Who can apply for citizenship in Poland? How to get it, and what requirements an individual has to meet? These questions are pretty often asked not only by foreigners who decided to move to Poland, but also the ones who have Polish roots. In today’s article, we would like to present the most common ways of acquiring Polish citizenship and dispel any doubts associated with that. Check it out!
How to get citizenship in Poland?
The issue of eligibility for Polish citizenship seems to be bothering individuals with Polish ancestry and those residing in Poland who wish to stay here, who have strong connections with our nation. They keep wondering what they can do to become a part of Poland. To make it clear, we need to start from the basics. Citizenship as a legal institution is strictly regulated by the Act on Polish citizenship. According to that, citizenship is passed via the right of blood and via the right of the soil which concerns the child born or found on the territory of Poland whose parents are unknown. However, that’s not all!
The Polish legal regulations also assume that citizenship can be obtained:
- by adoption (applies to children under 16),
- by descent (applies to individuals of Polish origin),
- by naturalization (applies to foreigners).
To become a Polish citizen, an individual has to fulfill several conditions. Depending on the complexity of the case, the list of requirements may be various and that’s what we would like to focus on.
Polish citizenship through ancestry
Do you have Polish roots? If the answer is ‘yes’, you probably qualify for citizenship by descent but it has to be checked first. What do we mean by saying that? The process of citizenship confirmation only relates to the individuals whose ancestors were born in Poland or its former territories and resided there after 1920. We know that there are still many people who are not sure about their background. That’s why we are here to help you!
An individual who would like to confirm Polish citizenship needs to prove it was not lost on the way. The good thing is you do not have to do it on your own. Click here and find more about research on citizenship in Poland. The Experts will assess your case individually and ask you specific questions about your family history. It would be also great, if you had old vital records (e.g. birth or marriage certificates) and a family tree. If not, the Experts will look for it across the archives in Poland and not only.
Once the outcome is positive, you are ready to lodge a motion at the Voivodeship Office. As the Voivode has the power to confirm an individual’s citizenship, he needs to verify the evidence stated in the official motion. The confirmation process usually takes from six to twelve months. It is good to know you may be asked for additional documentation proving your roots.
Grant of Polish Citizenship
Grant of Polish Citizenship, also well known as naturalization, applies to individuals who do not have Polish roots but instead, can boast strong ties to Poland. For example, if you live in Poland, run a business here, speak the Polish language or support our culture, you should include it in the citizenship application submitted to the President’s Office. The President of the Republic of Poland acts as a Head of State which means he is the one to grant citizenship.
Is there a list of requirements to be met by a foreigner? Not at all! The President is not bound to any limits and, based on that, he determines whether the argumentation stated in the motion is sufficient enough for him to give positive consent.
Can you lose Polish citizenship?
The last issue we would like to mention is the loss of citizenship. The question is – Can Polish citizenship be lost? According to the law, the only way to lose it is to renounce it. In such a case, applicants must possess citizenship of another country (e.g. the country of birth) and enclose documentation proving this. It is important to mention before being able to renounce Polish citizenship, an applicant first needs to prove he or she is a Polish citizen and if required, go through the process of Polish citizenship confirmation. Renunciation of Polish citizenship occurs after thirty days from the date of issue of the positive consent.
Being a citizen of Poland is very beneficial. At the time you obtain it, you should also think about the Polish passport application. As an international travel document, it gives a citizen almost unlimited possibilities when it comes to traveling, living, or working in the European Union.
