Eligibility quiz
Did Poland grant you permanent residence 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 serves your city for uznanie za obywatela polskiego in Poland?”
Download the application form
Get the form called “wniosek o uznanie za obywatela polskiego” from your voivodeship office.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Where can I download the uznanie za obywatela polskiego application form for my voivodeship office in your city Poland?”
Fill in the form
Fill in the application yourself, clearly and in Polish, and sign it.
Find form instructionsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I fill in 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 stamp duty by bank transfer before you apply, using the amount and account details in your office’s current instructions. Keep the payment proof to include with your application.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I pay the stamp duty for uznanie za obywatela polskiego at the voivodeship office serving your city Poland?”
Hand in your application
Bring your signed form, documents and payment proof to the voivodeship office for the place where you live. You can also send your application package to the office by post.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I submit an uznanie za obywatela polskiego application to the voivodeship office serving your city Poland?”
Wait for the decision
Keep your passport and residence document valid, and attend or send further information if the office asks you to. If your application is approved, you can then apply for a Polish passport.
See what happens nextSearches DuckDuckGo for “What happens after I submit an uznanie za obywatela polskiego application in Poland?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Great-grandparent's origin records *
Your Polish great-grandparent's birth or citizenship record may help show your Polish origin. Get an official record from the office that holds it; it does not replace your permanent-residence permit.
* Only if your permit was based on Polish origin and your office needs evidence of that basis.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationCivil status records *
Get a marriage certificate showing your current status, including divorce, separation or annulment if applicable. If your spouse has died, get their death certificate as evidence of your status.
* Only if you are or have been married.
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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