Legalization of foreign documents

Do you want to apply for studies in Poland, but you obtained your high school leaving certificate or other certificate abroad? You must meet several conditions and provide the required documents.

Find out everything important about certificates obtained outside Poland!

Certified (“sworn”) translation of documents

A diploma or secondary school leaving certificate is necessary to apply for a place at a university. If you have documents obtained abroad but want to study in Poland at WSB-NLU, it is necessary to translate the document into Polish.

Why is certified translation of documents important?

One of the necessary conditions for carrying out the recruitment process at WSB-NLU in the case of documents issued abroad is obtaining a certified translation. Only by providing properly translated documents can the diplomas or certificates delivered to the university be recognized as genuine. Remember to only perform certified translations of documents, not ordinary translations! Unlike a classic translation, only a sworn translation acquires legal force and can be submitted to state institutions or bodies such as WSB-NLU.

Certified translation – what is it?

A certified translation is often colloquially also called a sworn or certified translation. This is a very special type of translation that can only be performed by an authorized person, i.e. a sworn translator. He/she has authorizations granted by the Ministry of Justice, he/she can perform translations with a special certificate, a seal and signature and a dedicated formula informing about the specific document that has been assigned for translation.

Who can perform a certified translation?

If you want to enroll in studies conducted in Polish and you have documents in another language, they must be translated. A certified translation can be made by:

• A sworn translator from Poland who is entered on the list of translators of the Ministry of Justice;
• A sworn translator from the European Union;
• Consul of the Republic of Poland located in the country where the diploma or certificate was issued;
• Accredited diplomatic representation in Poland.

What should you remember when performing certified translations of documents?

Is your diploma or certificate that you want to submit to WSB-NLU certified with an Apostille? Remember to translate this document into Polish as well! Are you planning to apply for WSB-NLU studies conducted in a foreign language? Translate documents (i.e. diploma or certificate) into Polish or English.

Apostille and legalization for a certificate issued outside Poland

Apostille is a certificate issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on documents intended for legal transactions in countries that have signed the Hague Convention. To put it simply: an apostille is a certification of a document (in this case a diploma or school leaving certificate) prepared in one country in order to be able to use this document fully legally in another country. This ensures that the document is authentic and can be used abroad. Any document confirmed by an Apostille may be submitted to the university. An apostille is issued at the request of the diploma or school leaving certificate. The Apostille is issued by NAWA and the Education Board of the country in which the diploma was obtained. The full list of countries and institutions that are responsible for issuing the apostille can be found here:

https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/authorities1/?cid=41

Nostrification of a diploma or certificate, what is it?

Since not all countries have an agreement with Poland, in some cases recognition of the diploma or certificate is necessary. What is that? Nostrification is a procedure that leads to determining the Polish equivalent of a foreign diploma or certificate. Nostrification applies to diplomas or certificates of completion of studies abroad, which cannot be recognized as equivalent to their Polish equivalents. The nostrification procedure is carried out on the basis of the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of September 28, 2018 on the nostrification of diplomas completing studies abroad and on confirmation of completion of studies at a specific level (Journal of Laws, item 1881).

Nostrification of a school leaving certificate or a secondary school leaving certificate obtained abroad additionally requires the presentation of a certificate confirming that the certificate obtained entitles you to apply for admission to higher education.