Eligibility quiz
Have you been married to a Polish citizen for at least 3 years?
Benefits
Benefits for youBenefits for you
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 provincial office for the area where you live in Poland.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which provincial office serves your city for Uznanie za obywatela polskiego in Poland?”
Download the application form
Download the Wniosek o uznanie za obywatela polskiego form.
Download the formFill in the form
Fill in and sign the form in Polish, naming the provincial governor for the area where you live.
See how to fillSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I fill in the Uznanie za obywatela polskiego application form in Poland?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the required documents for the provincial office.
See required documentsPay the fee
Pay the 1,000 zł fee using the payment details and method given by your provincial office. Keep the proof of payment for your application.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I pay the Uznanie za obywatela polskiego fee at the provincial office serving your city in Poland?”
Hand in your application
Bring your completed form, documents and proof of payment to your provincial office. You can also mail them to the provincial governor for the area where you live.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I submit an Uznanie za obywatela polskiego application to the provincial office serving your city in Poland?”
Attend when asked
If the office asks you to come in, go at the time it gives you and bring your original documents for the office to see.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I attend an Uznanie za obywatela polskiego appointment at the provincial office serving your city in Poland?”
Wait for the decision
Wait for the provincial office to decide your application. Answer any questions or requests for more documents from the office.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I ask about my Uznanie za obywatela polskiego application at the provincial office serving your city in Poland?”
Receive your decision
Receive the provincial governor’s decision from the office. If you are approved, you can then apply for a Polish passport.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I receive my Uznanie za obywatela polskiego decision from the provincial office serving your city in Poland?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Birth certificates
Get your birth certificate from the office that issued it. Submit an original official copy from Poland or a certificate issued abroad.
Marriage certificates
Submit your marriage certificate showing that you have been married to your Polish spouse for at least three years; a partnership without marriage does not qualify. Submit an original official copy from Poland or a certificate issued abroad; your office may ask you to register a marriage from abroad in Poland and provide a Polish copy. If needed to explain your marital history or names, add records of name changes, divorce or separation.
Spouse's citizenship records
Provide a copy of your Polish spouse's Polish identity card or passport. It shows that your spouse is a Polish citizen.
Considerations
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
r/PolishCitizenship
English Reddit group for people interested in Polish citizenship
Join on RedditFamily Reunification in Poland | Residence Permit/Karta Pobytu/Citizenship
English Facebook group for people interested in Polish citizenship and visas
Request to joinForeigner in Warsaw Poland
English Facebook group for people living in Poland interested in Polish local life
Join on FacebookConsultation
Talk to a professionalTalk to a professional
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