The electoral register includes those permanently residing within the municipality who have the right to vote in elections, if they are entitled, as EU citizens, to exercise their electoral rights in the Republic of Poland. You can only be included in one electoral register. Once you are included in the permanent electoral register, you will also be automatically included on the electoral roll for all subsequent elections carried out within the municipality in the Republic of Poland.

Please note: If you permanently reside within the municipality in which you have the right to vote and where you are registered for permanent residence, you will be automatically included in the electoral register.

Submit an application for inclusion in the electoral register

What if you want to vote in your place of permanent residence, but are not registered for permanent residence in that area? Submit an application for inclusion in the electoral register.
Entries in the electoral register are made on a permanent basis.

Who can apply

Every EU citizen entitled to exercise electoral rights in the Republic of Poland who meets the following criteria:

• permanently resides in a municipality other than that in which they are registered for permanent residence, or is not registered for permanent residence anywhere, but permanently resident in the municipality; this also applies to people who are not domiciled in any country, residing permanently in the municipality, and those permanently resident in the municipality, but at a different permanent residence registration address.
• has the right to vote, i.e.:
  • is at least 18 years old,
  • has electoral rights.

Holders of electoral rights are entitled to:

• vote in elections (right to vote).

What you need to prepare

• application for inclusion in the electoral register along with a declaration stating the applicant’s citizenship and permanent residence address in the territory of the Republic of Poland,
• identity document and its copy – e.g. a passport.

The official may ask you to present an additional document proving that you reside in the municipality. This may be, for example: a tenancy agreement, the electricity bill with your data; a statement from the owner or tenant of the dwelling unit in which you live.

What you need to do

Submit the documents to the municipal office.

The official can only enter you into one register.

When to submit documents

Consider the election date and the waiting time for application processing – submit your application in advance. For details, see ‘How long you will wait’.

Where to submit documents

In person, to the office of the municipality where you live.

How much you will pay

The service is free of charge.

How long you will wait

The decision to include or not to include your entry in the electoral register is issued by the relevant office within 5 days after submission of the application.

An official may refuse to include you in the electoral register, if they decide that you do not reside at the declared address. In this case, you will receive a written refusal. You can complain against the refusal decision. Formulate your complaint, address it to the district court and submit it to the mayor of the municipality, town or city. You must do it within 3 days after receiving the refusal decision. The office will forward your complaint to the court as soon as possible. The court has 3 days to rule on your complaint. You cannot appeal against the court's decision.

Where and to whom you can submit a complaint

You can file a complaint with the mayor of the municipality regarding irregularities in the electoral register, especially where:

• a voter has been omitted from the electoral register;
• a person who does not have the right to vote has been entered into the electoral register;
• personal details of those included in the electoral register are inaccurate;
• a person who does not permanently reside within the municipality has been included in the electoral register.

You can submit a complaint in writing or orally for the record.

The mayor of the municipality is obliged to examine your complaint within 3 days after submission, issue a decision regarding the complaint together with reasons and send it to you immediately.

You may lodge a complaint with a competent district court, through the mayor of the municipality, within 3 days after being issued with a decision rejecting your complaint or resulting in your entry being removed from the electoral register. You cannot appeal against the court's decision.

Legal basis

• Act of 5 January 2011 – Election Code (codified text: Journal of Laws 2020, item 1319)
• Regulation of the Minister for Interior and Administration of 27 July 2011 on the electoral register and the procedure for transfer of data contained therein by the Republic of Poland to other Member States of the European Union (Journal of Laws 2017, item 1316, as amended)