Today’s article is about confirmation of Polish citizenship. If you’re interested, keep reading – you’ll learn what you need to know and what steps you must take to confirm Polish citizenship.
Table of contents – read more about:
- Confirmation of Polish citizenship step by step
- Polish citizenship by descent
- Which documents are needed to confirm Polish citizenship?
- Confirmation of Polish citizenship – how much it costs
- How do you confirm your citizenship?
- Is a Polish birth certificate proof of citizenship?
- Which document is proof of citizenship?
- What makes you a Polish citizen?
- Does Poland allow dual citizenship?
- Polish citizenship certificate
- Polish citizenship – where to apply?
- Do I have to apply in person for Polish citizenship?
- What is the waiting time for confirmation of Polish citizenship?
- How to collect documents to confirm Polish citizenship?
- Steps and Requirements – confirmation of Polish citizenship
- Documents required to prove Polish citizenship by descent
- Who may obtain Polish citizenship by descent?
- How to obtain Polish citizenship by descent?
- Confirmation of Polish citizenship – conditions I must meet
- Confirmation of Polish citizenship – what fees do I have to pay?
- Citizenship test
- Right of blood
- Right of soil
- Does PESEL confirm Polish citizenship?
- Who grants Polish citizenship?
- Lawyer for citizenship confirmation
- Attorney for citizenship confirmation
- How long does confirmation of Polish citizenship take?
- Confirmin Polish citizenship for a child
- How to confirm Polish citizenship for a child born abroad?
What does confirmation of Polish citizenship mean?
Formally, you can’t obtain Polish citizenship by descent, because you automatically acquire it at birth. However, you do need to confirm it. This confirmation is a formal process, which acknowledges that a person with Polish ancestry is a Polish citizen. Going through that process is required to register the citizenship and issue a Polish passport.
Who is eligible to acquire (confirm) Polish citizenship?
Do you want to confirm Polish citizenship? In order to do that, you need to demonstrate that you have ancestors who held Polish citizenship. Besides that, you need to prove that no events during their or your lifetime have resulted in the loss of this citizenship.
To confirm that you are a Polish citizen, you need to have direct lineage from a Polish ancestor (parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent).
To determine whether you acquired citizenship through your ancestors, it is necessary to establish whether they actually held it. For this purpose, one must refer to the legal acts regulating these matters at the time of their birth – the Polish Citizenship Act of 1920, 1951, or 1962 may be helpful, depending on the years in which your ancestors were born.
When it comes to citizenship it does not matter which country you were born in, regardless of whether it was abroad. This is the so-called principle of blood (ius sanguinis), which applies in Poland and is the opposite of the principle of soil (ius soli) that applies in the United States, among other countries.
Confirmation of Polish citizenship – where to apply?
In Poland, since 2009, it has been possible to obtain confirmation of holding Polish citizenship a decision of the Voivode.
To do this, an application for confirmation of citizenship must be submitted to the competent Voivode.
Which Voivode is Competent?
The application should be submitted to the Voivode competent for your current or last place of residence in Poland, and if you do not have one – to the Masovian Voivode.
If you live abroad, you can also submit the application through the Polish consul responsible for your place of residence.
What information should be included in the application?
- personal data,
- personal data of grandparents and parents,
- additional information that may help establish the factual and legal status of the case,
- documentation supporting the information provided in the application.
Which documents are required?
- Polish ID cards or passports of ancestors,
- civil status records (including those issued abroad) of ancestors,
- extracts from church registers, military booklets,
- certificates from archives and other relevant documents.
Confirmation of Polish citizenship – costs
The administrative fee for a decision confirming the possession or loss of Polish citizenship is 277 PLN.
If you receive a negative decision or the proceedings are discontinued, you can apply for a refund of the administrative fee.
How long does it take?
The Voivode has 6 months to issue a decision. In justifted cases, this period may be extended.
What if you are not satisfied with the decision?
In such a situation, you can file an appeal. The appeal is submitted to the Minister of the Interior and Administration through the Voivode who issued the decision in your case.
You have 14 days from the date of delivery of the decision to do so.
Will I receive a Polish passport after confirmation?
After obtaining a decision confirming Polish citizenship, you can apply for a passport at the nearest consular office.
Do I have to come to Poland?
It is not necessary. If you wish, everything can be handled remotely with our assistance – without leaving your home or traveling to Poland. We will send you a power of attorney for signature and act on your behalf.
