Polish employment certificate
and English translation
Need a copy of your świadectwo pracy, an English translation, or records from a closed employer? Choose the document help you need, with the scope and price confirmed before work begins.
- Individually quotedprice depends on your case
- 2 business daysto prepare an employer request
- Costs includedstandard application charges
Świadectwo pracy in English: choose what you need
A świadectwo pracy is a Polish employment certificate recording a period of employment that has ended. It is different from a personal reference. Source: Ministry of Family · employment certificates.
I have the Polish certificate
For an English version of your świadectwo pracy, start with a translation of the Polish document you already hold. Ask the receiving organisation whether it requires a sworn translation.
Request an English translation quoteI need the original or a copy
Tell us the employer’s name, town and approximate employment years. We review the employer or successor route and the document the receiving organisation needs before making the request.
Request employment recordsMy employer has closed
Start by locating the records custodian. An archive search may produce preserved copies or extracts; it does not guarantee that a new employer-issued certificate can be obtained.
Read the closed-employer guideAn English template is not a translation of your own certificate. If you need both document retrieval and translation, describe both in the employment request and select the translation option. We confirm the combined quote before payment.
Help obtaining a Polish employment certificate
The right route first
We check whether the employer, an archive or ZUS is the correct starting point before anything is submitted.
A precise request
Former name, date of birth, workplace, period and purpose, prepared so the right file can be found.
Correspondence handled
We deal with the employer, custodian or ZUS and tell you if further evidence is required.
An honest result
We report what was found and what the custodian can legally provide, including an unsuccessful search.
Choose your service
Pick the route that fits your case and give us what you know. Approximate dates are fine, and we confirm your full price before anything is charged.
What happens after you submit the form
We review the route
We check whether the employer, an archive or ZUS is the correct starting point.
We prepare the request
You receive any authority or clarification needed before we submit it. For an existing employer, we prepare the complete request within 2 business days of receiving all required details and signed authority.
We handle correspondence
We follow up with the employer or institution and tell you if further evidence is required.
We deliver the result
We send the document or search result and explain any practical limitation.
What to have ready
- The employee’s full name used during employment and any previous surname
- Date of birth
- The employer’s name, town and any known former name
- Approximate start and end dates
- The purpose of the request and the receiving authority, if known
- Any old payslip, work booklet or correspondence you already hold (scans only; do not send originals at this stage)
Which service fits your case?
The correct route depends on whether the employer still exists and what the receiving authority needs to see.
Employment certificate request
świadectwo pracyFor when the employer or its legal successor still operates and can issue the certificate. The employer issues the document; we prepare and manage the request.
- Identifying the correct contact
- Preparing the request or authority
- Correspondence and follow-up
Archive or custodian search
dokumentacja osobowa i płacowaFor when the employer was liquidated, renamed, privatised or taken over and you do not know where its files went. A repository may hold the evidence but cannot necessarily issue a new certificate.
- Search of official registers and archives
- Identifying the successor or custodian
- Available certified copies or extracts
ZUS records request
dane z ZUSFor when you need Polish insurance or contribution evidence, usually for a pension or social-security case. A ZUS record is not a replacement employment certificate.
- Identifying the appropriate ZUS route
- Preparing and submitting the request
- More on our ZUS records page
| Feature | Employer | Archive | ZUS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best when | The employer or its successor still operates | The employer closed and its files moved | You need insurance or contribution evidence |
| Can produce a new świadectwo pracy | Yes, issued by the employer | Not necessarily | No |
| What you receive | The certificate issued by the employer | Available copies, extracts or archive information | Available ZUS employment, insurance or contribution evidence |
| Our timing estimate | 2–4 weeks | 4–10 weeks | 3–6 weeks |
| Price confirmed individually | Individually quoted | Individually quoted | Individually quoted |
You pay for the work, not a guaranteed document. Timings are PoloniaHub estimates, not statutory response times.
Employment certificate or ZUS evidence?
The ZUS route and the employer route solve different problems. Start from what the receiving authority asks for. If you are not sure, choose the route closest to your case and we check it before submitting anything.
Choose your routeWhat a Polish employment certificate proves
A świadectwo pracy is a factual document connected with the end of employment. It is not a personal reference.
Who issues it
The employer. It records the employment period and information needed to establish employee or social-security entitlements, and is normally issued when employment ends; if that is objectively impossible, within 7 days.
Copies from the personnel file
If the receiving authority needs copies from the personnel file rather than a certificate, the employer must provide an authorised person with a copy within 30 days of receiving the request.
When the company has closed
Personnel and payroll records may be held by a legal successor, liquidator, registered records custodian or archive. The ZUS database of liquidated and transformed employers helps identify where they went.
When ZUS is the right route
ZUS may hold insurance or contribution data. For older periods, an employer, successor, liquidator or custodian may need to supply evidence from personnel and payroll files.
What your payment covers
Research, preparing and filing applications, correspondence, follow-up and the standard charges of the selected route. It is not a success fee or a purchase price for the document.
Why a result cannot be guaranteed
Wrong or incomplete details, records lost or lawfully destroyed after the retention period, or an unidentified custodian can stop a search. We report the result and the next realistic option.
Before you order
Short answers to the questions we hear most often. Timings on this page are PoloniaHub service estimates, not statutory response guarantees.
Legal basis and official sources
Can an archive issue a new employment certificate?
Not necessarily. An archive or custodian can supply the records, copies or extracts it is authorised to release. The employer or legal successor remains the usual issuer of an employment certificate.
Are ZUS records the same as a świadectwo pracy?
No. ZUS evidence concerns insurance or contribution data. It can be essential for pension cases, but it may not contain all information shown on an employer-issued certificate.
What if I do not know the exact employment dates?
Approximate years are enough to begin. The employer’s name and town are usually more important for locating older records.
Should I send original documents?
No, not at the enquiry stage. We explain whether a scan, signed authority or certified copy is needed after reviewing the case.
Is a successful archive search guaranteed?
No. We search the official sources and contact the likely custodian, but some records were not preserved or cannot be matched without more information. We explain the result and the next realistic option.
Need a sworn translation or extra copies?
Add Polish ↔ English, Polish ↔ German or Polish ↔ Spanish sworn translation to your request, by translators entered on Poland’s Ministry of Justice list. Select the number of document copies and certified translation copies in the order form; we confirm availability and a combined quote before payment.
Explore a real Polish library document
Open the image to inspect the details, or follow the source link to explore the full catalogue record. Historical examples provide context; the document you request today follows the current official procedure.
