Eligibility quiz
Was at least one of your parents or grandparents, or at least two of your great-grandparents, of Polish nationality?
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
From outside PolandFrom outside Poland
Find your consulate
Find the Polish consulate responsible for the place where you live.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which Polish consulate serves your city for repatriation visa applications?”
Download the application form
Get the national visa application form for repatriation. The form is free.
Download the formSearches DuckDuckGo for “Where can I download Poland's national visa for repatriation application form?”
Fill in the form
Complete the application in Polish. A parent or legal guardian applies for a child or a person who cannot legally act for themselves.
Find form instructionsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I fill in Poland's national visa for repatriation application form?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the required documents for the consulate.
See required documentsBook an appointment
Request an appointment using your consulate's instructions. Depending on the consulate, you may use e-Konsulat or request an appointment by email.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I book an appointment for a Poland repatriation visa at the consulate serving your city?”
Go to your appointment
Bring your completed application and documents to the consulate and submit them in person. A parent or legal guardian submits the application for a child or a person who cannot legally act for themselves; the consulate may also require that person to attend.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I submit a Poland repatriation visa application at the consulate serving your city?”
Attend your interview
Take part in the consulate's interview about your Polish background.
Prepare for interviewSearches DuckDuckGo for “What happens at a Poland repatriation visa interview at a consulate?”
Wait for the decision
Wait for the consulate to decide on your application. Respond if it asks for more information or documents.
See what happens nextSearches DuckDuckGo for “What happens after I apply for a Poland repatriation visa at a consulate?”
Obtain your visa
If your application is approved, obtain your national visa for repatriation from the consulate.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I obtain my approved Poland repatriation visa from the consulate serving your city?”
Travel to Poland
Enter Poland using your repatriation visa. You acquire Polish citizenship when you cross the border on that visa.
Find arrival instructionsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I enter Poland with a national visa for repatriation?”
Once in PolandOnce in Poland
Register your civil records
After arriving, register your birth, marriage and other relevant civil records with the civil-status office in Poland.
Find registration instructionsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I register civil-status records in Poland after repatriation?”
Obtain your Polish documents
Obtain Polish civil-status and identity documents as needed and complete the remaining arrival formalities. You can then apply for a Polish passport.
Find arrival formalitiesSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I obtain Polish identity documents after repatriation to Poland?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Birth certificates
Get an extract of your birth record and the birth records needed to show how you are related to your Polish parent, grandparent or two great-grandparents. If you were adopted, include the adoption decision.
Marriage certificates *
Get your marriage certificate and any marriage records needed to show your family ties. Include divorce, death or name-change records where needed to explain your current status or a change of name.
* Only if you or a relative in your Polish family line married.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationPolish origin records *
Provide records showing that your parent or grandparent, or both of your two great-grandparents, were Polish, along with evidence of their Polish traditions and customs. Records can include identity documents, birth or baptism records, military records, deportation or imprisonment records, rehabilitation documents, or records of persecution because of Polish origin; some may be about you as well as your relatives.
* Only if you apply at a consulate or you apply in Poland without a Polish-origin decision.
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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