New opportunities for obtaining Polish citizenship
Do you want to obtain Polish citizenship? Have you lost your Polish citizenship and want to regain it? Do you need official confirmation that you have Polish citizenship? You can find all the necessary information at the link below https://www.gov.pl/web/mswia/uzyskaj-polskie-obywatelstwo (information from an official source in Polish, we have translated this information for the convenience of readers, the original text in Polish can be found at the link above).
Apply to the President of Poland for Polish citizenship
How and where to do it?
At a voivodeship office (użęd) or by letter.
Who can use the service?
A person who does not have Polish citizenship.
When to submit the application?
At any time.
What do you need to do?
- Collect all the necessary documents;
- Submit the application to a voivodeship office or consulate;
- If you apply at the consulate, pay the consular fee;
- Wait for a response. You will receive a certificate of acquisition of citizenship or a certificate of refusal to grant citizenship from the authority to which you submitted your application;
- If you have children between the ages of 16 and 18, they must also give their consent to obtain citizenship. They can do this in person at the voivodeship office or consulate or by mail, with an officially certified signature.
Where to submit the application?
- At the voivode whose jurisdiction extends to your place of residence – if you are legally residing in Poland. For example, if you reside in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, submit the application to the Pomeranian Voivode,
- a consul – if you live abroad. You can find the search engine of consulates on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland.
Remember: if you send your application by mail, you need an officially certified signature. Any notary will help you with this. This service costs approximately 20 PLN.
How much will you pay?
- 360 euros – if you apply at the consulate. You will find out how to pay on the spot;
- cost of translation of documents – if you attach documents in a foreign language to the application. The cost of translation depends on the translator’s rate;
- the cost of certifying documents – if you attach copies of documents to the application;
- PLN 20 for notarization of the signature – if you send the application by mail. The fee is charged by a notary.
What do you need to prepare?
- An application for Polish citizenship;
- translation of foreign documents into Polish – if the application is accompanied by documents issued in a foreign language. Such translation must be done by a sworn translator or a consul of the Republic of Poland;
- a statement of the other parent’s consent to the acquisition of Polish citizenship by your children under the age of 18 – if only one of the parents applies for citizenship.
Remember: children between the ages of 16 and 18 must first give their consent to obtaining Polish citizenship. They can do this in person at a voivodeship office or consulate, or by mail with an officially certified signature.
How long will you wait?
The President of the Republic of Poland is not bound by any time limits in cases of granting Polish citizenship. In practice, it is currently possible to wait for more than a year for a decision of the President of the Republic.
How can I lodge an appeal?
You cannot file an appeal. The decision of the President of the Republic of Poland is final.
Important to know
Polish citizenship and children – if both parents are granted Polish citizenship, their children under the age of 18 will also be granted Polish citizenship. Remember that children who have reached the age of 16 must give their consent. They can do this in person at a Voivodeship Office or Consulate, or by mail with an officially certified signature.
If one of the parents obtains Polish citizenship – their children under the age of 18 will obtain Polish citizenship only if
- the other parent does not have parental rights;
- the other parent has given his/her consent to the child’s obtaining Polish citizenship (consent is expressed in the form of a sworn statement);
- children over the age of 16 give their consent. This can be done in person at the Voivodeship Office or Consulate, or by means of a letter with an officially certified signature.
Source: https://www.gov.pl/web/mswia/uzyskaj-polskie-obywatelstwo
