Eligibility quiz
Were both your parents’ identities unknown when you were born?
Benefits
Benefits for your childBenefits for your child
Polish passport and ID
Polish citizens can get a passport and identity card.
A normal passport lasts 10 years, or 5 years for some children.
A temporary passport lasts for the period stated on it, up to 12 months.
Live in Poland for life
Polish citizens can live in Poland permanently, choose where to live and move within the country.
They cannot be expelled from Poland or refused return.
Study in Poland
Polish citizens can use public education on the same terms as other Polish citizens.
Full-time study at public universities and other higher-education institutions is generally free of tuition on those terms.
Work in Poland
Polish citizens can work or run a business in Poland without a foreigner's work permit.
Get help abroad
Polish citizens can get help from Poland abroad, including passport assistance and emergency help.
If Poland has no representative in a country outside the EU, another EU country's consulate can help on the same terms as for its own citizens.
Vote in elections
Polish citizens can generally vote from age 18 in presidential, parliamentary and local elections and referendums.
Some people lose this right through a final court judgment.
Rules for voting abroad differ, and registration with the consul may be needed.
Use public healthcare
Public healthcare normally depends on insurance, though some uninsured citizens living in Poland qualify based on income and other conditions.
Children under 18 and pregnant women who are Polish citizens living in Poland have access to specified care.
In other EU countries, coverage depends on national systems and rules that can include work, insurance and residence.
Get social support
Polish citizens who live and stay in Poland can seek social assistance, with help depending on need, income and other conditions.
Pensions and benefits for sickness, unemployment and families have separate payment and eligibility rules.
How to apply
Applying at a local officeApplying at a local office
Find your local office
Find the voivodeship office responsible for the place where your child lives in Poland.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which Polish voivodeship office handles confirmation of Polish citizenship for someone living in your city?”
Download the application form
Download the form for confirmation of possession or loss of Polish citizenship. Use a separate form for each child.
Download the formSearches DuckDuckGo for “Where can I download the application form for confirmation of possession or loss of Polish citizenship?”
Fill in the form
As your child’s parent or guardian, fill in and sign the form in Polish. Include your child’s details, their parents’ and grandparents’ details, and the relevant facts about citizenship.
Get help with the formSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I fill in the Polish application for confirmation of possession or loss of Polish citizenship for a child?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the required documents for the voivodeship office.
See required documentsPay the application fee
Pay the applicable fee by bank transfer and keep the proof of payment for your child’s application. Ask your voivodeship office for the payment details.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I pay the fee for confirmation of possession or loss of Polish citizenship at the voivodeship office for your city?”
Hand in the application
Bring your child’s completed and signed application, documents and proof of payment to your voivodeship office. You can also mail the package to that office.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I submit an application for confirmation of possession or loss of Polish citizenship at the voivodeship office for your city?”
Wait for the decision
Answer the office if it asks for more information or documents. A positive decision confirms your child’s Polish citizenship and can be used as evidence of it.
See what happens nextSearches DuckDuckGo for “What happens after I apply for confirmation of possession or loss of Polish citizenship for a child?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Birth certificates
Provide your birth record, preferably the Polish record if your birth was registered in Poland. It can also show where you were born and what is known about your parents.
Parents' citizenship records
Provide records showing that your parents were unknown, had no citizenship or had citizenship that could not be determined when you were born. Your birth record or a record of where and how you were found may help show that your parents were unknown.
Parents' identity records *
Provide documents identifying your parents. Include available records about your parents and grandparents that support the details in your application.
* Only if your parents are known.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationConsiderations
Things to think aboutThings to think about
Treatment as Polish
If you have another citizenship, Polish authorities treat you as a Polish citizen.
You cannot use your other citizenship to avoid Polish rights or duties.
Defence and military service
Citizens from age 18 through the year they turn 60, or 63 for some ranks, may be called for defence duties.
Permanent medical unfitness and some pregnancy or childcare cases are exempt; so are dual citizens living permanently abroad.
Foreign military service needs permission, except for dual citizens living permanently in their other country and serving its forces; breaking this rule can be a crime.
Citizenship can be lost
Polish citizenship can be given up voluntarily only with the President's consent.
It ends 30 days after the decision, unless an earlier date is specified.
Discuss
Online communitiesOnline communities
Foreigner in Warsaw Poland
English Facebook group for people living in Poland interested in Polish local life
Join on FacebookExpats in Warsaw, Poland
English Facebook group for people living in Poland interested in Polish local life
Join on FacebookCudzoziemcy - trudne przypadki
Polish Facebook group for people living in Poland interested in Polish visas
Join on FacebookConsultation
Talk to a professionalTalk to a professional
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