A state-certified (sworn) translator is a publicly trusted person, fluent in both the source and the target language, appointed and accredited by the Ministry of Justice and entered in the Roll of Sworn Translators. A sworn translator is authorised to issue and certify translations for all official purposes in Poland. The profession is regulated by the Sworn Translators Act 2004.
A certified (sworn) translation is a translation performed according to a set of legally prescribed rules, signed, sealed and delivered by a sworn translator who certifies that the document is a true and faithful translation of the source document. A certified translation is a document introduced to legal dealings in place of the original and as such is recorded in the Sworn Translator’s Register.
A certified translation does not only reflect the text of the original but also any non-verbal elements such as stamps, seals, signatures, national emblems, logos, watermarks, handwritten additions/deletions, etc. In the certification formula, the translator specifies the form of the source document (e.g. original, (scanned) copy) so if you wish to order a certified translation based on a copy make sure that this is acceptable to the authority in question. In such a case, the translation will be permanently attached to a printout/photocopy of the source document.
Typical documents that require certified translation:
– birth, marriage and death certificates,
– wills and other inheritance-related documents,
– corporate documents (Articles of Association, bylaws, minutes of General Meetings, minutes of meetings of the Board of Directors, deeds, powers of attorney, contracts, policies, codes, financial statements, etc.),
– court documents (judgments, orders, decrees, indictments, pleadings, motions, petitions, etc.),
– documents certifying education, qualifications or experience (diplomas, certificates, licences, credentials, letters of reference, etc.),
– vehicle registration documents (applications, registration certificates, contracts, insurance policies, etc.),
– Church documents required for sacraments (baptism certificates, Godparent certificates, certifications of Holy Communion and confirmation, affidavits of freedom to marry, certificates of no impediments to marriage, marriage licences, marriage preparation course completion certificates, pre-nuptial questionnaires, delegations of authority, decrees of nullity, etc.).