In short
In 1993 Poland and Ukraine signed a legal assistance agreement: official documents issued by one country's authorities are accepted in the other without legalisation. In practice this covers the apostille too. Exceptions are a specific institution's own requirements and use of the document in third countries.
What the agreement says
The Agreement between the Republic of Poland and Ukraine on legal assistance and legal relations in civil and criminal matters was signed in Kyiv on 24 May 1993 (Dz.U. 1994 nr 96 poz. 465). Its Art. 15 concerns the validity of documents: documents drawn up or certified by a competent authority, bearing a seal and signature, require no legalisation.
Where an apostille is usually not needed
- Registry office (USC) — birth certificate transcription, marriage
- Voivodeship office — residence card via MOS
- Courts and notaries in Poland
- Vehicle licensing office — driving licence exchange
Where an apostille is often required
- Polish universities and NAWA — diplomas and school certificates
- Employers in regulated professions
- Banks and private bodies — under their own rules
- Any other country: Spain, Germany, Czechia — the PL–UA agreement doesn't apply there
No apostille ≠ no translation
Even without an apostille, a Polish institution almost always requires a sworn translation into Polish. The whole document is translated, including seals and stamps.
What to do if they ask for an apostille
Ask the institution to confirm the requirement in writing and cite Art. 15 of the agreement. If it stands, the apostille is issued in Ukraine: civil-status certificates by the Ministry of Justice, education documents by the Ministry of Education, others by the MFA. A new electronic apostille procedure has applied since 1 February 2026.