How should you do this?

At a provincial office – in person or by post.

 

Who can benefit from the service?

Pursuant to Article 30(1) of the Act of 2 April 2009 on Polish citizenship, the following persons are recognised as Polish citizens:

1. a foreigner who has resided for a continuous period of at least 3 years in the territory of the Republic of Poland under a permanent residence permit, long-term resident's EU residence permit or the right of permanent residence, who has a stable and regular source of income and a legal title to inhabitable premises in the territory of the Republic of Poland; 

2. a foreigner who has resided for a continuous period of at least 2 years in the territory of the Republic of Poland under a permanent residence permit, long-term resident's EU residence permit or the right of permanent residence, who: 

   • has been married to a Polish citizen for a period of at least 3 years, or

   • is a stateless person; 

3. a foreigner who has resided for a continuous period of at least 2 years in the territory of the Republic of Poland under a permanent residence permit obtained upon refugee status granted in the Republic of Poland; 

4. a minor foreigner in the parental custody of a Polish citizen and who has resided in the territory of the Republic of Poland under a permanent residence permit, long-term resident's EU residence permit or the right of permanent residence, whereas the other parent is not a Polish citizen and has declared consent to the acknowledgment of Polish citizenship of the minor; 

5. a minor foreigner in the custody of at least one parent whose Polish citizenship has been restored and who has resided in the territory of the Republic of Poland under a permanent residence permit, long-term resident's EU residence permit or the right of permanent residence, whereas the other parent is not a Polish citizen and has declared consent to the acknowledgment of Polish citizenship of the minor; 

6. a foreigner who has resided legally for a continuous period of at least 10 years in the territory of the Republic of Poland and who meets all of the following conditions: 

   • holds a permanent residence permit, long-term resident's EU residence permit or the right of permanent residence, 

   • has a stable and regular source of income and a legal title to inhabitable premises in the Republic of Poland; 

7. a foreigner who has resided for a continuous period of at least one year in the territory of the Republic of Poland on the basis of a permanent residence permit which he or she obtained on account of Polish descent or possession of a Polish Card.

 

 

Remember! To be recognised as a Polish citizen you need to know Polish at the B1 level as a minimum, which has to be officially confirmed. Information on how to obtain such a certificate can be found here.

 

Remember! The province governor may refuse to recognise a Polish citizen if such recognition would constitute a threat to the defence or security of the state or the protection of public safety and order.

 

When can you submit an application?

At any time.

 

What should you do?

1. Gather all the necessary documents. You can find further details on the website of the relevant provincial office.

2. Pay the stamp duty.

3. Submit your application to the province governor.

4. Wait for a response.

 

Where should you submit your application?

You can submit your application in person  or send it by post to the province governor with jurisdiction for your place of residence. For example, if you live in the Opole Voivodeship, apply to the Opolskie Province Governor.

 

How much will you pay?

PLN 1,000.00 for the issuance of the decision. You can find the account number on the website of the provincial office.

 

What should you prepare?

• An application for recognition as a Polish citizen.

• Required documents:

• A translation of foreign documents into Polish – if you are enclosing documents in a foreign language with your application. Such a translation must be done by a sworn translator or a Polish consul.

 

How long will you wait?

The province governor has six months to issue a decision. In justified cases, this deadline may be extended.

Before issuing a decision on the matter, the authority will request information from the Capital City Police Commander or the Provincial Police Commander, the Director of the Internal Security Agency’s Regional Office, as well as from other institutions and authorities, as to whether your acquisition of Polish citizenship poses a threat to national defence or security, or to the protection of public safety and order.

 

How can you appeal the decision?

If you do not agree with the province governor’s decision, you can file an appeal with the Minister of Interior and Administration (MIA). Below you will find the address:

Ministerstwo Spraw Wewnętrznych i Administracji
ul. Stefana Batorego 5, 02-591 Warszawa, Poland.

You should do this in writing within 14 days of receiving the decision. You can lodge an appeal in person at the office, by post or electronically (eDoręczenie, ePUAP).

If you disagree with the decision of the Ministry of the Interior, you have the right to challenge it in the administrative court. You should do this within 30 days of receiving the minister's decision. Please submit your petition via the Ministry of Interior and Administration.

 

Important

If you have minor children, you can include them in your application – even if they do not live in Poland.

Note:

If only one parent is granted Polish citizenship, his or her children who have not yet turned 18 will only get Polish citizenship if:

• the other parent does not have parental responsibility,

• the other parent consented to the child acquiring Polish citizenship (consent is given in a declaration),

• children over the age of 16 have first given their consent for that. They can do this in person at a provincial office or consulate or by post, sending a relevant statement with an officially certified signature.