Document Legalization in Poland
Do you need a document for use in a country where the Hague Apostille Convention does not apply — for example the United Arab Emirates, Qatar or Egypt? Then an apostille is not the route: you need consular legalization, a longer and more expensive procedure that runs through a notary where required, a Polish authority and the destination consulate.
China, South Korea and Morocco are parties to the Convention, so check the current status for your destination before you start.
From
150 zł
our service; official fees extra
Timeline
Set by the offices
no fixed government deadline
Stages
Up to 3
notary · ministry · consulate
Destinations
non-Convention
e.g. UAE, Qatar, Egypt
Legalization is the official confirmation that the authorities of one country recognise the authenticity of the seals and signatures of the authorities of another country. It is used where the Apostille Convention does not apply between the two states.
Comparison
Legalization versus apostille
| Parameter | Apostille | Legalization |
|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | Hague Apostille Convention — Poland a party since 14 August 2005 | No Convention link between the two states, or a specific requirement of the receiving authority |
| Document | One apostille certificate on the document | A chain: certification, the issuing authority where required, then the destination consulate |
| Time | MSZ handles an in-person application during the appointment where possible; postal applications are decided within 30 days | Set by each office and consulate in the chain |
| Price | MSZ: 60 zł per document | Our service from 150 zł, plus official and consular fees |
| Destinations | EU states, USA, Canada, China, South Korea, Morocco, Saudi Arabia | UAE, Qatar, Egypt — check the current treaty status |
If both countries are party to the Convention, read our apostille guide instead — that route is usually shorter. If your destination is on the legalization side, check the HCCH status table and ask the receiving authority what it accepts.
Where it is needed
Examples of countries and situations
Residency, work, banking
United Arab Emirates
- Not a party to the Apostille Convention
- Consular legalization of the original documents
- The exact chain is set by the receiving authority in the UAE
Work, study, commercial documents
Qatar and Egypt
- Neither country is a party to the Convention
- Consular legalization applies to documents for these destinations
- Confirm the requirements with the receiving office
China, South Korea, Morocco, Canada, Saudi Arabia
Convention parties
- China — party since 7 November 2023
- Canada since 11 January 2024; Saudi Arabia since 7 December 2022
- An apostille normally replaces consular legalization
- Check the current status in the HCCH table
How we work
The legalization chain, step by step
- 1
Certification of the document
Where the destination country requires it, a Polish notary or the office that holds the record certifies the document or the signature on it. Maximum notarial fees depend on the date and number of pages. Until 4 November 2026, the maximum for certifying a copy is 6 zł per page; from 5 November 2026, the amended tariff sets 12 zł per page for pages 1–10, 10 zł for pages 11–20 and 8 zł from page 21, plus applicable VAT. Ask the notary for a dated quote. Whether a notarial step is needed at all depends on the document and on the receiving authority.
- 2
Verification at the issuing authority
First obtain any preliminary certification required for your document (for example district-court authentication of a notarial document or NAWA authentication of a university diploma). Next, apply for legalization at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MSZ). Finally, present the MSZ-legalized document to the embassy or consulate of the destination country when required. These authorities set their own processing time, and we cannot shorten it.
- 3
Consular legalization
The consulate of the destination country in Poland legalizes the document. Consular fees and processing times are set by each consulate; private handling does not accelerate an authority review.
Our packages
Ready-made solutions
Our handling · timeline set by the offices
Documents for the UAE
- We check what the UAE receiving office requires
- Notarial or official certification where it is needed
- Consular legalization at the UAE consulate in Poland
- Our service starts at 150 zł. The Polish MSZ legalization fee is 26 zł per document; additional preliminary-authentication and destination-consulate charges depend on the route and are charged separately.
Diploma, civil records, criminal record certificate
A document set for one destination
- We map the route for each document separately
- The timeline depends on every office in the chain
- Official and consular fees are paid separately
Countries
Convention status , not a fixed list
Party to the Convention — an apostille normally applies: Poland (since 14 August 2005), China (7 November 2023), Canada (11 January 2024), Saudi Arabia (7 December 2022), South Korea, Morocco and most EU states.
Not party — consular legalization may be required: the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt.
The list of parties changes over time, and treaty status alone does not decide the route: some receiving authorities ask for additional steps or for a specific document format. Check the HCCH status table and confirm the requirements with the office that will receive the document.
Ready to start?
Order your legalization today
Tell us which country you are going to, which documents need legalization and which authorities will receive them. We will confirm the exact price, describe the route and explain which offices set the timeline.
We work online across Poland — Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław, Gdańsk, Poznań, Łódź, Lublin, Katowice.