If the recipient needs a paper original of a Polish criminal record certificate, or a certificate for an apostille at MSZ, choose a paper KRK certificate. If the institution accepts electronic documents, you can obtain the certificate through e-KRK and send the original file with its electronic signature. An ordinary printout of an electronic certificate does not replace a paper original.
How electronic and paper KRK certificates differ
The original of a paper certificate is the paper document itself. For the electronic version, it is the file with the issuing official’s electronic signature, which can be verified. The institution receiving your certificate will need to tell you which version to provide.
Submit the paper original if you have a paper certificate, or the original signed files for an electronic one. Printing the electronic version does not turn it into a paper KRK original.
| Format | Status of the document | For submission |
|---|---|---|
| KRK certificate issued on paper | The paper document is the original | Provide the paper document in accordance with the recipient’s requirements. |
| XML with an e-KRK electronic signature | The electronic document is the original | Send the original files so that the signature can be checked. |
| Visualisation (for example, a PDF) | The response laid out for reading | Include it if requested, alongside the electronic original. |
| Scanned paper certificate | A copy of the paper document in a digital file | Confirm whether the recipient accepts this copy or needs the paper original. |
| A printout of the e-KRK response | A printed representation of an electronic document | Do not use it in place of an official paper original. |
Gov.pl explains that an electronic KRK response is an electronically signed XML document. A printout of that XML has no official-document status. If a PDF shows a signature or stamp, you still need to verify the electronic signature.
Does the recipient need paper or XML?
- Where electronically signed XML is accepted, you can use the electronic certificate. Check the recipient’s instructions for sending the file.
- If it needs a paper original, order a paper KRK certificate.
- For an apostille from Poland’s MSZ, you need a suitable paper certificate.
- If the requirement just says “criminal record certificate”, ask which format it means before you apply.
An electronic KRK certificate has the status of an official Polish electronic document. You still need confirmation from the employer, university or foreign authority receiving it, covering both the format and how to submit it. Requirements can differ between recipients.
How to send an electronic certificate and verify its signature
Save everything you receive in the e-KRK response. When the download comes as a ZIP, save both the archive and the files it contains. Keep these originals as received, rather than relying on screenshots or a printout.
How to read the contents
The official Wizualizacja section of e-KRK lets you view XML. Select the response file, enter the code displayed and download the prepared archive. This function creates a readable display of the document.
How to verify the electronic signature
Gov.pl provides official instructions for checking a signed document. These link to podpis.gov.pl and explain how to work with XML and XAdES:
- Prepare the original signed file. If the signature is stored separately, also keep the document file it relates to.
- Open “Podpisz lub sprawdź dokument” (Sign or check a document) and add the file to check.
- If the file has a signature, select “Sprawdź, kto podpisał” (Check who signed).
- Check who signed and what status the tool shows for the signature. A valid signature is marked “Ważny” (Valid) in the instructions.
The files included in a response can vary. A separately stored signature may be needed alongside the original XML for verification, so follow the instructions in the checking tool. If the check fails, keep the original files intact and ask KRK support what to do next. Reading the contents is possible without establishing that the signature is valid; that still requires the separate verification step.
Sending the electronic original
Agree whether the institution accepts the original archive or separate files, and how to send them. Supply the electronically signed original; include a visualisation for ease of reading if needed. Do not alter the original files.
Can you print e-KRK for an apostille?
No. An ordinary e-KRK printout is unsuitable for an apostille at MSZ. Obtain a KRK certificate issued as a paper original.
The MSZ instructions address criminal record certificates separately. The ministry warns that it cannot place an apostille on a photocopy or a printout from the ePUAP platform.
If you already have an electronic certificate, first check the recipient’s requirements. If they require a paper original with an apostille, the next step is to order a paper KRK certificate. Further arrangements are described on the criminal record certificate apostille page.
What to send to the translator
The translator needs the original electronic document together with its signature files. If yours was issued on paper, provide the paper document and the recipient’s requirements. A scan can be used for an initial quotation. Ask the translator about seeing the original before you commission the work.
If the translation must cover the apostille as well as the paper certificate, obtain the apostille and then send both for translation. You can also have an electronic document translated. In either case, check what form the translation must take and how you are to submit it.
Fees for paper and electronic KRK certificates
The state fee is 20 zł through e-KRK and 30 zł for a paper certificate. Current rates are published on the KRK fees page.
Statutory exemptions apply in certain cases; you must provide evidence of your entitlement. For example, a letter from the organiser is required for certain volunteer duties at children’s holiday camps.
These amounts cover the state register’s provision of information. Obtaining the certificate through an agency, translation, an apostille and delivery are charged under the terms of the chosen service. An electronic format does not guarantee that the certificate will be issued faster.
What to ask the recipient
If no format is specified, check the institution’s requirements before ordering the certificate. You can use this wording:
Do you accept a Polish KRK certificate as electronically signed XML, or do you require a paper original? How should I send the document? Are a translation and an apostille required? Is there a limit on how old the certificate may be?
Pass their reply to the translator or person preparing your papers. It gives you a basis for agreeing what the submission should include before they start work.
How to obtain a certificate in the required format
For an electronic response, use e-KRK. Paper certificates are available through an application made in person, by post or through a representative. Choose one of these routes for a paper original. Printing the electronic response produces a copy, not that original.
When you know which format the institution requires and whether an apostille and translation are needed, you can make the application yourself or use an agency. Translate Service offers help with obtaining the certificate and getting it ready for the recipient.
For the application steps, see how to obtain a Polish criminal record certificate.
