Eligibility quiz
Did you get a permanent residence permit in Poland because of your Polish origin?
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 voivodeship office responsible for the place where you live in Poland.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which voivodeship office handles Uznanie za obywatela polskiego for your city in Poland?”
Download the application form
Get the Wniosek o uznanie za obywatela polskiego form from your voivodeship office’s website.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Where can I download the Uznanie za obywatela polskiego application form from the voivodeship office in your city, Poland?”
Fill in the form
Complete and sign the form in Polish, and add your photograph. If you are under 18, your legal representatives complete and sign it for you.
Find form instructionsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I complete the Uznanie za obywatela polskiego application form in Poland?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the required documents for your voivodeship office.
See required documentsPay the fee
Pay the PLN 1,000 fee by bank transfer, using the payment details from your voivodeship office.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Where do I pay the Uznanie za obywatela polskiego fee for the voivodeship office in your city, Poland?”
Hand in your application
Bring your signed application, documents and proof of payment to your voivodeship office, following its instructions for filing in person. You can also mail the package to the same office.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I submit Uznanie za obywatela polskiego to the voivodeship office in your city, Poland?”
Wait for the decision
Respond if the office asks for more documents or explanations, and wait for its decision. If you are approved, you can then apply for a Polish passport.
See decision informationSearches DuckDuckGo for “How long does a decision on Uznanie za obywatela polskiego in Poland take?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Birth certificates *
Provide your birth certificate and, if needed to show your Polish family connection, the birth records of your Polish grandparent and your parent. Ask the office that holds each record for a copy.
* Only if your office needs them to check your family details or the basis of your permanent residence.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationMarriage certificates *
Provide the marriage records that support the family details in your application or show the connection between your Polish grandparent and your parent. If relevant, add divorce or name-change records that explain a change in your family details.
* Only if your office needs them to check your family details or the basis of your permanent residence.
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
Polish Citizenship Discussion Group
English Facebook group for people interested in Polish citizenship
Request to joinr/prawokrwi
English Reddit group for people interested in Polish citizenship
Join on RedditPolish citizenship & passport
English Facebook group for people interested in Polish citizenship
Request to joinConsultation
Talk to a professionalTalk to a professional
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