Path to citizenship
- Apply180-730 days
- Citizenshipgranted
Overview
- Country
- Poland
- Program
- Polish Citizenship by Descent (Confirmation)
- Local name
- Potwierdzenie Obywatelstwa Polskiego
- Type
- Citizenship by Descent
- Status
- Active
- Processing time
- 180-730 days
- Dual citizenship
- Allowed
- Visa-free countries
- 183 destinations
- Passport rank
- #7 (Henley Index)
Confirmation of Polish citizenship through unbroken ancestral chain. No generational limit — applicants must prove their ancestor was a Polish citizen (post-1920 when modern citizenship laws were enacted) and that citizenship was never lost. Key risk: ancestors who voluntarily acquired foreign nationality before 1951 may have lost Polish citizenship under old laws.
Fees and costs
- Application fee
- $72
- Passport fee
- $35
Eligibility and requirements
- Police clearance not required
- Medical exam not required
Ancestry requirements
- Generational limit
- No limit
- Ancestor citizenship
- Must have been citizen
- Naturalization breaks chain
- Yes — foreign naturalization may end eligibility
Family
- Dependents
- Allowed
- Spouse
- Not included
- Max child age
- 18
Passport and mobility
- Passport rank
- #7 (Henley Index)
- Visa-free access
- 183 countries
- Passport validity
- 10 years
- EU citizenship
- Yes
- Schengen access
- Yes
- US E-2 treaty
- Yes — eligible for US investor visa
How to apply
- Method
- Both
- Apply from abroad
- Yes
- Application type
- Open
- Official website
- www.gov.pl
- Legal basis
- Polish Citizenship Act of April 2, 2009 (Ustawa o obywatelstwie polskim)
Notes and caveats
This is a confirmation (not grant) of existing citizenship — Poland considers you already a citizen if the chain is unbroken. The central gov.pl page still lists PLN 58, while some voivodeship offices list PLN 277 for current confirmation practice. Ancestor must have been a citizen after 1920 when the first Polish Citizenship Act was enacted. Voluntary acquisition of foreign citizenship before January 19, 1951 caused automatic loss of Polish citizenship. Women who married foreign nationals before 1951 may have lost citizenship automatically.