Understanding your roots is the first step on the path to confirm Polish citizenship by descent. Learn how to apply for Polish citizenship by descent, step by step.
Poland’s citizenship law is a product of the country’s rich and complex history.
Since the first citizenship law was enacted in 1920, these regulations have undergone many changes, reflecting the dynamic historical, political, and social shifts within the country.
The process of confirming Polish citizenship by descent depends on the specific laws that were in effect during your ancestors’ lifetimes. Historical context is key, as it determines which legal provisions apply to your case.
In this process, officials play a crucial role in ensuring that citizenship is granted in accordance with the law and that all procedures are correctly followed. Their meticulous work helps maintain the integrity and fairness of Polish law.
This article provides a detailed guide for those looking to acquire Polish citizenship by descent. Alongside looking at the intricacies of the legal process, we’ll break down each stage and explore their key aspects.
Key Takeaways
- What should you know about Polish citizenship law?
- What are the steps involved?
- What should you keep in mind?
- What does the timeline look like?
- What are the most common questions?
Polish Law and the Process of Confirming Descent
Polish citizenship law has evolved over the decades, determining who qualifies as a Polish citizen and who is eligble to appy.
The historical context, which is not always straightforward, greatly influences current regulations and the legal foundations that officials rely on when you seek to prove your Polish ancestry.
Officials verify your eligibility to apply for Polish citizenship based on the provisions contained in the relevant laws.
They conduct a thorough analysis to determine whether your ancestors met the conditions outlined in the regulations from 1920, 1951, 1962, and 2009.
Understanding these historical contexts helps you comprehend the process of confirming Polish citizenship by descent. However, ultimately, it boils down to meeting specific legal requirements.
For detailed information on Polish citizenship regulations over the last 100 years, refer to our article on Polish Citizenship Law.
What Does the Process Look Like?
What Does the Polish Citizenship Process Look Like?
The process of applying for Polish citizenship by descent can be divided into five stages.
The first stage involves verifying whether you meet the eligibility criteria, i.e., whether you can confirm your Polish citizenship via your ancestral Polish origin.
The next step is to gather the required documents confirming your ancestry and translate those that are not in Polish. While you do not need to speak Polish, the final application form and all attached records must be Polish.
Once all the documentation is ready, translated, and the application is filled out, you submit the complete set to the appropriate office. For foreigners, this is typically done via the Polish consul of your home country.
While the entire process might seem straightforward, it is more complex in practice and closely tied to the individual circumstances of each applicant.
It requires a precise approach, meticulousness, and patience to ensure that all steps are correctly completed and that the documents meet formal requirements.
| The Process of Confiming Polish Citizenship by Descent | ||||
| ① | ② | ③ | ④ | ⑤ |
| Validation of Eligibility | Document Search | Application Preparation and Submission | Application Review and Decision by the Office | Confirmation of Citizenship |
Let’s go through each stage in detail:
1. Validation of Eligibility
Anyone seeking to confirm Polish citizenship by descent must document their Polish roots.
It’s crucial to prove that your ancestor was a Polish citizen after 1920 and did not lose that citizenship.
Nonetheless, during the application process, the office must verify whether you indeed meet the criteria to apply for Polish citizenship by descent.
For more information on the requirements, please see our article on “Who is Eligible for Polish Citizenship by Descent“
How to Quickly Check If You Qualify
The simplest way to quickly verify if you can be granted Polish citizenship through your ancestry is by taking our free eligibility quiz. During the quiz, you will provide the basic information needed to assess your chances of confirming citizenship. Afterward, a dedicated specialist will review your case and contact you personally to inform you of the eligibility assessment results. Once you receive the result, you can decide whether you want to continue working with us.
2. Searching for and Gathering Documents
After positively verifying your eligibility for Polish citizenship by descent, you can begin gathering the necessary documents.
The documents required to apply for Polish citizenship based on descent may vary depending on individual circumstances.
In most cases, the following documents are required:
- Your birth certificate
- Your parents’ birth and marriage certificates
- Your grandparent’s birth and marriage certificates
- And so on, until you have covered the lineage between you and your chosen Polish ancestor.
And at least one of the following documents regarding your Polish ancestor:
- Military service records
- Census records containing information about the ancestor
- Their Polish passport
- Their Polish identity card
- Population records
The proper documentation not only provides the necessary information for Polish authorities to process your application but also allows you to gain a deeper understanding of your Polish heritage. These records can show when your ancestors left Poland and where they went across the wider world.
Complete and verified documents are crucial for a smooth application process. Learn more about benefits of working with Lexmotion.
What If I Don’t Have the Required Documents?
Our clients often ask which specific documents are needed to submit a Polish citizenship application. Based on our analysis, we can identify which key records will increase the chances of a successful application. However, there are situations where the client does not have the required documents. In such cases, our experts at Lexmotion, with extensive experience in locating documents in Polish and foreign archives, can find the necessary files. During our collaboration, we offer clients the opportunity to locate missing documents, ensuring the successful confirmation of your Polish citizenship.
3. Preparing and Submitting the Application
Once all the key documents have been gathered, you can proceed to complete the application to become a Polish citizen.
All documents prepared in languages other than Polish must be translated and authenticated before they can be accepted.
Your application must be submitted to the appropriate Polish authorities, either in person, by mail, or through the Polish consulate.
The application must be written in Polish so that officials in Poland can properly assess and process it.
Also, don’t forget to handle any administrative formalities, such as paying the necessary fees.
What Should You Know When Preparing and Submitting the Application?
When filling out the application for Polish citizenship by descent, it’s important to keep several key points in mind:
- Ensure you meet the eligibility criteria
- Gather all the necessary documents
- Translate all non-Polish documents
- Double-check the accuracy of personal information and other provided data
When we prepare and complete applications for our clients, it’s crucial that each application is meticulously filled out and free of errors. Complete and accurate information helps ensure a positive outcome. Over 4,500 of our clients have successfully confirmed their Polish citizenship by descent. Because we pay attention to every detail, we ensure a smooth citizenship process. Our experts address any questions our clients have. It’s important to us that both the client and the process are well taken care of.
4. Application Review and Decision by the Office
After submitting the application, it’s time to wait patiently for it to be processed. After the complete application is submitted, you need to be patient as the process can take several months.
The office carefully reviews the submitted documents, checking their authenticity and completeness. Currently, depending on the complexity of the case and the number of documents to be verified, this process can take from a few months to over a year. If necessary, the office may request additional information or documents.
This process is time-consuming because it is essential to ensure that citizenship is granted only to those who are genuinely eligible. This highlights the importance of the process.
Your patience during this review is crucial since many people are currently applying for Polish citizenship, and the office strives to handle each case diligently.
When we monitor our clients’ cases at the office, we’re consistently reassured that well-prepared cases are processed more quickly and efficiently.
Is There Anything I Need to Do After Submitting My Application?
After your application is submitted and accepted by the office, an assigned official will begin verifying the data. You must remember that officials will thoroughly and meticulously check all the information provided in the application. Sometimes, officials may have additional questions or require further information. In such situations, the client must be prepared to respond.When we work with clients, we maintain contact with the offices on their behalf. If there are any questions from the office, we strive to respond as quickly as possible. In this way, we ensure the smooth processing of our clients’ cases. It is crucial for us to optimize processes and find ways to expedite the completion of the case.
5. Confirmation of Citizenship
After your application is successfully reviewed, you will receive official confirmation of your Polish citizenship.
How Can I Apply for a Passport?
Our clients, after recieving official confirmation of their Polish citizenship, typically proceed to apply for a Polish passport immediately. To obtain a Polish passport, in addition to confirmation of your citizenship, you will need to register your vital records with the Polish Civil Registry Office. These are official Polish copies of vital records, such as your birth and marriage certificates. As a person born outside of Poland, the Polish government does not have these records in their own system. Once the vital records are registered, you can apply for a passport. This requires an in-person visit to the consulate.During this visit, all formalities will be completed, including the assignment of a national identification number, known in Poland as a PESEL, enable you to fully exercise your citizenship rights in Poland. Simultaneously, we apply to confirm Polish citizenship and the registration of vital records to provide you with everything needed to obtain a Polish passport in the shortest possible time. At that point, it’s just a formality that takes a few weeks.
How Long Does the Entire Process Take?
The process of applying to confirm Polish citizenship by descent typically takes between 12 and 16 months, but this time may vary depending on the specific situation and complexity of the case.
For more information on how long the entire process takes and what it depends on, read “How Long Does It Take to Confirm Polish Citizenship and Passport?”
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the process of confirming Polish citizenship by descent take?
We currently inform our clients that the authorities process applications within an average of 12-16 months.
Confirming Polish citizenship also requires several weeks of preparation, carried out by our experts.
Can I apply for Polish citizenship online?
At present, this is not possible, but you can use our free eligibility test to see if you qualify for Polish citizenship.
Is it easy to get Polish citizenship?
There are many ways to become a Polish citizen, including through marriage and naturalization, but citizenship by descent is one of the most popular forms. Unlike other approaches, it does not require you to speak Polish or have permanent residence in Poland.
From our experience, the process can be complex, depending on both your unique history and how it relates to Poland’s citizenship law. Under current regulations, you need to prove your ancestral Polish origin to a person that meets Poland’s requirements. Typically, this person must have lived in Poland some point after 1920, did not renounce their citizenship status and was a recognized Polish citizen.
Our years of experience and thousands of successful cases make the process easier and more efficient.
We remove any doubts you may have about starting the process, handle all aspects of the application that need to be written or communicated in Polish, and assist in tracking down the necessary documents in archives.
When everything is ready, we submit the application on your behalf – and keep you informed about the progress of your application in the Polish legal system.
