Poland in US

Important: Consular offices are not authorized to obtain copies of civil status records or certificates of civil status from any civil registry office in Poland.

Obtaining a Copy of a Civil Status Record by Relatives in Poland

Copies of civil status records may be obtained by the relatives of an individual residing abroad, as well as by persons exercising legal custody over that individual, namely:

1. spouse,
2. ascendants (parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc.),
3. descendants (children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc.),
4. siblings,
5. legal representative,
6. guardian.

A copy may be obtained at any civil registry office (Urząd Stanu Cywilnego) within Poland.
Please note that relatives of the concerned individual are not entitled to obtain a certificate of civil status. Certificates of civil status are issued exclusively upon the request of the individual concerned.

Obtaining a Copy of a Civil Status Record by the Applicant Residing Abroad

If you do not have relatives in Poland who could obtain a copy of a civil status record on your behalf, you may:

1. Contact the competent civil registry office in Poland to inquire about the possibility of submitting the application by post. This procedure requires prior payment of the relevant administrative fee to the bank account of the civil registry office.
2. Obtain an electronic copy via the ePUAP platform (please note that electronic copies may not be recognized outside the territory of the Republic of Poland and are not accepted by consular offices).
3. Contact the competent civil registry office in Poland and submit a written request by post for the issuance of the copy with delivery through the consulate. Upon your request, the civil registry office will forward the document to the relevant consulate, and consulate will deliver it to you. In this case, a consular fee must be paid in accordance with the Consular Fees.
   The relevant consular office will contact you to collect the payment.

Frequently Asked Questions:

I obtained a copy of our marriage certificate through the consulate several years ago. I have recently been informed that this is no longer possible. Is this correct?

Yes. Consulates no longer have the authority to obtain copies of civil status records from civil registry offices in Poland.

I possess a birth certificate issued prior to March 1, 2015, in the old A5 format. Is it still valid?

Yes. Copies of civil status records issued before March 1, 2015 are valid indefinitely and may still be presented to administrative authorities.
Certificates of civil status, however, are valid for six months from the date of issue.

Legal Basis

Act of 28 November 2014 – Civil Status Records Act
Act of 25 June 2015 – Consular Law