Are you planning to use notary services in Poland for the first time? Whether you’re buying a property, renting one, granting a power of attorney, here’s a guide to what to expect and why hiring an interpreter is essential.
Understanding notary services in Poland
If you come from a country where the legal system is not based on Roman law, you might find the role of a Polish notary unfamiliar. While terms like notary public exist in places like the United States, the services provided by Polish notaries differ significantly. In Poland, notaries are qualified lawyers with a unique role in the legal system.
Polish notaries are lawyers
In Poland, notaries are lawyers who draft essential legal documents that are required to have the form of a notary deeds. These include all property deeds (property purchase contracts), certain powers of attorney, last wills and testaments, donations, declarations of intent, as well as some corporate documentation. It means, for example, that you cannot purchase a property without signing a proper notary deed. A contract signed in any other form would be simply invalid.
The role of the notary is to ensure that the document has been drafted correctly and in line with the law. The notaries also ensure that the rights of both parties have been respected. Notarized deeds are official documents on par with those issued by authorities and courts.
Why do you need a sworn interpreter to sign the deed?
All notary deeds must be drafted in Polish and are read out in Polish by the notary before being signed by the parties. For this reason, if you do not speak Polish, you will need to hire a sworn interpreter. It is a mandatory requirement for the deed to be valid. You cannot simply declare to have read the deed before. You also cannot rely on the interpretation of a friend or a family member: the law requires that you must have the deed interpreted by someone licensed and qualified.
As a sworn interpreter, I can assure you that this requirement makes sense. Polish deeds contain a lot of specialist legal language, making it difficult for a non-trained person to translate them properly into another language. On top of that, a sworn interpreter knows how to explain certain legal concepts. They can clarify any doubts about the process or help you in making any last moment additions or amendments to the deed.
What to expect
If the interpreter is properly trained, the process is very smooth! The interpreter will use the sight translation technique – translating the written Polish text of the deed on the spot, “reading” it simultaneously with the Polish version being read out by the notary. If at any point anything in the text seems unclear to you, you simply ask the interpreter to stop and you can ask him or her or the notary for clarifications. This interpreting technique is the most efficient and allows you to follow the text smoothly. It is also a proof that the interpreter is well trained and has strong interpreting, linguistic and legal skills.
The alternative is consecutive translation. In this case, the notary will read out a fragment of the deed in Polish and then wait for the interpreter to translate it into English. As the sentences in the Polish deeds are rather long (they stretch entire paragraphs, and in some cases – several pages), it may make it more difficult for you to follow the text. The same applies to the other party, signing the deed in Polish. The reading is interrupted multiple times, the parties get confused and tired, and it takes much longer to sign the document. This is why I always work with my clients using the simultaneous sight translation technique.
The choice of the technique is also important in the context of the fee: interpreters are likely to charge you hourly. So even if the hourly fee of a consecutive interpreter is lower, you may end up paying more!
Need a sworn interpreter in Kraków?
If you plan on signing a notary deed in Kraków, I’ll be happy to assist you with interpreting. Contact me by phone or email with the details of your deed, and I’d be happy to provide you with a quote.