Table of Contents
- Benefits of Polish Nationality
- Polish Citizenship by Descent for Children
- Application for Polish Citizenship by Descent
- Confirmation of Polish Citizenship or its Loss
- Recognition as a Polish Citizen
- FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
- Office Address and Telephone - VisaConnect UK
Contact VisaConnect's specialist Consultants, and our partner Polish Immigration and Citizenship Lawyers, in 2024, by phone or complete an online Form on our website or visit us in our offices in Brisbane, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, London, UK and Lisbon, Portugal for advice and assistance with your Polish Citizenship by Descent application, and supporting documents, as evidence of Nationality of Poland!
Benefits of Polish Nationality
The advantages and benefits of acquiring Polish Citizenship and a Polish Passport are:
- Live, work and study in Poland and travel in and out of Poland, Visa-free
- Freedom of Movement across the EU/EFTA area (Visa-Free travel in the EU)
- Poland has been a member of the European Union since 1 May 2004
- Visa-free access to 187 countries around the world, as per the Henley Passport Index, in 2023. The Poliush Passport is currently ranked as the 7th strongest Passport in the world.
- Poland allows Dual Citizenship
- Publicly funded health care system called the Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia, which is free for all the citizens of Poland. Also, Private health care is affordable
- Poland is among the most affordable places to live in the European Union. The average cost of living in Poland is reasonable at around 3,500 to 6,000 EUR per year. This cost varies from city to city.
- Public Education is free at all levels in Poland, and the public system is supplemented by private and community schools and Universities
- Transfer Polish EU Citizenship to your children
- Social security in Poland consists of: Old-age pension; Invalidity pension; Sickness and maternity insurance; Insurance against accidents at work and occupational diseases; Health insurance, Family benefits, Social assistance benefits and Unemployment benefits, which covers practically all people in active employment
- As at 11 November 2019, Poland became eligible for the US Visitor Visa Waiver status, making the United States more accessible for Polish citizens
- Poland has one of the lowest violent crime rates in Europe, with particularly low levels of vandalism and arson
- Vote in local Polish Municipal council elections and European Parliament elections
Polish Citizenship by Descent for Children
Outlined below are the requirements for Children of Polish Citizens to obtain Polish Citizenship - right of blood (Jus
Sanguinis):
- 1. If both parents obtain Polish citizenship, on the same date, then their children under 18 will also acquire Polish citizenship.
- 2. The child becomes a Polish citizen regardless of whether the child was born in Poland or overseas (Article 14 point 1 of the Polish Citizenship Act).
- 3. An adopted child that has completed a full adoption, who is adopted by a holder or holders of Polish citizenship acquires the citizenship, if the full adoption had been completed before the child turned 16 years.
- 4. Note that children over 16 years must first consent to the acquisition of Polish citizenship. The children can provide consent in person in the presence of an employee of a Voivodeship office or a Consul or by correspondence with an officially certified signature.
- 5. If one of the parents acquires Polish citizenship, their children under 18 will only be granted Polish citizenship, proivided that the other parent has no parental responsibility and the other parent has consented to their child being granted Polish citizenship.
Application for Polish Citizenship by Descent
To apply for Polish Citizenship, as a Child of a Polish citizen, you can make an application to the Voivodeship governor responsible for the area where you have your place of residence, if you legally reside in Poland. If you live outside Poland, apply to the appropriate Consulate, and meet the following criteria:
- Complete Application for Polish citizenship,
- Translation of foreign-language documents into Polish, usually done by a Translator from the Polish Consul,
- Statement of Consent by the other parent to their children under 18 being granted Polish citizenship – if only one parent applies for citizenship.
Confirmation of Polish Citizenship or its Loss
To receive Polish citizenship and a Passport, one must first confirm the Polish citizenship of the applicant. Note that the Polish Citizenship Act 2012 states that a child acquires Polish citizenship on the date of their birth if at least one of their parents was a Polish citizen on the date of the child's birth. In the event that the applicant wishes to confirm their Polish citizenship, the Polish citizenship of one of their parents on the date of the applicant's birth has to be confirmed first.
The procedure for grandchildren of people whose grandparents left Poland to live abroad is the procedure of Confirmation of Polish Citizenship.
Your Polish Immigration and Citizenship Lawyer can assist and advise you in the prepration of the following documents, as Confirmation of Polish Citizenship:
- Completion of the Application form, in Polish langauge - 'application for confirmation of possession or loss of Polish citizenship'
- Power of Attorney for your Polish Lawyer to handle your case on your behalf
- Birth, marriage, or death certificates of people who were born, got married or deceased in Poland
- Change of name - copies of documents confirming this fact (marriage certificate, certificate of change in name etc)
- Certificates of Ancestors or records from Polish Registry Offices
- Valid identification document, original, including pages with official annotations, such as Polish passport or military documents
- Files from the Civil Registry Office Warszawa-Śródmieście
- Documents from the Jewish Historical Insitute based in Warsaw, and the Museum of Polish Jews – Polin