Order a Polish birth certificate
Receive an official certified copy from the Polish civil registry office (USC), with tracked delivery to your address abroad. We handle the application and correspondence in Polish and keep you updated in English.
- From €145price depends on your case
- 2–4 weeksfor records held by the USC
- Worldwidetracked delivery included
- Multilingual abridged copy (Form A), issued by the civil registry office
- Apostille attached by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Seal and signature of the registry office
Help obtaining your Polish birth certificate
Certified by the USC
The copy is issued and sealed by the Polish registry office itself, not a scan or a transcription.
We find the right office
A town and an approximate year are enough to start. We identify the registry office or archive.
Entitlement checked first
We confirm you may request the record, and what proof of relationship is needed, before we apply.
Ready for use abroad
Apostille and sworn translation arranged in the right order, then sent by tracked delivery.
Start your order
Answer a few questions. You see the total before you pay, and nothing is charged until you confirm.
Not sure which version you need?
- Full copy odpis zupełny
- Everything in the register entry, including later annotations such as a change of name, a marriage or a death. Usually needed for Polish citizenship confirmation and the safest choice for authorities abroad.
- Abridged copy odpis skrócony
- The current content of the record, with later changes already taken into account. Enough for most administrative matters.
- Multilingual copy, Form A odpis wielojęzyczny
- An abridged copy in the multilingual format of CIEC Convention No. 16 (Vienna, 1976). No translation is needed where that format is accepted. Often not accepted in citizenship cases or outside Europe.
Still unsure? Tell us where the certificate will be used and what the receiving authority asks for. We help you match the copy to that requirement. Compare the three copies.
By sending this form you confirm that you have read our Privacy Policy and accept our Terms of Service. Details of relatives you give us are used only to find the record and are deleted after the case is closed.
What happens after you order
You send the details
Who the record belongs to, where and roughly when the birth was registered, and where to deliver. About five minutes, in English.
We locate the record
We check your entitlement and apply to the registry office, or search the state archive for older records.
Certified, and legalised if needed
We collect the certified copy and, if you chose them, arrange the apostille and sworn translation.
Delivered to your door
The original travels by tracked delivery. You receive updates at each stage.
Which copy of a Polish birth certificate do you need?
A Polish registry office issues three kinds of copy, called odpis, from the same birth record. The authority that receives the document decides which one it accepts.
Full copy
odpis zupełnyAn exact reproduction of the record as it was drawn up, together with every later entry and change.
- Citizenship and court matters
- Inheritance and genealogy
- When unsure what is required
Abridged copy
odpis skróconyThe current content of the record, with later changes already taken into account.
- Most administrative matters
- Registration and benefits
- Paper or electronic copy
Multilingual copy
odpis wielojęzycznyAn abridged copy in the multilingual format of CIEC Convention No. 16. Issued on paper only.
- Countries that accept the format
- Avoiding a separate translation
- Often not enough for citizenship
| Feature | Full | Abridged | Multilingual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shows the original entry and every later change | Yes | No | No |
| Reflects the current content of the record | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multilingual format (CIEC No. 16) | No | No | Yes |
| Available as an electronic copy | Yes | Yes | No |
| Price confirmed individually | Individually quoted | Individually quoted | Individually quoted |
Still unsure? Tell us where the certificate will be used and what the receiving authority asks for. We help you match the copy to that requirement.
How Polish birth records work
The rules that decide who can get the document, where it is kept and how long it takes.
Who may request it
The person named in the record, their spouse, ancestors, descendants and siblings, a legal representative or guardian, and anyone who shows a legal interest. If the record is not yours, we tell you exactly what proof of relationship is needed.
Where the record is kept
Records made since 1 March 2015 are held in the electronic civil status register; older paper records are transferred into it when a copy is requested. For an older birth, we check the actual registry or archive holding rather than relying on the event date alone.
Records older than 100 years
They pass to a state archive. The search then covers handwritten books, often in Russian, German or Latin, and usually takes four to eight weeks. The price depends on the search and document required.
Official processing time
7 calendar days for a record already in the electronic register, 7 to 10 working days when a paper record has to be transferred first. Searching, postage and delivery come on top.
Use in another EU country
A Polish birth certificate needs no apostille there. An EU multilingual standard form can be attached as a translation aid, so a translation is needed only in exceptional cases.
If the record cannot be found
Some registers were lost or dispersed during and after the Second World War. You then receive a written search report stating which books and years were checked.
- Extract (wypis) issued by the state archive
- Seal of the state archive
- Certified as consistent with the original record
When the record is held by a state archive
Civil registry retention periods are generally 100 years for births and 80 years for marriages and deaths, counted from the end of the year in which the record was made. Transfer rules, surviving register books and statutory exceptions affect the actual location. We check whether the record is held by the registry or archive before applying.
- Issued and certified by the state archive, with its seal
- Details taken from the original handwritten registers
- Usually four to eight weeks; the price depends on the search required
- Sworn translation available; we confirm any authentication route first
Using the certificate outside the EU
Authorities in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia usually ask for an apostille from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and often a sworn translation. The apostille confirms that the document comes from a genuine Polish office; it does not change its content.
Everything about apostille- 1
Certified copy
Issued by the registry office.
- 2
Apostille
Price confirmed before payment, including the official fee.
- 3
Sworn translation
Made of the whole set, including the apostille.
The order matters: a translation made before the apostille does not cover it, and some authorities reject such a set. We arrange both in the right order.
Before you order
Short answers to the questions we hear most often.
Legal basis and official sources
- Act of 28 November 2014 – Law on Civil Status Records (Prawo o aktach stanu cywilnego), including art. 28 on retention periods
- CIEC Convention No. 16 on multilingual extracts from civil status records, Vienna, 8 September 1976 (Dz.U. 2004 No. 166, item 1735)
- Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 on public documents and e-Justice guidance
Who can request a Polish birth certificate?
The person named in the record, their spouse, ancestors, descendants and siblings, a legal representative or guardian, and anyone who can show a legal interest. If you are ordering someone else’s record, we will tell you exactly what proof of relationship is needed.
What if I do not know the exact date or place of birth?
An approximate year and the town or parish are usually enough to begin. We search the surrounding years and neighbouring registry offices as part of the standard service.
Which copy should I choose?
The full copy is the safest choice for citizenship, court and inheritance matters. The abridged copy is enough for most administrative purposes. The multilingual copy avoids a translation only where the receiving country accepts that format.
Will the certificate be accepted in my country?
Acceptance is decided by the authority that receives it. For use outside the EU it will usually also want an apostille, and often a sworn translation. Tell us where it will be used and we check the requirements with you.
What if the record does not exist?
It can happen with older records, especially where registers were destroyed. We provide a written report of the searches carried out and the responses received. The receiving authority decides whether the report is sufficient for your case.
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 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.
