How to obtain a copy of a birth certificate from the Polish Civil Registry Office?

The Civil Registry Office (Urząd Stanu Cywilnego) is the first important institution to start genealogical research. Knowledge about our ancestors often ends with grandparents, or in the best case, great-grandparents. Frequently, only the names are known, and the exact date and place of birth seem impossible to determine. Many claim that there is no chance of discovering information about further generations because “grandma burned the documents in anger,” “there is no one left to ask,” or “grandpa refuses to talk about what happened.”

The good news is that even in such situations, not all is lost, and assistance can come from the Civil Registry Office.

Civil Registry Office – what will I find there?

At the Polish Civil Registry Office, you’ll find birth records less than 100 years old, as well as marriage and death records less than 80 years old.

After this time, theoretically, the documents are transferred to the State Archive (Archiwum Państwowe). They can then be freely accessed for viewing in the archive’s reading room or remotely, if they have been scanned and made available in an online search engine.

In theory – because there are sometimes delays in transferring the records, it can also happen that several years are grouped together in one register. In such cases, one may need to wait until the most recent year reaches the 100-year mark.

The documents held in the Civil Registry Office are protected under personal data regulations, so not everyone has access to them.

Who is eligible to receive a copy of the documents from the Polish Civil Registry Office?

According to the law, the following individuals are eligible to obtain a copy of a birth, marriage, or death certificate:
  • the person named in the document,
  • their ancestors (such as grandparents and parents),
  • their descendants (including children and grandchildren) and siblings,
  • spouse,
  • guardian, legal representative, or authorized proxy,
  • qualified public officials,
  • court.

This means that you can easily request a copy of your grandmother’s birth certificate. However, if you need the birth certificate of her sister or brother, you’ll have to ask for assistance from your uncle, aunt, or cousins.

Which Civil Registry Office should I contact?

If the person whose document you’re interested in was born in a larger city, their birth certificate will be kept in the local Civil Registry Office. The same applies to marriage or death certificates.

In the case of a smaller town or village, start by determining the municipality to which the place belongs. If you’re unsure, it’s worth calling the nearby Civil Registry Offices and asking the clerk. Sometimes they can quickly check if a particular record exists. Occasionally, it may turn out that documents from a specific year have been destroyed, or depending on the period, they may be stored in several different Civil Registry Offices – so it’s worth inquiring.

How can I get a copy of a document?

You can obtain a copy of a document in three ways:

  1. By visiting any Civil Registry Office in person. It’s best to visit the office where the specific document is kept – you can then take a photo of the original, which sometimes contains more details than a complete copy (which will be discussed later).
  2. By sending a traditional mail application to the Civil Registry Office where the document was prepared.
  3. Online – if are a Polish citizen and you have a trusted profile, you can submit an application through the ePUAP platform without leaving your home. In my opinion, this is the most convenient option if you know the exact dates of birth, marriage, and death. If you’re unsure, a personal visit may be crucial.

Complete or abbreviated copy?

The abbreviated copy costs 22 złoty, while the complete copy costs 33 złoty. It’s worth paying the extra 11 złoty because the complete copy includes all the information from the original document, including annotations that can be vital for genealogical research, such as details about adoption, name changes, religious conversions, deaths, and marriages.

What’s next?

The response from the Civil Registry Office can be either positive or negative. In the case of a positive response, you will receive a copy of the document containing new information about your ancestors. However, it may also happen that the document is not found. There could be several reasons for this:

  1. It’s possible that you’ve identified the wrong Civil Registry Office (for instance, within one province, there might be several villages with the same name, each falling under a different Civil Registry Office – in such cases, you’ll need to try each one individually).
  2. The actual date of birth (marriage, or death) may be different, or the person may have been registered in a different year – in such cases, a visit to the Civil Registry Office in person could be helpful.
  3. Records from a specific period may not have survived (for example, due to wartime destruction, fire, or flooding). In such cases, you’ll need to rely on other available documents, which will be discussed in upcoming articles.

In the meantime, I’ll be rooting for successful applications!

Talk to you later,

Marta

Końcowy raport składa się z kopi odnalezionych dokumentów, tłumaczeń, zdjęć oraz podsumowania. Wyjaśniam pokrewieństwo odnalezionych osób, opisuję sprawdzone źródła i kontekst historyczny. Najczęściej poszukiwania dzielone są na parę etapów i opisuję możliwości kontynuacji.

Czasem konkretny dokument może zostać nie odnaleziony z różnych przyczyn – migracji do innych wiosek/miast w dalszych pokoleniach, ochrzczenia w innej parafii, lukach w księgach, zniszczeń dokumentów w pożarach lub w czasie wojen.  Cena końcowa w takiej sytuacji nie ulega zmienia, ponieważ wysiłek włożony w poszukiwania jest taki sam bez względu na rezultat.

Raporty mogą się od siebie mniej lub bardziej różnić w zależności od miejsca, z którego rodzina pochodziła (np. dokumenty z zaboru pruskiego, austriackiego i rosyjskiego różnią się od siebie formą i treścią).

 

Na podstawie zebranych informacji (Twoich i moich) przygotuję plan i wycenę – jeśli ją zaakceptujesz, po otrzymaniu zaliczki rozpoczynam pracę i informuję o przewidywanym czasie ukończenia usługi. Standardowe poszukiwania trwają około 1 miesiąca, a o wszelkich zmianach będę informować Cię na bieżąco.

Na Twoje zapytanie odpiszę w ciągu 3 dni roboczych i jest to etap bezpłatny. Być może zadam parę dodatkowych pytań, dopytam o cele albo od razu przedstawię propozycję kolejnych kroków.

Warto pamiętać, że im więcej szczegółów podasz, tym więcej rzeczy mogę odkryć.

Podziel się ze mną:

  • Imionami i nazwiskami przodków (wszystkich, o których wiesz)
  • Miejscami urodzenia i zamieszkania (jeśli jest inne np. wojnie)
  • Datami urodzenia, ślubów i zgonu (mogą być orientacyjne)
  • Informacjami o rodzeństwie, kuzynach, emigracjach.
  • Legendami i historiami rodzinnymi

I najważniejsze – jeśli masz niewiele informacji, zupełnie się tym nie martw, w takich sytuacjach także znajdę rozwiązanie.

All rights reserved ® Marta Maćkowiak 2023

Impressum:
Projekt: lukaszhajduk.com
Kod: tomhajduk.com
Zdjęcia: @kasia_kaleta

Polityka prywatności