicant. The voivodeship office checks its own registers, and the list of documents depends on the permit type and on your situation. If the office asks for a criminal record document, ask whether it must be a Ukrainian extract and whether it needs an apostille or a sworn translation.
How long does a criminal record certificate last?
Answer: There is no single validity period for every procedure. Some receiving offices ask for a recently issued document, others accept an older one; the requirement is set by the office, not by the certificate itself. Check the deadline with the office before you order.
Can I share scans of my certificate?
What if I had a conviction that is now time-barred?
Answer: Whether a spent or time-barred conviction appears in the extract depends on the law of the issuing country. Ask the issuing authority. Some destinations, including the USA, may ask about it separately — check with the consulate.
Is a KRK valid without an apostille?
Answer: For use inside Poland, an apostille is normally not required. For use abroad, it depends on the receiving authority and on the applicable agreements: some offices require an apostille, while others accept the document under a bilateral agreement. Ask the office that will receive the document before you order.
Ready to start?
Write to us — we will confirm what you need
Tell us what you need — the original, translation, apostille or all of it — and we will confirm what is required, the timeline and the price.