Polish citizenship step-by-step guide. Methods of acquiring Polish citizenship – procedure and requirements

Polish citizenship can be obtained by any foreigner through the following processes:

Confirmation of possession of Polish citizenship (a decision in this matter is issued by the voivode competent for the person’s place of residence or last place of residence in the territory of the Republic of Poland).

Recognition as a Polish citizen (a decision in this matter is also issued by the voivode competent for the person’s place of residence).

Granting of Polish citizenship (a prerogative reserved for the President of the Republic of Poland).

All the above procedures are regulated by the Polish Citizenship Act (Journal of Laws of 2023, item 1989).

In all three of the procedures mentioned above, obtaining Polish citizenship is initiated upon the request of the foreigner (or, in the case of a minor, upon the request of their legal representative). However, confirmation of possession of citizenship may also occur upon the request of an entity that demonstrates a legal interest or obligation to obtain the relevant decision, or it may be initiated ex officio.

Quick summary

Polish citizenship – confirmation of possession of Polish citizenship

In the procedure for confirming possession of Polish citizenship, the general rule is that the applicant must document that their ancestors (up to the second degree) held or still hold Polish citizenship and that no events have occurred in their lives (or in the applicant’s life) that would result in the loss of Polish citizenship. This essentially means proving that Polish citizenship has not been lost in the “relay of generations.”

The principle of blood right (ius sanguinis), where citizenship is acquired from one’s parents, takes precedence over the auxiliary principle of land right (ius soli), which applies to cases such as abandoned/found children whose citizenship is undetermined, as well as individuals who emigrated from Poland before 1920 or those who found themselves outside Polish borders due to territorial changes.

Documents and circumstances helpful in establishing the applicant’s Polish roots may include:

• The date of emigration of their parents/grandparents from Poland to another country. The year 1920 is significant as it marks the enactment of Poland’s first citizenship law (details in the subsequent text).
• The birth dates of the applicant’s parents/grandparents, their marriage dates, and, if applicable, dates of acquiring Polish citizenship as a second nationality (post-1951).
• Documents that could confirm the Polish citizenship of the applicant’s parents or grandparents (e.g., passports, identity cards, military IDs, birth and/or marriage certificates).
• Documents showing ties with family members whose documents are submitted in the application process.

In the absence of the above documents, it may be helpful to utilize various state archives, the Central Military Archives, relevant online databases, or undertake more in-depth genealogical research, including archives or registers located outside Poland’s current borders (voter lists, Eastern Borderlands civil registry archives, permanent residence records, parish registers, certificates of morality issued to individuals who received Polish passports for immigration purposes, and others).

Under Polish regulations effective since 2009, the responsibility of gathering all necessary documentation and proving that their parent(s) and/or grandparents were Polish lies with the applicant, “unless obtaining these documents encounters insurmountable obstacles” (Article 56, paragraph 2 of the Polish Citizenship Act).

If such objective difficulties arise, the voivodeship office will take over the archival searches. The administrative fee for issuing a decision confirming possession of Polish citizenship is 58 PLN.

Applicants are advised to submit all documents concerning their parents and/or grandparents, even those that may seem irrelevant at first glance. Experts point out that while these documents might not directly mention Polish citizenship, sometimes the desired information can be inferred (e.g., from a note about the citizenship of the grandparents’ siblings). Therefore, submitting “everything possible” is a recommended approach.

Notably, it is not required for the applicant to be present in Poland when submitting the application. The application can be filed through the consul competent for the applicant’s place of residence, who is obliged to promptly forward it (along with the supporting documents) to the relevant voivode.

There is no regulation requiring that a person seeking confirmation of Polish citizenship must have ever lived in Poland, nor is knowledge of the Polish language required. In this sense, the procedure is relatively “liberal” (provided the application is properly documented).

Since 1951, Polish regulations have allowed dual citizenship, meaning possession of Polish citizenship along with that of another country. Earlier laws, such as the 1920 Act on Citizenship of the Polish State (Journal of Laws of 1920, No. 7, item 44), did not permit dual citizenship. Historical complexities and difficult life choices often led to the revocation or loss of Polish citizenship (e.g., due to military service in a foreign state).

For current proceedings to confirm possession of Polish citizenship, it is crucial to establish whether an individual was born before or after their parent lost Polish citizenship. In some cases, the foreign applicant who previously lost Polish citizenship may be interested in “reclaiming” it.

Polish citizenship – restoration of Polish citizenship

Before January 1, 1999, a person lost Polish citizenship under the relevant provisions of the Act of January 20, 1920, on Citizenship of the Polish State (Journal of Laws of 1920, No. 7, item 44), the Act of January 8, 1951, on Polish Citizenship (Journal of Laws of 1951, item 25), and the Act of February 15, 1962, on Polish Citizenship (Journal of Laws of 2000, item 353), provided that:

• They did not voluntarily enlist in the armed forces of the Axis Powers or their allies between September 1, 1939, and May 8, 1945;
• They did not accept a public office in the service of the Axis Powers or their allies during the same period;
• They did not act against the interests of Poland, particularly its independence and sovereignty, nor did they participate in human rights violations;
• The restoration of their Polish citizenship does not pose a threat to the defense or security of the state, or to public safety and order.

The restoration of Polish citizenship is granted by the Minister of the Interior and Administration through an administrative decision. A foreigner residing outside the territory of the Republic of Poland may submit the appropriate application via the consul competent for their place of residence.

The consul is required to promptly forward the application (along with the documents provided by the applicant) to the aforementioned minister. The administrative fee for the procedure is 219 PLN.t) to the aforementioned minister. The administrative fee for the procedure is 219 PLN.

Polish citizenship – recognition as a Polish citizen

A person of Polish descent intending to settle permanently in Poland (as well as a person holding a valid Pole’s Card intending to settle permanently in Poland) who has successfully completed the procedure for obtaining a permanent residence permit in Poland and has resided continuously in its territory for at least 1 year may apply for recognition as a Polish citizen.

An additional requirement is the certified knowledge of the Polish language at a proficiency level of at least B1, documented by a relevant certificate (this can also be demonstrated through a diploma from a school in the Republic of Poland or a school abroad where Polish was the language of instruction).

The application should be submitted to the voivode competent for the applicant’s place of residence. The administrative fee for the procedure is 219 PLN.

Granting of Polish citizenship

In cases where documenting Polish ancestry is not possible and none of the conditions for confirming Polish citizenship or being recognized as a Polish citizen are met, a foreigner may always apply to the President of the Republic of Poland for the granting of Polish citizenship.

The relevant application should be submitted to the appropriate voivode or consul (if the applicant resides abroad), who will forward it along with all supporting documentation and their own opinion to the President via the Minister of the Interior and Administration. There is no administrative fee for submitting an application for granting citizenship.

Unlike the other two “paths” to acquiring citizenship, in this case, the granting or refusal of citizenship is issued in the form of a decision, against which there is no right to appeal.

The President is also not bound by any deadlines and has complete discretion regarding whether to grant or refuse citizenship to any foreigner. In this sense, the entire procedure is rather arbitrary, and it is difficult to estimate the chances of success for a specific application.

Benefits of holding a Polish passport

A foreigner who acquires Polish citizenship will receive a Polish passport and national ID card. They will also enjoy the full rights granted to Polish citizens, including benefits associated with Poland’s membership in the European Union. Key advantages include:

• Legal indefinite residence in Poland.
• Freedom to travel within the Schengen Area without a visa for up to 90 days, provided the destination country does not require notification of stay upon arrival or before the 90-day limit.
• The ability to travel to nearly all countries worldwide, which is not always possible for citizens of some nations facing travel restrictions (e.g., Israeli citizens).
• The ability to conduct business in Poland in any legal form.
• The right to purchase real estate and land without the restrictions applied to foreigners.
• The opportunity to study at public universities in Poland, predominantly without the tuition fees required of foreign students (for full-time programs).

Polish citizenship – frequently asked questions