From a Polish passport to access to top-tier education and healthcare, find out how confirming Polish citizenship can transform your family’s life.
Every year, we see a growing number of clients interested in confirming Polish citizenship for themselves and their loved ones.
The motivations vary – from a desire to reconnect with one’s roots, to seeking better educational opportunities, or even the ability to travel and live freely across Europe.
However, the most compelling reason is securing a better future and opening new opportunities for yourself and your family.
If you have Polish ancestry and confirm your citizenship by descent, your family members can also become recognized Polish citizens, enjoying the wide range of benefits that come with being part of the European Union.
In this article, we will discuss the benefits Polish citizenship offers, how it can enhance your life and improve your family’s situation, and how to acquire Polish citizenship if your family is of Polish descent.
Key Takeaways
- Who qualifies for Polish citizenship by descent?
- What benefits does Polish citizenship offer to you and your family?
- How can I confirm Polish citizenship?
- How can we help you?
Who qualifies for Polish citizenship by descent?
Polish citizenship is a valuable asset that opens up a wide range of opportunities for you and your family.
Confirming citizenship by descent is one of the most popular procedures among our clients.
Unlike other methods of becoming a Polish citizen, such as naturalization, this path is available to many people with Polish ancestors, even if they themselves have never lived in Poland or do not speak Polish.
The main requirement is to prove that you have a Polish ancestor who was born in the country and never formally renounced or lost their Polish citizenship. If such a person is part of your family tree, you have a strong chance of confirming Polish citizenship. This is because the Polish government considers such descendents as Polish from birth, so the process is more about recovering your family’s lost Polish citizenship status.
To check if you qualify for Polish citizenship by descent, complete our free eligibility quiz – we will contact you within 24 hours of submission to outline the next steps.
For more information on eligibility, read the article Who is eligible for Polish citizenship?
Benefits of Polish citizenship for your family
First, it’s worth considering why someone might choose to confirm Polish citizenship for their family.
Confirming Polish citizenship is not just a formality recognizing your Polish heritage but a set of tangible benefits that can significantly improve the lives of your entire family.
For parents thinking about their children’s future, confirming Polish citizenship can be a strategic decision that opens up a range of opportunities, both in Europe and beyond.
Freedom to travel and live in the EU
One of the key benefits of having Polish citizenship is the freedom to travel and settle in any European Union country.
As recognized Polish citizens, your children will have the ability to travel, live, work, and study freely in any EU country without the need for visas or permits. This is visa-free access is a tremendous advantage, opening up a world full of new opportunities. They will have the chance to participate in international educational programs like Erasmus, experience different cultures, develop language skills, and build connections with peers across Europe.
Additionally, holding a Polish passport allows your family to settle in any EU country, giving access to diverse cultures, languages, and lifestyles. This also provides the freedom to choose a country with the best educational, career, and social prospects.
Access to world-class education
For parents who want their children to gain knowledge and skills in different EU countries, the ability to move freely, study, and take advantage of a wide range of educational programs is invaluable.
Children can attend the best schools and universities in Europe without the extra formalities often required for non-EU citizens.
The ability to choose from a variety of educational systems that offer modern teaching programs allows children to develop according to their interests and strengths.
There are many prestigious universities in the EU. For example, KU Leuven in Belgium is one of Europe’s top research universities, offering excellent programs in science and engineering. For those interested in social sciences and law, the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands provides exceptional educational opportunities. Meanwhile, Heidelberg University in Germany, one of the oldest universities in Europe, is renowned for its programs in medicine and philosophy.
For those aspiring to careers in business and management, ESSEC Business School in France and Università Bocconi in Italy are excellent choices, offering top-tier programs recognized internationally.
Another key advantage is access to numerous scholarships and student exchange programs, such as Erasmus+, which allow students to study in various EU countries under favorable conditions. These experiences not only enrich students’ knowledge but also shape them into global citizens, open to cultural diversity and prepared for the challenges of the global job market.
Polish citizen status opens doors to top-tier education for your children. Parents can rest assured they are providing the best possible learning and development opportunities for their children.
Job opportunities in the EU market
With Polish citizenship, you also gain access to the job market across the European Union. This means you can work freely in any EU member state without needing additional permits or visas, a significant advantage in today’s dynamic job market.
This freedom of employment within the EU opens up vast career opportunities for both you and your children, in established economies such as Germany, France, or the Netherlands, as well as in rapidly growing markets in Central and Eastern Europe.
Acquiring Polish citizenship means gaining access to a wide range of career options across the EU. Your family can seek employment not only in Poland but also in other EU countries, increasing their chances of finding jobs in their chosen fields and building careers in countries with stable and developed economies.
Additionally, EU labor laws ensure equal pay and working conditions, meaning that EU citizens are protected from nationality-based discrimination in the workplace. This allows them to enjoy the same rights as local citizens, including access to social security systems, which provides financial stability and security.
Another important benefit is the ability to start and run a business anywhere in the EU.
As a Polish citizen, you can establish and operate your own business in any EU member state without the additional requirements that non-EU citizens might face. This offers enormous opportunities for growth and expansion, especially in terms of market access and availability of funding and support for entrepreneurs.
The European support network for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as various EU funds, can all enable business development, which can benefit both you and future generations.
Access to healthcare in the EU
A Polish passport also grants access to healthcare and other social services across the EU.
Your children and family can benefit from high-quality healthcare on the same terms as the citizens of the countries they reside in. The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) allows you to access public healthcare services in any EU country under the same conditions as local citizens.
Access to healthcare in the EU also provides greater freedom to travel and settle in different countries without concerns about potential health issues.
Polish citizenship ensures that you can receive treatment in other EU countries, both for emergency and planned healthcare needs.
Strong Sense of Cultural Identity
In today’s globalized world, maintaining a strong cultural identity is becoming increasingly challenging.
For families with Polish roots, holding Polish citizenship can be the key to preserving and passing these values on to future generations.
A strong sense of belonging to the Polish community, both domestically and internationally, allows children to grow up in an environment that strengthens their connection to their ancestral homeland, keeping their Polish ancestry alive.
It should also be noted that it’s very common to hold dual citizenship. Your family will not lose their identity from their own country after they are granted Polish citizenship. Rather, it recognizes another chapter in the family history.Nonetheless, Polish citizenship provides families with unique opportunities to nurture Polish culture and traditions. It allows children to benefit from the Polish education system, which not only offers high-quality education but also enables advanced learning of the Polish language and deep exploration of Polish literature, history, and geography.
This way, the younger generation not only gains practical skills but also develops a deeper understanding of their family history and heritage.
Participating in national celebrations such as Independence Day (November 11th in Poland) or Christmas (which in Poland is celebrated on December 24th), as well as engaging in local traditions like harvest festivals or nativity plays, reinforces a sense of belonging to the community.
Children raised in the spirit of Polish culture have the opportunity to experience and celebrate Polish traditions not only in Poland but also within Polish communities around the world, providing a strong foundation for building an identity rooted in pride for their heritage.
Who can apply for Polish citizenship for their family?
The process of confirming Polish citizenship varies depending on whether the person applying already has Polish citizenship or is seeking to confirm it.
- If you have already confirmed your Polish citizenship by descent, you can apply to grant it to your children. It is much easier to get citizenship when at least one of the applicant’s parents have their citizenship confirmation.
In this case, we encourage you to contact us to learn more about the next steps.
- For those who do not yet hold Polish citizenship but have Polish ancestors, it is possible to confirm your citizenship and confirm it for your children at the same time. If you are eligible for Polish citizenship, then the Polish authorities will also recognize your children’s status.
We invite you to complete our free eligibility quiz – we will contact you within 24 hours with further information.
For more details on the eligibility criteria, please read our article Who is Eligible for Polish Citizenship?
