Dorota Walker Tłumacz Przysięgły Języka Angielskiego - Certified Translator

25/06/2025

❓️What is the strangest place where you talked about your work?

🏜 For me... the Sahara! A few days ago I was explaining to a young Berber guy in the camp in the middle of the desert, the ins and outs of and deciphering old handwriting in the archives. He was so taken that he read more online (yes, I was also surprised there's wifi in the tents in the sea of sand!).

🪬 We all want to know where we came from regardless where we live and the culture we grew up in.

🏂 Btw, if you're ever there, try . Lots of fun!

12/06/2025

📢 Now is the time to search, as some archival collections may not be available for months or even years!

📜 Last week, when visiting the Polish National Archives in Opole, I found out about the planned building works across many sites. Genealogy or history researchers, as well as people applying for Polish or German citizenship through ancestry, are likely to be affected.

Find out more about the disruption and what you can do to carry out your research https://dorotawalker.com/2025/06/05/archives-in-poland-collection-availability-update/.

19/05/2025

How to get Polish citizenship?
For decades, Polish people emigrated to the West seeking a better life, and escaping political persecution and poverty. Now, Poland is an attractive place to live, an exciting country of opportunities. Being a member of the EU, Polish citizens have access to a 500-million-strong European market with free movement of people, goods, and services. That means that a Polish passport allows you to travel, live, and work visa-free all over Europe. Becoming a citizen of the Republic of Poland can be a fantastic way to change your life. If your ancestors were Polish, you may be eligible to obtain Polish citizenship by descent. Fancy an EU passport? Check the list to see whether you qualify.

Polish citizenship by descent

1. Ask your Nana about Poland heritage

If you don’t know much about your long-gone relatives, you’re not alone! Most people struggle to name their great-grandparents. If you’re in your 30s, they were most likely born at a time when Theodore Roosevelt was the president of the US, most of the world didn’t have electricity, and women didn’t have the right to vote.

These people you saw in an old photo album wearing long dresses and interesting facial hair may actually give you a Polish passport. If they were born in Poland or in the areas that became Polish after 1918, they may help you acquire Polish citizenship. So go and ask your old and hopefully not-so-grumpy relatives and find out more about where they came from.

2. What if Nana can't help?

If you can’t get information that way, there are many genealogical resources online where you can find out more. The first source would be the US censuses which give the country of origin. They are freely available on familysearch.org. You can also find other types of records such as births, marriages and deaths, passengers’ lists, etc. Gather as many as you can as they all will be useful in the application process.

Genealogy can be fun, but if it is too time-consuming or simply boring, you can hire someone to do it. There are many options available, but why not work with someone in Poland, who knows exactly what documents the Polish officials would like to see in the application?

3. Polish law

You’ve gathered some information about your Polish ancestry and you know your great-grandparents were born in Poland. Seems it’s a done deal. Well… not really. There are three different citizenship acts that have to be considered. Depending on when your ancestors were born, when they emigrated, whether they were naturalized, or even whether they served in the army can be a factor. There may be a situation that you qualify for Polish citizenship, but your cousins don’t, simply because their direct ancestor was born after the naturalization process, or because dual citizenship wasn’t an option at the time, or because it was the female line. There are many details that you need to consider – it’s like putting bits of information about your ancestors into an algorithm. The key is you must prove the uninterrupted line of Polish citizenship through descent.

Going through this process without an attorney who knows exactly how to successfully apply for Polish citizenship may end up in disappointment. Going solo would be like fixing a modern car with just a hammer – you may be lucky, but most likely the result won’t be great. Unless it was your parents who emigrated, the process can be complicated and just dropping an application at the Polish consulate won’t do the trick. Don’t lose hope, there are people happy to help!

4. Apply for Polish citizenship

Legally in Poland, there are two roads to Polish citizenship: administrative procedure and through the President of Poland. The President has the right to grant citizenship to anyone. It may feel it’s a quick and simple process, but don’t be fooled. Even celebrities have to wait – Jesse Eisenberg lingered for 18 months to get a Polish passport. If you would like to live in Poland with citizenship given by the President, in practice, you’d have to submit the same documents as with the administrative way.

In the administrative path, all applications end up with the relevant Regional Governor (Wojewoda) – most of them are filed in the Capital City. Even if you submit them to the consulate, they’ll just be sent there as the Warsaw Voivodeship Office processes applications for citizenship from abroad.
A legal representative who will help you to become a Polish citizen

You need a legal representative here as all correspondence regarding your Polish citizenship can only be sent to an address in Poland. The best solution is to hire a lawyer who will help you to go through the whole process.
Documents needed to acquire Polish citizenship
Originals and certified copies

Remember that a downloaded image or a scan isn’t a real document. We’re quite used to the digital format, but when it comes to serious official proceedings, not much has changed since the analog era. It’s not personal, it’s the law and the employees of a Voivodeship Office are there to adhere to it. Sadly, there are dishonest people who present fake documents and due diligence is important.

It’s difficult to part with the only copy of precious documents. When submitting them, it is almost certain, you won’t get them back as they stay in the official archive. There’s a simple solution – make certified copies. It can be done by a notary or an attorney with an officially certified signature and credentials (we’ve got it covered for you).
Certified translations

You need to attach foreign-language documents to the application. However, all documents must be translated into the Polish language by a sworn translator. It is possible that your application will have documents in English, Polish, Russian, German, or even Hebrew and Arabic! Before World War 1, there was no Polish state, and Polish civil records such as birth certificates or marriage certificates were issued in the official language of the area. We’ll be happy to assist with translating documents into Polish as well.
Submit an application to obtain Polish citizenship

The application and the attached documents have to be filed with a consul or by correspondence to the relevant authorities. The official fees are set by the Minister of Interior and Administration. The current ones can be found on a gov.pl website.
How long does it take to get Polish citizenship?

As with all things official – it’s hard to predict. Each case of obtaining citizenship is different, but it takes about 12 to 18 months.

5. Polish passport

Once your Polish citizenship by descent is confirmed, you can apply for a Polish passport. It is highly ranked as it gives you permits and the rights available to all citizens of the European Union. It takes up to a month to receive it. Your lawyer can sort out your passport application for you as well.

6. What about my spouse and kids?

If you are eligible for Polish citizenship by ancestry, your children are automatically entitled to apply for citizenship as well. It may be a different story for spouses – if they don’t have Polish heritage, they can apply when they reside in Poland. It is a different legal procedure though, but being married to a Polish citizen would make their case stronger.
We can help - contact us!

We are a team of experts in citizenship law and genealogy. We leave no stone unturned to make sure you can submit your application and be successful. We look after you throughout the process – from the first consultation, through gathering the documents, and all the way to receiving your Polish passport.

Lidia Gawałkiewicz is based in Bydgoszcz and specializes in the North of Poland and the Russian Partition genealogy. She has successfully worked with clients from Great Britain, the United States, and Israel helping them to discover their Polish heritage and confirm Polish citizenship. Lidia is an expert in Jewish genealogy and you can reach her at lidiazawrot@gmail.com or find her on LinkedIn.

Dorota Walker lives in Ustron (a mountain resort in the South) and knows the archives of Silesia, the Austrian and Prussian Partition inside-out. After a stellar career at the British Library in London, she is also a certified Polish-to-English and English-to-Polish translator and interpreter. Dorota does research into German and Polish ancestors. Email her at dorotawalker@gmail.com.

Ronald Wasilewski runs a legal practice in Cracow which attracts international clients. He has many satisfied customers who became citizens of Poland. Ronald is skilled in the citizenship procedures and ensures that the process of acquisition of Polish citizenship runs smoothly and is bullet-proof. You can set up an online legal consultation by writing to office@wasilewski.legal or connect with him on LinkedIn.

12/03/2025

💻 📜 I have had an account on Ancestry for years and searched for hundreds of people there. Records for family history in the U.S. or Great Britain are amazing, and it is a useful tool for genealogists. Although there are some digitized collections relating to Central and Eastern Europe, I was never very hopeful to find my Polish ancestors there. I get notification emails with potential matches, but they are always so random and are never even close to the names in my family tree. That was until yesterday… https://dorotawalker.com/2025/03/12/ancestry-free-family-search/

07/03/2025

🧬An award-winning actor and director Jesse Eisenberg just received Polish hashtag after a hashtag trip to reconnect with his roots in hashtag ...

📽️Kieran Culkin just received an Oscar for the film that tells a story about finding your hashtag ...

🤔Maybe it's time you check whether you qualify for Polish or German citizenship!

A Real Pain (2024) - New Film with Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin

Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin star in this Oscar-winning comedy drama showing two cousins' tour of Poland to honor their grandmother and discover their Polish-Jewish roots.

Jesse Eisenberg latest film A Real Pain (2024) is a bittersweet comedy that brought Kieran Culkin an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. It is a story of two Jewish cousins' tour through Poland who discover their grandmother's heritage. Full of charm, this new film also painfully reminds us of the horrors of the Holocaust. It has become very personal to the lead star as he just received Polish citizenship.

Story

Two cousins - Benji (Kieran Culkin) and David Kaplan (Jesse Eisenberg) decide to embark on a journey through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. With a group of fellow travelers, they visit Warsaw, Lublin, and Krasnystaw. This Holocaust tour is far from a somber experience with Benji's energetic and inappropriate behavior to the horror of his serious cousin. During the trip, the old tensions resurface causing a series of verbal sparring matches between them. The modern-day problems are a backdrop of their family history. During their trip to Poland, the mismatched cousins David and Benji see places such as the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes, Grzybów Square, the Warsaw Uprising Monument, Old Jewish Cemetery in Lublin, and visit Majdanek concentration camp. Immersed in the trauma of the past, the dynamics between them changes and nothing will be the same.

Family history in a nutshell

Jesse Eisenberg's movie reveals the old scars seen from a 21st-century perspective. Culkin's performance clashes with the revered truths and asks important questions about 'normalcy' that's kind of crazy in a place so damaged by the events of WW2. It is inspiring to see two young men not only reuniting for a trip but also sharing a deep emotional experience. It is not often that a screenplay is an inspiration for a search where we came from. Finding ancestors, their names, places they lived, sometimes even stories from their lives is an enriching and satisfying experience. Some people spend years searching through the archives to weave a story that connects them to the long-gone people and places. It tells as much about the past as about them and the present. Who am I? Where do I come from? What is my identity? My heritage?

That is just one side of the story. We can find 'our people' not only through the DNA, but also through shared experiences, faith, or simply the place we live. Eloge, the Rwandan Jewish convert, played by Kurt Egyiawan may seem a stranger but nothing could be further from the truth. Perhaps the road to self-discovery does not necessarily lead through the blood relatives. Perhaps it may be enough to connect with the landscape knowing that our ancestors breathed the same air, looked at the same fields and mountains, drank water from the same stream. Do we need to hear stories directly from our nearest and dearest? Or is it enough to have someone like a British tour guide in Poland who brings the characters played by Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin closer to their roots and to each other.

Heritage and citizenship

'A Real Pain' was directed by Jesse Eisenberg whose family were Polish Jews and who just received Polish citizenship from the President. Highlighting his strong links with Poland and the fact that his family lived here for much longer than in the United States, Eisenberg is an example of a growing trend. Genealogy as a hobby is well and good, but the discoveries leading to a Polish passport which allows you to live, work, run businesses, and travel across the European Union may be even more satisfying. It is a complex and time-consuming process. It is also life changing.

Find out more

If you are interested in obtaining a Polish or German citizenship, consult it with a team of experts and get a free assessment. Send an email to dorotawalker@gmail.com or make an appointment here.



Image courtesy of https://flixchatter.net/2024/11/12/flixchatter-review-a-real-pain-2024-jesse-eisenberg-kieran-culkins-bittersweet-buddy-dramedy-is-a-real-delight/

20/01/2025

Współpraca z takimi fachowcami to sama przyjemność! Rafał to DJ prowadzący imprezy, takie jak wesela po polsku i angielsku - super opcja dla międzynarodowych eventów. Polecam! https://www.tarnowska.tv/materialy-wideo/9362,rafal-chrzaszcz-mp4

Najnowsze informacje z miasta Tarnowa i regionu tarnowskiego. Swoim zasięgiem obejmujemy powiaty: tarnowski, dąbrowski, brzeski i bocheński.

23/12/2024

Today a short article about . You wouldn't believe that they are everywhere 😀

What is the digital archive?

You may think that digital archives belong in a library or museum building, and they are only for academics who bother to search through them. Digital collections with robust metadata (a fancy word for a catalog description) exist in national, university, and public libraries and archives, and consist of millions of digitized books and newspapers, magazines and other periodicals, family history records, images, videos, and even websites.

Believe it or not, most people on this planet are digital archive curators who own huge collections of mostly born-digital materials. These hundreds of photos of what we had for breakfast, videos of our cats and dogs, favorite memes, and even gifs make our digital collections. Our devices are full of items, but clearly, we do not want to preserve them all - after all, who needs 15 different takes of your mate in a funny pose?

Who needs a digital archive?

Institutions

Many cultural organizations like libraries, museums, and archives, as well as churches and religious societies, professional associations, and media groups have recognized years ago the potential of an online archive and make their collections available. Public institutions mostly provide free access, some make you pay for viewing or for re-using. The main aim is to preserve the original items and bring knowledge to a wider audience. It is also a great marketing tool to promote and advocate. The collections vary and it is truly impressive to be able to view the Medieval manuscripts, the 19th-century photographs, archival censuses, early sound recordings, and other historical documents just like that!

Companies and incorporations

Many private companies use various digital systems that provide back-up copies in the cloud. However, there are many still in the analog era, and prefer pen and paper. Also, the modern records may be created digitally but old staff documents, pensions, and company agreements are still in print. It is a good practice to have a digital copy. In case of fire, flooding, or other damages, there will be a cyber copy safely stored on a server.

Individuals

We spend a lot of time creating our digital content and it is always worth having a spare copy. Can you imagine losing all the photos when kids were young? Yes, there are providers giving you this option and it is certainly useful. A good digital archive is not just about the numbers, it is also about creating good-quality content that you and your family would like to access and live through the memories. It is about curating special collections that can be organized by theme, time, people, etc. It can be mundane but so worth it!

Our old photos and documents, even family memorabilia like crockery, can easily be preserved digitally. It is easier to share them with relatives and creating a digital collage may inspire your grandchildren to search for their ancestors. It can turn into a project for the whole family or group of friends.

What next for your digital archive?

If you would like to create a digital archive but do not know where to start, you may wish to hire an expert. I would be happy to guide you through the process with useful guidelines and practical tips. If you are interested, make an appointment here or drop me an email to dorotawalker@gmail.com.

Sources:
https://blogs.bl.uk/webarchive/2015/03/happy-birthday-magna-carta-all-the-best-from-the-web-archive-###.html
https://pgsa.org/product/2024-rodziny-summer-2024-electronic-version/?add-to-cart=129869

23/12/2024

21/12/2024

20/12/2024

Are your ancestors Polish? You may be eligible for Polish giving you the right to live, work and travel in all countries. Contact me, if you'd like to find out more!

19/12/2024

research is my passion and I am an expert supporting people curious about their heritage. in is my forte and I also worked for years with records from Great Britain and the Colonies.

Give me a shout, if you'd like to find out more 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 ⌛ 📜

Genealogy in Poland - Research Your Polish Family History

In 2008, I began working as a Reference Librarian in the India Office Records, at the Brish Library, London. That is when my adventure with genealogy started and to this day it is my true love professionally. I began with inquiries relating to British India and the territories under the rule of the East India Company, but it did not stop there. I researched my husband's family history in the North of England and made headways with my Polish ancestors in Silesia and Eastern Poland. Academic knowledge, practical skills in the archives, and the pure joy I feel for genealogical research make it my favorite work. Now, I help others on the journey to find roots in Poland.

Polish ancestors - where to start?

There is a growing number of websites, portals, and forums relating to family history. More and more archival materials are digitized and put online. On FamilySearch you can find birth, marriage, and death registers, passengers' lists, censuses, and more. Paid websites like Ancestry or Find My Past can also be useful, but the records from Central and Eastern Europe are not as good as those from other parts of the world. These are the easiest to use as they allow you to just type in the name and place, and often you get lucky and find, at least some ancestors.

There are other places on the Internet worth looking at - there are genealogy databases like Geneteka, Poznan Projekt, or Projekt Podlasie. The Polish National Archives (Archiwa Państwowe) also publish millions of records online on Szukaj w Archiwach, but you need to know how to navigate through it. Normally, to search the online state archives resources, you need to know the town or parish, and if the volumes have been digitized, you need to click page by page and scan through. Not all registers of vital records had indexes, so it may be a quite time-consuming task. Many registers are still not available online.

Polish genealogy - why must I know four languages to get basic information?

Polish history is quite complex and before the Polish Republic became independent again in 1918, Polish people lived under three different administrations - Russia, Prussia, and Austria - called the partition of Poland. Depending on the political situation at the time, the civil and parish records were written in Polish, German, Russian, and Latin. In some cases, the entries in Czech and Hungarian can also be found. To make things even more difficult, the Polish borders were changed in 1945 and the territories in today's Lithuania, Belarus, and Ukraine were lost, and millions of people were moved Westwards replacing the German population in East Prussia, Pomerania, and Lower Silesia.

What are the basic records for Polish genealogy research?

Birth, marriage, and death records

There are ecclesiastical (church) and civil registrations, but the coverage and availability depend on the place where your ancestors lived. They are scattered across many institutions - the state archives (there are a few dozen branches of the National Archives in Poland!), the diocese archives, parish churches, and the Civil Registry Offices. Many records were lost during the Second World War, and they are incomplete.

Census records

It is one of the best sources in family history if your ancestors lived in the United States or Great Britain. For other parts of the world, the censuses were not regular, sometimes they only contain statistical data, and in some cases, they do not exist at all. However, for some towns and villages, you can find so-called lists of souls or residents, but it is far and in between.

Army records

As with births, marriages, and deaths, the quality of the records depends on which part of Poland your forefathers came from. The Central Military Archive in Warsaw has a collection worth exploring, especially the digitized records, but the service in the Prussian, Russian, or Austrian armies is trickier to discover especially if you are looking for the lower ranks.

Municipalities, court, and school records

This is an idea for more advanced researchers as it is necessary to visit the archives in person and turn page by page through the volumes. There normally is a short description in the online catalog but you must go through it to find out what they contain. If you have time and patience, the results are stunning with lists of voters or schoolchildren, detailed files of court cases, and other unique records that can be found. The collections vary though and it is possible to spend two days going through hundreds of pages and no names and dates of the people you are looking for just will not be there.

Directories, address books, and newspapers

As the online availability of the 19th and 20th centuries publications increases, it can be a useful source. They contain lists of residents, albeit rarely all are mentioned. If you are interested in ancestors from Silesia, the University of Wrocław Library is a perfect place. In the Silesian Reading Room, the directories from the mid-19th century are available on open shelves. Having said that, if you look for people in Silesia before 1945, they are likely to be German.

Where to find support?

Genealogical societies are a great place to find information and share experiences. The Polish Genealogical Society of America or Polish regional genealogical associations (towarzystwo genealogiczne) in Poland will help you to navigate through the records from Polish institutions including vital records, Polish surnames, and other sources where you can discover your Polish roots.

Research in Poland

You may wish to plan a trip to Poland and not only visit the place of birth of your forefathers but also do research at the Polish state archives or other institutions. If you do not feel you have enough time or just prefer to eat pierogi looking at the impressive surroundings of Cracow's Main Square, you may consider hiring a professional genealogist. I offer bespoke services tailored to your needs and with a team of partners, I can help you fill in the gaps in your family's history and discover information about your family.

As a certified translator sworn by the Polish Minister of Justice, I am authorized to issue an official translation if you ever consider applying for Polish citizenship. Growing up in the Polish mountains, I also speak and read the highland dialect, and I translated old letters written by immigrants from Podhale providing a rare glimpse into the lives of the common folk.

If you are interested in the top-quality genealogy service, please email me at dorota.walker@gmail.com or arrange a video call.

18/12/2024

🖥️ Czy tłumaczenie przysięgłe może być podpisane kwalifikowanym podpisem elektronicznym?

🖥️ Tak, jak najbardziej! Od 2016 roku zgodnie z ustawą o podpisie elektronicznym oraz ustawą o zawodzie tłumacza przysięgłego istnieje możliwość poświadczenia drogą elektroniczną. Wykonuje się to za pomocą podpisu kwalifikowanego wydawanego przez Krajową Izbę Rozliczeniową (KIR) we współpracy z kilkoma platformami oferującymi certyfikaty, zestawy i aplikacje mobilne. Coraz częściej organy administracji publicznej honorują lub nawet żądają formy elektronicznej i z upływem czasu będzie to standardowy sposób, aby podpisać dokument. W odróżnieniu od dokumentów papierowych, te opatrzone podpisem kwalifikowanym pozwalają na oszczędność czasu oraz utrzymanie porządku w dokumentacji.

🖥️Kwalifikowany podpis elektroniczny jest już właściwie standardem. Co prawda nie zawsze tłumaczenia w wersji cyfrowej są akceptowane przez urzędników, którzy często wymagają pieczęci i własnoręcznego podpisu tłumacza przysięgłego, ale w sytuacjach, gdy możemy używać dokumentów w wersji elektronicznej, warto się zdecydować na formę cyfrową.

🖥️Jeśli potrzebujesz tłumaczenia uwierzytelnionego z języka angielskiego szybko i bez wychodzenia z domu, umów się na spotkanie lub skontaktuj bezpośrednio.