How to Get Polish Citizenship by Descent

While countries like Ireland and Italy are well known for offering citizenship by descent (CBD) to those who qualify and for making the process relatively, Poland’s CBD program has not received similar acclaim.

That’s surprising because there are nearly 10 million US citizens who identify as Polish Americans and could easily obtain a Polish passport if they wanted to. That’s not to mention all those of Polish descent who’ve emigrated to Canada, Australia and other countries.

In fact, the overall Polish diaspora, which is estimated to number 20 million people, is over half the size of the country’s population. 

If you are one of those who has inherited a right to EU citizenship through legitimate Polish heritage, then it could well be worth working towards this second passport. 

Poland views those who are of the country’s descent to be its citizens as long as they can prove the required connections.

Like any citizenship-by-descent plan, you will need to have patience as the process can take several years. At Nomad Capitalist we’re well used to dealing with CBD programs and, as a result, we don’t recommend that you commit a lot of your precious time to the process, only to later find out you don’t meet Poland’s criteria. 

For a start, the paperwork can be a little tricky for many of the programs and Poland is no different. You’ll need to confirm your eligibility, collect documents (from your own country and from Poland), deal with some bureaucracy and file for citizenship using lawyers and agents on the ground who are well-versed in Polish citizenship law. Moreover, documents must be written or translated into the Polish language.

Sound overwhelming? It needn’t be. With a citizenship-by-descent plan from Nomad Capitalist, we do the heavy lifting and you gain all the advantages of second citizenship. 

Why Polish Citizenship?

As a member of the European Union (EU), Polish citizens can live in any EU country. Additionally, the country’s passport provides visa-free access to the Schengen countries, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia and others.

In total, according to the Nomad Passport Index, Polish passport holders can access 175 countries, 121 of which they can enter visa-free. So, it’s a powerful travel document that sits firmly in the top ten on most ranking lists.

Once you get your Polish citizenship, you must obtain Polish civil records certificates to apply to the Polish consulate for a passport.

Polish Citizenship by Descent

Overall, getting Polish citizenship by descent is relatively easy, provided you have Polish ancestry and meet the eligibility criteria.

It’s important to note that while Poland doesn’t forbid its citizens from holding dual citizenship, the country doesn’t recognise dual citizenship either. So, Polish passport holders who have another nationality have the same rights and obligations to the nation as those who only have Polish citizenship.

How to Apply for Polish Citizenship by Descent

Polish nationality law is based on the principle of ‘jus sanguinis’ (right of blood) which basically means a person’s nationality or citizenship is determined by their parent’s nationality or citizenship. If you want to acquire Polish citizenship by descent, you should keep the following points in mind:

• You must demonstrate that the Polish citizenship link has never been broken down through the generations of your family. If someone voluntarily renounced or lost Polish citizenship before the next generation was born, you will not be eligible. For example, if your grandfather gave up his citizenship to become a citizen of another country, you will not be able to obtain citizenship through him.

• There are no rules that dictate when ancestors should have been born or when they should have left Poland for an applicant to be eligible. The date of birth of your Polish ancestor is not crucial, and they may have left Poland as early as the nineteenth century. However, if their child was born outside of Poland before 1920, he or she would not be granted Polish citizenship at birth. That would break the citizenship chain, and you would not be eligible.
• There is no limit to the number of generations that can exist between you and your Polish ancestor.
• Furthermore, your ancestor does not have to have emigrated from modern-day Poland in order for you to qualify. You would also qualify if they resided in a region that was part of Poland prior to World War II, even if the territory has since been lost.
• Before 1951, the acquisition of another citizenship caused the loss of Polish citizenship.
• If the ancestor was female and married a non-polish citizen before 1951, she would lose her Polish citizenship and, therefore, would not have passed the citizenship down. This can be restored now. 
• Polish citizens who emigrated to Israel between 1958 and 1984 and who became Israeli citizens on arrival (based on the Israeli ‘Law of Return’ for those of Jewish descent) lost Polish citizenship automatically. They and their descendants may be eligible to acquire Polish citizenship by declaration.

According to Polish law, the rules for claiming ancestral citizenship include the condition that your Polish ancestors left the country after Poland became an independent country in 1918. 

Basically, any ancestor born before the year 1899 is ineligible to qualify for citizenship on the basis of the country’s citizenship laws of 1920. This means you have to demonstrate ties to ancestors who were born in the 20th century.

If you have family members who were under 21 years old when the 1920 laws were ratified, they may have qualified for Polish citizenship, even if they were born and held citizenship elsewhere, such as in the United States.

Moreover, having ethnic Polish ancestors doesn’t necessarily qualify you for Polish citizenship. This is different from some other ancestral citizenship programs, which state that anyone with ancestors from the territory they currently control can be a citizen.

Though unlikely, there is a chance you won’t qualify for Polish citizenship but might have other family members who could qualify you for Lithuanian citizenship, for example.

Poland Citizenship by Descent and Marriage: FAQs

Should You Claim Polish Citizenship by Descent?

Claiming a Polish passport isn’t easy because, like most citizenship by descent programs, it involves a lot of research, paperwork and government bureaucracy. 

Before claiming your second passport, you must prove that you are eligible for Polish citizenship. This is done by giving detailed personal information and filling out forms – all in Polish – to your local Polish embassy.

You will also need the birth dates of all of your Polish ancestors since the first emigration, as well as information on military service and other citizenships of those in your family tree.

Then… you must wait. In some cases, you’ll be waiting for a year or more to hear back and the response may be that the authorities require more proof.

All in all, Polish citizenship-by-descent cases are some of the toughest to oversee and might leave you feeling frustrated by the slow pace of events. So, it’s best to have someone guide you through the entire process. If you want to take a hands-off approach, enquire about Nomad Capitalist’s citizenship-by-descent service.

We have guided many people with Polish roots to a successful conclusion – a second EU passport that happens to be one of the most powerful travel documents in the world. Apply to become a client today.