Polish Citizenship Eligibility

Did you know that if you have Polish ancestry, you might be eligible for Polish citizenship and an EU passport? This means you can live, work and study in any of the 27 EU member countries with no restrictions.

How Does it Work?

If you are of Polish ancestry, you can apply to have your Polish citizenship confirmed by proving your heritage and satisfying eligibility criteria set by the Polish government. Your application form needs to be accompanied by your ancestral and personal documents, translated into Polish by a sworn translator.

How Do I Know if I Qualify?

By Descent

Most people whose parents, grandparents or great-grandparents were born in Poland qualify for Polish citizenship through descent. In essence you need to have at least one direct ancestor who:

• Was born in Poland (or one of the former territories) and resided there after 1920; or
• Left Poland before 1920, but their residential address can be found in the Polish, Prussian, Russian or Austro-Hungarian residential or voter registers; and
• Maintained their Polish citizenship until the day of your birth.

There is no limit on generations as such for reclaiming your Polish citizenship through descent but some people may have lost their Polish citizenship unbeknownst to them through naturalizing or serving in the military of another country.

By Presidential Grant

If you have Polish ancestors and they lost or never held Polish citizenship, you may be able to apply for a grant of citizenship through the Office of the President of Poland. The President in his constitutional power may grant Polish citizenship and his authority in this regard is unlimited and final. This decision outcome is based on a range of documentation, a consular interview and the merits of the individual applying.

By Karta Polaka

If you have Polish ancestors and can demonstrate your understanding of Polish language, culture and connections to Polish diaspora, you may be eligible for Karta Polaka. Whilst this option doesn’t directly grant you citizenship, it fast tracks the process. By holding Karta Polaka, you can apply for a residency and work permit in Poland. After one year of residency in Poland, you can apply for Polish citizenship.

How can Polaron help me?

• We offer a free and confidential eligibility assessment.
• If you are eligible, we can provide you with a no-obligation quote.
• Should you decide to proceed with us, we provide you with translations, administrative and legal support and we navigate through Polish regulations on your behalf.