In 2026, a certificate from the National Criminal Register (KRK) can be obtained in two ways: electronically through the KRK e-Platform for PLN 20 or on paper for PLN 30, by filing a query form at an information point or by post. The electronic version arrives within 7 days, and at a service point the document is usually issued the same day. Below we explain which option to choose, what it costs and what to watch out for when the certificate is intended for an employer, a registry court or a foreign authority.
What KRK information is and what it shows
In everyday language it is called a "certificate of no criminal record", but formally it is information about a person (or a collective entity) issued on the basis of data held in the register maintained by the Minister of Justice. The document states whether a given person appears in the register and, if so, which entries concern them.
The register covers not only final sentences for crimes and fiscal offences. It also records, among other things, conditional discontinuances of proceedings, protective measures imposed, custodial penalties for petty offences, persons temporarily held in custody and those wanted under an arrest warrant. An entry which has been expunged should no longer appear in the information.
A KRK certificate is therefore not a document "of good conduct". It shows only what has been formally recorded in the register on the day it was generated.
When the certificate is needed in business
Most often it is the employer who asks for KRK information — but only when the requirement of no criminal record follows from the rules for a given position or industry (e.g. working with children, security of persons and property, the financial sector). From an entrepreneur's point of view, the situations in which the company itself or its officers must prove a clean record also matter:
- the management board and supervisory board of a capital company – the Code of Commercial Companies excludes persons convicted of specified economic offences and offences against property from holding these positions; the registry court checks this in KRK on entry, and a counterparty or bank may ask for a KRK confirmation,
- concessions, licences and entries in registers of regulated activity – e.g. transport, employment agencies, firearms,
- public tenders – the contracting authority may require KRK information for the contractor and the members of its bodies,
- cases involving foreign nationals and travel abroad – the certificate is sometimes required by authorities of other countries, and foreigners living in Poland sometimes need it in residence procedures or when setting up a business.
If the certificate is to concern the company itself (e.g. in a tender), a query about a collective entity is filed — a separate form, with the same fee as for an individual.
Electronic or paper version — a comparison
| Criterion | KRK e-Platform | Information point or post |
|---|---|---|
| Fee in 2026 | PLN 20, only through the platform's payment system | PLN 30 (transfer, electronic court-fee stamp, cash desk) |
| Waiting time | up to 7 calendar days | in person, usually the same day; by post, longer |
| Form of the document | XML file with an electronic signature | paper document with a signature and seal |
| Requirements | platform account, identity verification (e.g. trusted profile) | ID document, completed query form |
The key practical difference: an electronic certificate must not be printed and treated as an original. A printout is not an official document — the recipient must receive the XML file itself, e.g. by email, on a storage medium or through a recruitment system. If the institution (especially a foreign one) accepts only paper, it is better to choose the traditional variant from the outset.
How to file the application step by step
Online
- Create an account on the KRK e-Platform and verify your identity.
- Choose the application for information about a person and complete your personal details in line with your ID document (including maiden name and parents' first names).
- Pay PLN 20 through the payment system available on the platform – a payment made any other way will not be matched to the application.
- Download the ready file from your account and pass it to the recipient in electronic form.
Traditionally
- Download the query form for information about a person (or collect it at an information point) and fill it in in block capitals, without crossings-out.
- Pay PLN 30 and attach the confirmation, or present an electronic court-fee stamp.
- Submit the form at a KRK information point at a court or at the Information Bureau in Warsaw, or send it by post.
The most frequent cause of delays is discrepancies in the data – a different spelling of the surname than in the PESEL (personal identification number) record, a missing maiden name or a mistaken father's first name. The register may then launch clarifying proceedings and issue of the document is pushed back.
Proxy, foreign nationals and a multilingual document
A query in the traditional mode can be filed by a proxy. A power of attorney in Polish, signed by hand by the principal, is required (a scan is not enough), together with a stamp duty of PLN 17 for the power of attorney, paid separately from the fee for the information itself.
For a citizen of another EU country, the Polish register is obliged to query the register of the country of their citizenship about that person's data (through the ECRIS system) and attach the response. Foreign registers have up to 20 working days to reply, so an EU citizen should expect a longer wait than a person with Polish citizenship.
When the certificate is to be submitted to an authority in another EU country, a multilingual standard form may additionally be ordered (fee PLN 17). This limits the need for a sworn translation.
Validity of the certificate and free-of-charge exceptions
The rules do not set a validity period for KRK information — the document describes the state of the register on the day of issue. In practice, it is the recipient who decides how "fresh" a certificate they will accept; often it is a few weeks or months. Before filing a request, therefore, it is worth making sure when the document will actually be needed, rather than ordering it well in advance.
No fee is charged, for example, from volunteers who are to serve as educators or managers of holiday camps for children and young people – a letter from the organiser is attached to the application in that case.
How Good Balance can help
We help entrepreneurs and foreign nationals put together the documents required when setting up a company, changing a management board or going through residence procedures, including deciding whether and in what form KRK information is needed. The details are discussed in a legal consultation, and we support company registration within the company registration service. If you are setting up a business as a foreigner, it is also worth reading the guide on starting a business as a foreigner.