Confirmation of Polish citizenship is a process that can seem complicated, especially for people who have lived abroad for many years or have never dealt with the Polish administrative system before. Nevertheless, understanding the steps to be taken and the documents that need to be collected is key to going through the process smoothly and obtaining official confirmation of one’s citizenship.
For many, confirmation of Polish citizenship is not only a formality but also a way of regaining contact with their roots and gaining access to many opportunities such as free travel, education, or work in EU countries, as well as establishing deeper ties with Poland. This process is particularly important for descendants of Polish emigrants who wish to regain a formal connection with the country of their ancestors.
The procedure for confirmation of Polish citizenship is strictly regulated by Polish law and is supervised by the Ministry of Interior and Administration and provincial offices. Therefore, a key element of the entire process is the collection of relevant documents that certify uninterrupted possession of citizenship by the applicant and his/her ancestors. Among the documents required are, for example, birth certificates, marriage certificates and documents proving the identity and nationality of ancestors.
Below we will try to explain in detail each step of the process of confirmation of Polish citizenship, present the required documents, point out potential difficulties that may arise during the procedure and suggest how to successfully overcome them.
Who should apply for confirmation of Polish citizenship?
An application for confirmation of possession or loss of Polish citizenship should be filed in the following situations:
– When we have a valid Polish passport or identity card.
– We have a valid foreign passport but do not have a valid Polish passport or identity card, or one of our parents held or holds a Polish passport or identity card, even if they are invalid.
– We have a valid foreign passport and one of our parents, grandparents or great-grandparents held a Polish passport or identity card and left Poland after World War II, during the war or in the inter-war period.
– We have a valid foreign passport with a repatriation visa to Poland.
– We need confirmation of the Polish citizenship of a third party (living or deceased) for the purposes of other proceedings, such as divorce, inheritance or compensation for property left outside the borders of the current Republic of Poland.
– The child was fully adopted by persons holding Polish citizenship and the adoption took place before the child reached the age of 16.
– We were born in Poland and our parents are unknown, stateless or their citizenship is undetermined.
What conditions do we have to fulfill to obtain confirmation of Polish citizenship?
At the very beginning, it is worth bearing in mind that there is no central register of Polish citizens in Poland, so the process of confirmation of citizenship is based on the documents we provide. Furthermore:
– Carefully read the application: Before starting to fill in the application for confirmation of Polish citizenship, carefully read the instruction on the last page of the document and follow the instructions there.
– In the case of minors, the application for confirmation of Polish citizenship for a minor child must be signed and submitted by one of the parents, both parents or the child’s legal guardian.
– It is worth bearing in mind that a power of attorney submitted in connection with the matter of confirmation of Polish citizenship does not require notarisation of your signature.
– Documents drawn up in a foreign language must be submitted together with a translation into Polish made or certified by a Polish sworn translator or a Polish consular post.
– If our or our parents’ Polish documents are missing, we can contact the relevant municipal office, the Register Office, the archives or the Institute of National Remembrance, which hold emigration documents issued by the communist authorities up to 1989. If we have difficulties in finding the appropriate institution, we should contact the Head Office of the State Archives – Central Archive Information Centre or use the online databases at archiwa.gov.pl.
– According to the law, it is incumbent on us to provide data and information to establish the factual and legal status. We must therefore provide documents confirming these data and information. Any documents collected in the case file are not returnable, so when submitting them, be aware that they will remain in the office.
Where should the application be submitted?
An application for confirmation of Polish citizenship can be submitted in three ways.
The first one is submitted to the office, at the Department of Foreigners’ Affairs, which is located at 3/5 Marszałkowska Street in Warsaw. The application should be submitted in person at the Department of Citizenship and Repatriation, only by appointment on a specific day and time.
The second way is through the registry office. In this option, an appointment should be made in advance. Unfortunately, the documents submitted to the application office are not immediately verified and confirmed with us, so we cannot be sure that they will be confirmed.
The last possibility is to send the documents by post to the address of the Mazovian Voivodship Office in Warsaw. However, please note that they must be certified as true to the original by a Polish notary or consul.
You can find out even more about submitting applications and the entire process of confirming Polish citizenship at https://fivetoeurope.com/faqs/polish-citizenship-confirmation-process/.
What fees must be paid?
Specific administrative fees apply to the process of confirming possession or loss of Polish citizenship. First of all, you have to pay PLN 58 for issuing a decision that confirms having or losing Polish citizenship.
If we use an attorney who is not our spouse, ascendant (parent or grandparent), descendant (child or grandchild) or sibling, we will additionally have to pay a fee of PLN 17 for the power of attorney. It is important that documents proving your relationship with the proxy are enclosed with the application, which will exempt you from paying this amount.
Furthermore, it is important to remember that all these fees must be paid before filing the application in order for the process to run smoothly. These fees are fixed and independent of the individual circumstances of the applicant, except in the case of using an attorney, where kinship may affect the exemption from the additional attorney fee.
How long should I wait for a decision?
It usually takes around 30 days to receive a decision confirming Polish citizenship. However, in the situation of more complex cases, this time may be extended but should not exceed 2 months.
It is important to bear in mind certain time limitations in the waiting process. This is because the time limits for issuing a decision do not include the periods provided by law for carrying out certain activities, such as waiting for information and documents from other institutions, archives, or consular offices. In addition, periods of suspension of proceedings or delays caused by the fault of a party, for example, if the applicant has not provided the necessary documents, are not included. Finally, there are situations where delays may be the result of factors beyond the control of the authority, such as natural disasters that prevent the normal operation of the office. In such cases, waiting times may be extended.
