PL
Poland · Potwierdzenie Obywatelstwa Polskiego · Citizenship by Descent · processing 180- days
Confirmation of existing Polish citizenship through an unbroken chain of descent. Polish citizenship passes by birth from a Polish parent, without a generational limit, but an applicant must establish that each link in the chain transmitted citizenship under the law then in force and that no ancestor lost it before the next generation was born. The applicable rules differ by period; foreign naturalization, foreign public office or military service, family status, historic territorial rules and former restrictions on dual nationality can affect the result.
This is confirmation, not a grant: if the chain is unbroken, the applicant is treated as a citizen from birth. The 2009 Citizenship Act carries forward citizenship held under previous laws and provides transmission by birth from a Polish parent; it does not impose a generational limit. Eligibility is not established merely by an ancestor being born in present-day Poland: the 1920 Act applied territorial, residence and treaty conditions, and later statutes included additional exclusions. Historical loss rules are fact- and date-specific. Under the 1920 Act, acquisition of foreign citizenship and certain foreign public or military service could cause loss; the 1951 Act required Polish authorization for foreign naturalization and also contained separate exclusions tied to postwar borders and nationality; the 1962 Act continued authorization-based loss. The 2009 Act says a Polish citizen may lose citizenship only by renunciation with the President's consent. Women and children may be affected by the specific transmission and family rules in force at the relevant dates, so the former blanket statement that foreign naturalization before 19 January 1951 always caused loss was too broad. The current domestic stamp duty is PLN 277 per decision; the amount is set out in local currency here because this record has no local-currency fee field. The US consular fee is $118 (current 2026 schedule); other consulates publish fees in their local currency. The domestic six-month decision period can be extended in justified cases. A child cannot be included in another person's confirmation application and needs an individual application. A standard adult passport costs $165 at US consular posts; the passport is valid 10 years for people aged 12 or older and 5 years for younger children.
Last verified Oct 9, 2026 Last changed Oct 9, 2026 Source
corrected the descent summary and historic transmission/loss caveats against the 1920, 1951, 1962 and current citizenship acts Source
Your feedback has been submitted. We read every message.
You've reached the page limit for guests. Signing up is free.
Already have an account? Log in