Start with the travel document or a copy
Article 14(2) of Poland’s Act of 25 November 2004 on the Profession of Sworn Translator sets the basis for rendering names from languages that do not use the Latin alphabet or use another writing system. A translator transliterates or transcribes those names on the basis of travel documents or copies of them. Only if those documents are unavailable do the spelling rules of the country where the document being translated was drawn up apply.
Before preparing a translation, I therefore ask for the travel document showing the Latin spelling or a legible copy. If a passport uses a spelling different from the generator’s current result, it should not be changed independently. The basis of the spelling and the other documents need to be checked first. The Act refers to the country where the document was drawn up, not automatically to the person’s nationality or country of residence.
- If you have a travel document or a copy, provide it with the material for translation.
- If neither is available, let me know before work begins.
- If the documents contain different spellings, show all relevant versions; do not choose one solely on the basis of a generator.
Latin spelling, transliteration and transcription
A Latin spelling is the particular written form of a first name or surname that appears in a document. Transliteration represents characters from one alphabet in another according to defined rules. Transcription represents pronunciation. The results can differ; Polish law refers to both transliteration and transcription while also specifying the documentary basis for carrying them out.
The Latin letters in a passport are not an arbitrary translation of a name into English or Polish. They should not be replaced with a familiar equivalent, the spelling usually used in correspondence or a version from an online profile. Even a spelling supplied by the client should be checked against the travel document.
Ukraine: Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 55
Ukraine’s table for transliterating the Ukrainian alphabet into Latin letters was approved by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 55 of 27 January 2010, entitled “Про впорядкування транслітерації українського алфавіту латиницею”. It is an act of the Cabinet of Ministers, not an order issued by an individual minister. The official Verkhovna Rada database marks it as in force; the verified version is dated 12 January 2016.
Ukraine’s State Migration Service, abbreviated DMS in Ukrainian, refers to this resolution in its transliteration checking service. The service accepts a surname and first name written in Ukrainian. It helps check the result of the standard table, but does not itself decide which spelling is appropriate for a particular translation in Poland.
Letters that commonly cause confusion
The extract below concerns the Ukrainian table. Letter case follows the examples; the DMS service displays its results in capitals. “Initially” means at the beginning of a word, not every occurrence of the letter.
- Г and Ґ are different Ukrainian letters: H and G are not interchangeable choices here.
- Latin Y can represent Ukrainian И or word-initial Й. An i may come from І, or from Ї or Й in the relevant position. The original Cyrillic spelling should therefore not be reconstructed automatically from the Latin version alone.
- The sequence зг is written zgh to distinguish it from ж → zh. The resolution provides that the soft sign ь and the apostrophe are not reproduced in Latin letters.
| Letter / sequence | Rendering under Resolution No. 55 | Example in the official table |
|---|---|---|
| Г г | H h | Богдан → Bohdan |
| Ґ ґ | G g | Ґалаґан → Galagan |
| Х х | Kh kh | Христина → Khrystyna |
| И и | Y y | Михайленко → Mykhailenko |
| І і | I i | Іващенко → Ivashchenko |
| Ї ї | Yi initially; i elsewhere | Їжакевич → Yizhakevych; Кадиївка → Kadyivka |
| Й й | Y initially; i elsewhere | Йосипівка → Yosypivka; Олексій → Oleksii |
| Є є | Ye initially; ie elsewhere | Єнакієве → Yenakiieve; Гаєвич → Haievych |
| Ю ю | Yu initially; iu elsewhere | Юрій → Yurii; Корюківка → Koriukivka |
| Я я | Ya initially; ia elsewhere | Ярошенко → Yaroshenko; Костянтин → Kostiantyn |
| зг / ж | zgh / zh | Згурський → Zghurskyi; Жанна → Zhanna |
Three verified examples for the DMS tool
These are educational combinations, not individual clients’ details. The individual first names and surnames appear among the resolution’s examples. The standard DMS transliteration results were verified for the exact spelling shown below.
- Surname Ґалаґан, first name Богдан → GALAGAN, BOHDAN. This distinguishes Ґ → G from Г → H.
- Surname Їжакевич, first name Христина → YIZHAKEVYCH, KHRYSTYNA. Initial Ї becomes Yi, while Х becomes Kh.
- Surname Згурський, first name Юрій → ZGHURSKYI, YURII. Зг retains the sequence zgh; initial Ю becomes Yu and final й becomes i.
Why a passport may contain a different spelling
DMS explains that, in specified circumstances, a written request supported by the appropriate documents can allow the Latin spelling to follow previously issued documents. The procedures also allow consistent surname spelling with family members’ documents under certain conditions. This does not mean an unrestricted choice of any spelling.
A difference between a passport and the standard generator therefore does not, by itself, prove an error. A translation does not change the data in a passport or register. If a document needs to be changed, the competent authority decides the matter; the translator’s role is to establish and accurately render the details on the basis of the materials provided.
A Russian-language document needs a separate check
Several languages use Cyrillic. Ukraine’s Table No. 55 is not a universal generator for every Russian-language document. First, check the travel document or its copy, the source document’s language and the country where it was drawn up. If neither the travel document nor a copy is available, the statutory reference to that country’s rules applies.
A Russian form of a name should not automatically be changed into its Ukrainian counterpart and the DMS result then treated as proof of the correct spelling. Historical or multilingual documents, and materials containing several versions of personal details, need individual analysis. My sworn translator authorisation covers Ukrainian; Russian services are general and specialist translations without sworn certification.
What to prepare for a spelling check
It is best to check consistency before the translation is completed. At my Kraków office, I compare the spelling in the source document with the available documentary basis. A screenshot of a generator’s result alone does not replace a travel document or a copy.
- A legible document for translation, including all pages containing relevant details.
- The travel document or a legible copy showing the first name and surname in Latin letters.
- Information about differences in other documents, a change of surname or a previous translation.
- The receiving institution and intended use of the translation; for sensitive data, first agree a method of transferring the material.