According to the Polish law, you have 21 days to register a newborn baby. In order to do so, you need to go to the Register Office of the place of your child’s birth.

In Cracow, you need to choose one of the three branches, depending on the hospital where your child was born:

• If your child was born in Czerwiakowski Hospital or Narutowicz Hospital,
  go to the Register Office at Lubelska 29.
• If your child was born in the University Hospital or NEO Hospital – Leczenie Szpitalne,
  go to the Register Office at Wadowicka 8W.
• If your child was born in Rydygier Hospital, Żeromski Hospital, or Ujastek Hospital,
  go to the Register Office at Zgody 2.
  
  

Who can report the birth

If the parents are married: either the mother or the father can register the baby, you don’t need to be both present in the Register Office.

If the parents are not married: you both need to go to the Register Office (for the paternity acknowledgement procedure to take place).

If the person registering the child does not speak Polish, they need to be assisted by a translator.

What documents you should bring with you

If the parents are married:

• passports of both parents
• your marriage certificate
• sworn translation of the marriage certificate into Polish, made based on the original document (if the marriage certificate was not originally made in the Polish language)

If the parents are not married:

• passports of both parents
• mother’s birth certificate
• sworn translation of the birth certificate into Polish, made based on the original document
  
  

Once your newborn baby has been registered, you will receive free of charge one short copy of their birth certificate. You will be also given a certificate confirming that you child has been assigned the Polish PESEL identification number, and a certificate of their registration for residence.

If more copies of the birth certificate are needed, you have to file an additional application.