Emma: “I have a two-page contract to translate, but the quote is for five pages.”
James: “The website says prices start at PLN 35 per page, but after I sent in a one-page certificate, the quote came to more than PLN 100.”
These situations are not unusual. The main reason is that, in translation, a page of the original document is not the same as a billing page. This guide explains how standard and certified translation pages are calculated, where the 1,125-character standard used for Polish sworn translations comes from, what can increase the length of a translation and how to compare quotes from different providers.
Billing pages in standard translations
The number of physical pages in a document does not necessarily match the number of pages used for pricing. Translation providers often use a billing page, defined as a set number of characters. For standard translations, there is no statutory page length in Poland. Translation agencies commonly use units such as 1,500, 1,600 or 1,800 characters including spaces per page.
Different billing methods are used elsewhere. In English-speaking markets, translations are often priced per word, with around 250 words sometimes used as a rough equivalent of one page.
Billing pages in certified translations
For certified translations in Poland, a billing page of 1,125 characters including spaces is commonly used. This unit comes from the Polish Regulation of the Minister of Justice on remuneration for the services of sworn translators:
For the purpose of calculating remuneration per page, a page shall be deemed to contain 25 lines, with 45 characters per line. Characters include all visible typographical characters [...] as well as spaces justified by sentence structure. Any page started shall be counted as a full page.
Where a translation is prepared in a typescript or computer printout layout other than 25 lines of 45 characters per page, one page of translation shall be deemed to contain 1,125 characters.
These rules apply to work carried out at the request of courts, public prosecutors, the Police and public administration authorities. For other assignments, a sworn translator’s fee is agreed with the client. However, the 1,125-character billing unit is also widely used by translation agencies for private and business clients.
For comparison, a 3,600-character text equals 2 standard translation pages when the billing unit is 1,800 characters. With a 1,125-character unit, the same text comes to 3.2 pages, which is rounded up to 4 certified translation pages.
What affects the number of certified translation pages?
The number of characters in a translation does not necessarily match the number in the original. A translated text may be longer or shorter. Certified translations may also include information that does not appear as ordinary text in the source document.
A Polish sworn translator may record or describe elements such as:
- seals and stamps,
- signatures,
- logos, emblems and coats of arms,
- photographs,
- handwritten notes,
- document security features.
These descriptions form part of the translation and increase its length. The difference can be particularly noticeable in documents with relatively little main text but numerous seals, signatures or other elements that need to be described.
When a translation is priced by character count, changing the font size, margins or line spacing does not change the number of billing pages. These settings may affect how many physical pages the finished PDF or printout takes up, but they do not change the character count used for billing.
Clients sometimes count the characters in the source document and assume that this figure will be used for the quote. That is not always the case. For standard translations, the method depends on the provider: pricing may be based on either the source text or the translated text. For certified translations, the Polish regulation refers to the page of the translation, meaning the target text.
Can part of a document be omitted?
For a standard translation, the scope can be agreed with the client. You can request only selected pages, tables, chapters or sections of a document. If the scope is agreed before the quote is prepared, the remaining content does not need to be included in the calculation.
Certified translations work differently. As a rule, a Polish sworn translator translates the entire contents of the document. However, at the client’s express request, selected sections can be translated, provided that the limited scope is clearly indicated in the certified translation.
If the document is intended for a public authority, court, university or other institution, check before ordering a partial translation whether it will be accepted.
Per-page rate vs total translation price – comparing quotes
As part of a small market study,* the same birth certificate was sent to several translation agencies for a certified translation quote.
The quotes received were:
- PLN 50 – TextLab,
- PLN 110 – second agency,
- PLN 147.60 – third agency,
- PLN 180 – fourth agency.
One of the agencies advertised prices starting from PLN 35 per page on its website, but the quote for this particular document was PLN 110.
The comparison shows that a per-page rate alone is not enough to predict the price of a particular job. A price advertised as “from” is only a starting point, and different providers may use different billing methods.
When comparing quotes, it is therefore worth checking how many billing pages have been assigned to the document and the total price quoted for the job. At TextLab, we provide both figures before the translation begins.
*The comparison was carried out in August 2026 by sending the same enquiry to four translation agencies.
A lower page rate does not always mean a cheaper translation
The size of the billing page matters just as much as the rate itself. If one agency charges PLN 40 per 1,800 characters and another charges PLN 35 per 1,500 characters, the cost of translating a 9,000-character text would be:
Agency 1: PLN 40 × 5 pages = PLN 200
Agency 2: PLN 35 × 6 pages = PLN 210
In this example, the agency with the higher per-page rate is actually cheaper. Per-page rates can therefore only be compared directly when they refer to the same billing unit.
How can you estimate the number of pages yourself?
If your document is editable, you can check the character count including spaces and divide it by the billing page size used by the provider.
For example, for a standard translation:
5,400 characters ÷ 1,800 = 3 billing pages
This will only give you an approximate figure, but it can help you get an idea of what the translation may cost.
Want to know the exact price of your translation?
Send us your document for a quote. Before work begins, we will tell you the number of billing pages and the total price.
GET A TRANSLATION QUOTENotice: This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice or an individual recommendation. Before making any decision, check the current law, the requirements of the relevant institution and the specific circumstances of your case.