Confirmation of Polish citizenship
Were you born abroad and have ancestors who had Polish citizenship? It is possible that you are a citizen of the Republic of Poland yourself.
The main method of acquiring Polish citizenship is by being born to parents of which at least one of has Polish citizenship. This is regardless of the child’s place of birth, in Poland or abroad – the 'right of blood’ (Jus sanguinis).
Since 2009, it is possible to apply to the appropriate Voivode for confirmation of Polish citizenship. To obtain such confirmation, you must submit an application on the appropriate form, submit documents such as birth, marriage, death certificates, CVs – your own and your ancestors, etc. The procedure does not require your presence in Poland. You can apply to the competent Voivode through a professional representative – our a law firm based in Poland.
You can descend Polish citizenship from your ancestors – you must prove with relevant documents that the possession of Polish citizenship was uninterrupted among your ancestors in the direct line. For example, from your grandfather whom you have knowledge of that he possessed Polish citizenship. This also includes you yourself.
The settlement of whether you have acquired Polish citizenship after your ancestors requires a detailed reconstruction of the family history and its analysis in terms of the legal regulations previously in force in the territory of the Republic of Poland (the Act on Polish Citizenship of 1920, 1951 or 1962, depending on your and your ancestors’ date of birth). After obtaining a decision confirming your Polish citizenship you can apply for a Polish passport at the nearest Polish consular office.
Pursuant to Article 55 (1) of the Act, the decision on confirmation of Polish citizenship or its loss is issued at the request of the person concerned or the entity demonstrating a legal interest or the obligation to obtain a decision, by the Voivode competent for the place residence or last place of residence in the territory of the Republic of Poland of the person concerned, and in the absence of this basis – the Masovian Voivode. The Voivode’s decision may be appealed against to the Minister of the Interior.
Persons residing outside of Poland may apply to the competent Voivode through a professional attorney, i.e. through our law firm, which is based in Poland.
The documentation to be attached to the application may differ depending on the situation of the person applying for it. Below are examples of the type of documents:
– application for confirmation of possession or loss of Polish citizenship,
– documents essential for establishing Polish citizenship, in particular civil status records,
– documents confirming the Polish ancestry of the parents/grandparents (birth and marriage certificates, baptism certificate,
– copies of Polish documents of parents or grandparents, etc.). In the case of surname change – a copy of documents confirming this fact (marriage certificate, name or surname change certificate, etc.),
– the original of the current identity document with pages containing official annotations (available for inspection),
– if the person was born outside the territory of the Republic of Poland – they must present a full birth certificate containing the parents’ surnames,
– civil status certificate confirming the marital status (marriage certificate, divorce certificate or spouse’s death certificate),
– other useful documents describing the ancestry of your parents/grandparents.
The application is submitted on the form specified by the ordinance of the Minister of Internal Affairs. The application for confirmation of the possession or loss of Polish citizenship contains the data of the person to whom the confirmation concerns and his or her ancestors to the second degree, as well as information about important circumstances necessary to establish the factual and legal status. It should be emphasized that the applicant is obliged to attach to the application documents confirming the data and information contained in the application.
If you have Polish ancestors, it’s possible that you are a citizen of Poland yourself. Our law firm specializes in assisting clients in obtaining confirmation of Polish citizenship, even if you are living outside of Poland. Don’t hesitate to contact us to begin the process and discover your potential eligibility for Polish citizenship.