What is a Polish Certificate of No Criminal Record?

If HR, a voivode’s office, or a foreign consulate has asked you for a Polish Certificate of No Criminal Record, you may have already discovered there’s no official document by that exact English name. What they’re actually asking for is a zaświadczenie z Krajowego Rejestru Karnego – an extract from Poland’s National Criminal Register (KRK), issued from the central KRK office on ul. Czerniakowska 100 in Warsaw, or through any regional court’s KRK information point.

It can be obtained same-day in person, or in a few days through the electronic system if you have a Trusted Profile (profil zaufany) or qualified e-signature. One thing worth knowing upfront: the KRK only reflects convictions handed down inside Poland. If your situation involves a residence permit, work permit, or citizenship application, the receiving authority will usually also want an equivalent certificate from your home country.

When You Will Need a Polish Certificate of No Criminal Record

The certificate shows up in more places than most people expect:

Residence and visa procedures. Voivode offices processing a temporary residence card (TRC) or visa renewal typically want the Polish KRK alongside a home-country police certificate, apostilled and translated into Polish, both issued within a set validity window.
Starting a job. Banks, KNF-supervised financial firms, public-sector employers, and any role involving minors will usually request it before you sign a contract – often the paper original rather than the electronic version.
Being appointed as a company director. When you’re entered into the KRS as a board member of a Polish spółka z o.o., the registry court checks your KRK record to confirm you’re not disqualified under the Commercial Companies Code.
Regulated professions and bar exams. Legal apprenticeships (aplikacja adwokacka, radcowska, notarialna), statutory auditor licensing, and real-estate broker certification all require a clean record on file.
Firearms permits and security roles. This one uses a different form entirely – issued from the firearms-registry side of KRK – so it’s worth confirming you’re requesting the right version before you apply.
Adoption cases. Family courts request the KRK for both prospective adoptive parents, plus equivalent certificates covering any country either parent has lived in over the preceding years.
US visa categories (O, EB, K, and similar). Consulates generally want the KRK apostilled by Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MSZ) and accompanied by a sworn English translation.
Public procurement bids. Companies bidding on tenders typically need a current KRK both for the entity itself and for each board member, valid as of the tender opening date.

How the process actually runs

Intake – confirm what the certificate is for, which form applies (private, employment-related, or firearms/ZRSO), whether an apostille is needed, and the target language for translation.
Power of Attorney – signed electronically through ePUAP if you have a Trusted Profile, or on paper otherwise.
Filing – the application (wniosek) goes in either at a KRK counter for same-day paper issuance, or electronically for a signed digital file within a few days.
Collection – we retrieve the paper original or the signed electronic file, and courier it to you if you’re not in Warsaw.
Apostille (where the destination requires it) – legalized through MSZ. Not needed for most destinations within the EU, where Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 removes the legalization requirement for this category of document between member states.
Sworn translation – completed by a translator on the Ministry of Justice’s official sworn-translator list, into the language your receiving authority needs.

What we need from you to get started

A clear photo of your passport bio page
PESEL number, if you have one (without it, we file on paper using your passport details)
Proof of legal stay in Poland, such as a karta pobytu, if applicable
A signed Power of Attorney
Trusted Profile (profil zaufany) credentials, if you want to go the electronic route
Any maiden name or prior surnames – the registry checks all recorded aliases
Confirmation of exactly which authority is requesting the certificate
If it’s going abroad: the destination country and required translation language

Frequently asked questions

Does my home country’s police certificate work instead of the Polish KRK?

No – they cover different things. The Polish KRK only records convictions from Polish courts; your home country’s certificate (e.g., an FBI Identity History Summary, a UK ACRO check, an Australian AFP National Police Check, or a Canadian RCMP check) covers convictions there. Residence permit applications generally require both, with the home-country certificate apostilled and translated into Polish.

How long is the certificate valid for?

There’s no fixed statutory validity period – the document simply reflects the register’s status as of its issue date. In practice, though, the authority requesting it usually sets its own acceptable age for the document, often a few months, so it’s worth confirming that window before you apply rather than assuming.

Can this be done without traveling to Poland?

Yes – this is the core of what we handle. Everything from the Power of Attorney through filing, collection, apostille, and translation can be run remotely.

What’s the difference between the private version and the employment version?

The form and the legal basis you cite differ depending on who’s requesting it and why – an employer requesting it under a statutory obligation to check for a clean record files under a different basis than a private individual requesting their own certificate. We confirm the right form during intake so it isn’t rejected for using the wrong basis.

I’m applying for a US visa – what does the full chain look like?

Generally: the Polish KRK certificate, apostilled by MSZ, then a sworn translation into English – all three prepared as one package for the consulate.

What about the firearms-permit version?

It’s a separate application (zaświadczenie o niekaralności na potrzeby ZRSO) issued from the firearms-registry side of the system, not the standard KRK form – requesting the wrong one is a common and avoidable delay.

Will a spent or expunged conviction still appear?

Whether older or expunged records show up depends on the specific legal basis for erasure and the type of offense – this is worth confirming case by case rather than assuming either way.

Legal basis

National Criminal Register Act of 24 May 2000
Minister of Justice regulation on KRK certificate templates
Foreigners Act of 12 December 2013 (KRK requirements for residence permits)
Act of 13 May 2016 on counteracting sexual-offence threats
Hague Apostille Convention of 5 October 1961

Get it handled

If you need an official Polish Certificate of No Criminal Record — with or without an apostille and sworn translation — Lex Corporation can manage the entire process remotely

Contact Lex Corporation Website: https://lexcorporation.pl/

WhatsApp: +48 573 467 138

Email: info@lexcorporation.pl