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Polish Citizenship FAQs

If your ancestors are from Poland, you probably already know that Polish citizenship makes it possible for you to reside, study, own property and gain employment in the European Union countries. To help you navigate the bureaucratic maze that acquiring citizenship is, we’ve put together answers to commonly asked questions about Polish citizenship and EU passports.

Citizenship Process

In most European countries, you do not need to speak the language to reclaim citizenship.  You are only required to prove your lineage to your ancestor. In some countries, such as Latvia and Hungary, you do need to prove basic language skills.

Originals or duplicates are required of all foreign documents i.e. Australian/ US/ British/ South African etc., in order for them to be apostilled.

Originals or consular certified copies of all Polish documents are also required to be submitted with a citizenship application.

If you do not want to send the originals, we recommend obtaining duplicates of the foreign documents and consular certified copies of the Polish documents.

All new enquirers must fill out a family tree so that our Eligibility and Compliance team has a clearer picture of your family history when assessing your case. The Polaron family tree template also includes important details such as immigration dates, marriage dates, naturalisation dates and times of army service. These are all important factors that impact eligibility.

Unfortunately, no. Being born in Poland or having a Polish birth certificate alone does not prove one’s citizenship. You will also need to provide evidence that your grandmother did not lose her citizenship by acquiring foreign citizenship or marrying a citizen of a foreign state before 1951.

Polish Citizenship by Descent

Firstly, you need to have Polish ancestors, usually just one. They need to have been born in Poland (or one of the former Polish territories) and resided there after 1920. In other words, you will need to prove that your ancestor was a Polish citizen after 1920 and also at the time of your birth. 

No, there is no limit on the number of generations that you can go back to in order to prove your Polish ancestry (so long as there are Polish records confirming your ancestor held Polish citizenship after 1920).

We’ll need some basic information about you, including your date and place of birth and details of your parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. A family tree would also be great. We’ll ask you about your Polish roots and for a brief family history. The more details and documentation you provide, the more specific we can be in assessing your eligibility.

Polish Passport

To apply for a Polish passport you need to be a citizen of Poland. You also need to have your birth certificate registered in Poland and you need to have a PESEL number (Polish Powszechny Elektroniczny System Ewidencji Ludności, 11 digit Polish identification number).

You will need to complete a passport application form as well as provide two identical photographs, your Polish birth and/or marriage certificate and passport processing payment. The passport application must be submitted at a Polish consulate (anywhere in the world) and collected in person by the bearer. Some consulates allow for the passport to be posted to you via registered mail once issued.

About Polaron

We have a 99% success rate, because we are very serious when evaluating your case and we only advise you to proceed with the application if we are certain of your eligibility. 

Polaron was established in 2000 and is headed by Eva Hussain who is herself Polish and of Jewish heritage. As a certified translator and interpreter, Eva saw a niche to fill by helping people get European citizenship. The company has since supported over 15,000 people to get EU citizenship.

Our head office is located in Melbourne, Australia. We also have offices in Sydney, Europe and the US.

Yes, absolutely. Many of our clients live overseas or in remote areas.

Polaron has strict policies and procedure in place to guarantee that personal details, documents and information are treated in the strictest of confidence. We never share any information with anyone unless authorized by you.

Duration

If you have all the required documentation, the process of confirmation of citizenship is relatively simple and, based on our experience, can take approximately between 8-10 months. It can become complicated if the events that you need to demonstrate have happened a long time ago, if you do not have the required documents or if other events have occurred that make it difficult to prove the blood ties with your ancestors. Applications for some countries can take up to 48 months.

After your citizenship application is approved, the usual processing time for a standard passport is 1-3 months. In an emergency, a passport can be issued within 24 hours by the consulate.

Yes, you can! Please contact us for more details.

Cost

Every application is different because it is based on specific circumstances. We are able to provide an exact price soon after you have a FREE discovery call with our team, as they will be able to give further details.

Yes, we do. Payment plans can be spread across several months.

Yes, we offer a competitive family discount. See under family members for more details.

Health care in Poland is insurance based, delivered through a publicly funded health care system called the Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia (NFZ). It is free for all citizens of Poland provided they fall into the “insured” category (meaning that they have health insurance paid for by their employer, or are the spouse or child of an insured person). According to the Polish Constitution, everyone has the right to access health care. Citizens are granted equal access to the publicly funded healthcare system. In particular, the government is obliged to provide free health care to young children, pregnant women, disabled people and the elderly.

Family Members

If your children are under the age of 18, they can be  included in your application, but will need to have their own case file. If they are 18 or older and qualify, they will need to apply separately. Your grandchildren can also apply with you.

Certainly! In fact, all living ancestors in the direct line between you and your Polish ancestor are eligible. The research only needs to be done once and everybody can benefit. Applying with siblings or cousins requires little additional research and is a great way to divide up costs. Another benefit of applying with other family members is that you only need one set of documents.

Yes, as long as they follow the same ancestral line. Many people share the cost of research, which only needs to be done once per family.

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