Eligibility quiz
Do you have 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 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 in your city, Poland?”
Download the application form
Download the application for recognition as a Polish citizen, called Wniosek o uznanie za obywatela polskiego.
Download the formFill in the form
Fill in the required fields in Polish, name the voivode responsible for your area, attach your photograph and sign the form. State that you are applying based on your permanent residence through Polish origin or a Karta Polaka.
Find form instructionsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I fill in the Uznanie za obywatela polskiego form in Poland?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the required documents for the voivodeship office.
See required documentsPay the fee
Pay any required decision fee by bank transfer to the account specified by your voivodeship office. Keep proof of payment for your application.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I pay the Uznanie za obywatela polskiego decision fee at the voivodeship office for your city, Poland?”
Hand in your application
Bring your signed form, documents and proof of payment to your voivodeship office. You can also mail them to the office, but your signature must be officially certified by a notary or a Polish consul.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I submit Uznanie za obywatela polskiego to the voivodeship office for your city, Poland?”
Wait for the decision
Respond to the office's requests, present original documents or attend an appointment if asked, and correct any problems by the deadline it gives you. The office will deliver its decision; if approved, you can then apply for a Polish passport.
See what happens nextSearches DuckDuckGo for “What happens after I submit Uznanie za obywatela polskiego in Poland?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Birth certificates *
Provide your birth certificate and your Polish parent's birth record as needed to show your family connection. Ask the office that issued each record for a copy.
* Only if the office needs them to check your family details or Polish origin.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationMarriage certificates *
Provide your marriage certificate or your Polish parent's marriage certificate if needed to explain your family details. If a name has changed, include the relevant name-change record.
* Only if the office needs them to check your family details or Polish origin.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationParent's Polish origin records *
Provide the records about your Polish parent that show the Polish origin on which your permanent residence permit was based. These may include your parent's birth record; ask the office that issued each record for a copy.
* Only if the office needs them to check the basis of your permanent residence permit.
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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