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Obtaining Polish citizenship with a Pole's Card

The process of obtaining a Pole's card takes up to 3 months. You need to collect documents confirming your Polish origin and make an appointment for an interview at the consulate or Embassy of Poland. To successfully complete the interview, you should know...

 

 The current law on citizenship provides for two ways of acquiring Polish citizenship: granting citizenship by the president of the Republic of Poland or recognition as a citizen by the Voivode.

 An application for recognition as a Polish citizen can be submitted by a foreigner permanently residing in the territory of the Republic of Poland for at least one year on the basis of a permanent residence permit (permanent residence card), which he / she obtained due to his / her Polish origin or possession of a pole's card, and at the same time knowledge of the Polish language confirmed by an official B1 certificate.

 This means that persons who, in connection with their Polish card, have obtained a permanent residence permit and reside permanently on the territory of the Republic of Poland, can apply for recognition as a Polish citizen one year after obtaining the right of permanent residence.

 In this case, however, it is necessary to have an official confirmation of knowledge of the Polish language, a certificate of completion of a school in Poland, A certificate of completion of a foreign school with the Polish language of instruction or a certificate issued by the State Commission confirming knowledge of the Polish language as a foreign language after passing the required examination in the Polish language. All information about the exam, examination centers, costs and dates can be found on the website.

 Meeting the conditions for the length of stay in Poland and having an official certificate of knowledge of the Polish language is not required when applying for Polish citizenship by the president of the Republic of Poland. Consideration of the application takes about a year. It should also be remembered that the decision of the president to grant citizenship (or refuse to grant it) is a sovereign decision of the head of state and does not require justification.

 Applications for granting Polish citizenship by the president are submitted through voivodes and consuls.

 Persons living abroad and arriving in Poland on the basis of a visa (e.g. issued in connection with the possession of a pole's card) apply for the citizenship of the Polish consul, and persons who have already obtained a residence permit in Poland (e.g. a permanent residence permit issued in connection with a pole's card) submit an application to the Voivode at the place of residence.

 In order to obtain Polish citizenship, you must provide:

  • completed application in English.
  • data on the source of income in Poland.
  • birth certificate.
  • confirmation of address registration on the territory of the country.
  • Marriage Act.
  • 5 x 4.5 cm photo taken in the last 6 months.
  • Сard of "permanent residence".
  • receipt of payment of stamp duty.

 Applications for obtaining Polish citizenship and for recognition as a Polish citizen are accepted in office 534, Building C, from Monday to Friday from 7.30 am to 3.00 pm. Information can be obtained by phone: 41 342 12 25

Dates:

 Applications for recognition as a Polish citizen are submitted by the Voivode. Consideration of the application by the Voivode takes about 2 months. If the application is written on behalf of the president, the process of registering the status of a citizen takes up to 1 year.

 Applications are available for download here.