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Polish citizenship · guide
How to Get Polish Citizenship: Routes, Timelines and Documents
Checked against official sources in October 2026
Most foreigners get Polish citizenship through uznanie za obywatela polskiego (recognition as a Polish citizen). It is an administrative procedure: the decision is made by the wojewoda (the regional governor) where you live, and the conditions are set out directly in the law. The basic formula is at least 3 years of continuous residence in Poland on a zezwolenie na pobyt stały (permanent residence permit) or a zezwolenie na pobyt rezydenta długoterminowego UE (EU long-term resident permit), Polish at B1 level, a stable income and a tytuł prawny do lokalu (legal title to your home).
If none of the uznanie routes fits your situation, there is nadanie obywatelstwa polskiego przez Prezydenta RP (citizenship granted by the President of Poland). The law sets no conditions for this route, but the President does not have to give reasons for a refusal either. What happens to your current passport depends on your country, and the rules differ sharply: Ukraine, India, Indonesia, Spain, Mexico and Colombia are covered in a separate section below. Here is how to work out which route is yours, from which date to count your time, and what to prepare.
In short
- Who decides: the wojewoda for uznanie, the President of Poland for nadanie.
- How long you must live in Poland: 1 year on pobyt stały based on the Karta Polaka or Polish origin; 2 years for spouses of Polish citizens (married at least 3 years), stateless persons and refugees; 3 years in the standard case; 10 years of legal residence in a special case.
- The clock starts on the date you got pobyt stały, EU long-term resident status or, for EU citizens, the right of permanent residence. It does not start on the day you arrived. The exception is the 10-year route.
- Language: official proof of Polish at B1 level or higher.
- Opłata skarbowa (state fee): 1000 zł for processing a wniosek o uznanie (application for recognition), 1669 zł for an application to the President.
- Processing time for uznanie: the wojewoda must issue the decyzja (decision) within 6 months; in justified cases this is extended.
- Dual citizenship: Poland does not require you to give up your current citizenship, but your own country may take it away.
Contents:
- Ways to get Polish citizenship
- Who can get citizenship through uznanie
- How long you need to live in Poland
- Polish citizenship requirements
- Documents checklist
- Applying to the wojewoda step by step
- Citizenship through the President
- Does Poland allow dual citizenship?
- Rules by country of origin
- What may change
- FAQ
Not sure from which date your time counts? You can check your route to citizenship with a specialist.
Reviewed by a MigrantExpert migration specialist · rated 4.9 on Google from more than 1400 reviews.
Ways to get Polish citizenship
Polish citizenship is governed by the ustawa z dnia 2 kwietnia 2009 r. o obywatelstwie polskim (Polish Citizenship Act). The Act provides several routes, but for a foreigner who lives in Poland and wants to naturalise, two of them matter in practice: uznanie za obywatela polskiego and nadanie obywatelstwa przez Prezydenta RP. The other routes apply to people who already hold Polish citizenship by law or lost it in the past.
| Route | Who it is for | Who decides | Opłata skarbowa | Processing time | Appeal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| nabycie z mocy prawa (acquisition by law) | a child with at least one Polish parent; a child fully adopted by Polish citizens before age 16 | no one: citizenship arises automatically | – | – | – |
| uznanie za obywatela polskiego (recognition as a Polish citizen) | a foreigner who has lived in Poland for the required time on a permanent status and meets the conditions of art. 30 | the wojewoda where you live | 1000 zł | up to 6 months, can be extended | odwołanie (appeal) to the MSWiA, then the courts |
| nadanie obywatelstwa polskiego przez Prezydenta RP (grant by the President) | any foreigner, including someone who does not qualify for uznanie | the President of Poland | 1669 zł if filed through a urząd wojewódzki | not set | none |
| przywrócenie obywatelstwa polskiego (restoration of citizenship) | someone who lost Polish citizenship before 1 January 1999 | Minister Spraw Wewnętrznych i Administracji | 1000 zł | – | yes |
| potwierdzenie posiadania obywatelstwa polskiego (confirmation of citizenship) | someone who already is a Polish citizen, for example a descendant of Polish citizens | the wojewoda (also via a Polish consulate) | 277 zł | up to 6 months | yes |
Fees in force since 1 August 2025: UW Lubelski – Obywatelstwo i repatriacja (in Polish). Nadanie procedure: MSWiA – Uzyskaj polskie obywatelstwo (in Polish).
Potwierdzenie is not naturalisation. If your parents, grandparents or great-grandparents were Polish citizens, you may already be Polish and only need to prove it with documents. This is common among descendants of Polish emigrants in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, Israel and Latin America, and we cover it in a separate article: Polish citizenship by descent.
For everyone else, the path is usually a ladder of statuses: temporary residence, then a permanent status, then citizenship. If you currently live in Poland on a zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy (temporary residence permit, often called a TRC), start not with citizenship but with when and how to move to a permanent status. The options for the first step are on our residence card in Poland page, and the whole picture is in the complete guide to legalization in Poland.
Who can get Polish citizenship through uznanie (recognition)
The routes to uznanie are listed in art. 30 ust. 1 of the ustawa o obywatelstwie polskim, and there are seven of them. For each one, what matters is not only the number of years but also the status you held during those years. Getting the status wrong is the most common reason people apply too early.
| Route (art. 30 ust. 1) | Continuous residence | On which status | Other conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| pkt 7 – Karta Polaka or polskie pochodzenie (Polish origin) | 1 year | zezwolenie na pobyt stały granted on the basis of the Karta Polaka or Polish origin | B1 |
| pkt 2a – married to a Polish citizen | 2 years | pobyt stały | married at least 3 years, B1 |
| pkt 2b – stateless person | 2 years | pobyt stały, rezydent długoterminowy UE or prawo stałego pobytu | B1 |
| pkt 3 – refugee | 2 years | zezwolenie na pobyt stały granted on the basis of status uchodźcy (refugee status) granted in Poland | B1 |
| pkt 1 – standard route | 3 years | pobyt stały, rezydent długoterminowy UE or prawo stałego pobytu | income, tytuł prawny do lokalu, B1 |
| pkt 6 – long residence | 10 years of continuous and legal residence | on the application date: pobyt stały, rezydent długoterminowy UE or prawo stałego pobytu | income, tytuł prawny do lokalu, B1 |
| pkt 4 and 5 – minor | no separate period: linked to the parents’ status | pobyt stały, rezydent długoterminowy UE or prawo stałego pobytu; a child born in Poland may get pobyt stały right after birth, depending on the parents’ status | one parent is a Polish citizen (or had citizenship restored), the other agrees; B1 not required |
The full text of the routes is on the MSWiA page on uznanie (in Polish). Prawo stałego pobytu (right of permanent residence) is the status of EU citizens and their family members; it is not granted to other third-country nationals.
3 years on pobyt stały, EU long-term resident status or prawo stałego pobytu
This is the standard route for people who came to work, study or join family and have already reached a permanent status. The 3 years count from the day you hold a zezwolenie na pobyt stały, a zezwolenie na pobyt rezydenta długoterminowego UE or, as an EU citizen, prawo stałego pobytu. Years on a zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy do not count towards this period, even if you have lived in Poland much longer.
Two more conditions come with it: a stabilne i regularne źródło dochodu (stable and regular source of income) in Poland and a tytuł prawny do lokalu. If you do not have a permanent status yet, your next step is a permanent residence card (karta stałego pobytu) or EU long-term resident status, depending on your basis.
1 year: pobyt stały based on the Karta Polaka or Polish origin
This is the shortest route, but the Karta Polaka (Pole’s Card) does not grant citizenship by itself, and the year does not count from the date it was issued. First you need a zezwolenie na pobyt stały w związku z posiadaniem Karty Polaka or w związku z polskim pochodzeniem. Only after one year of continuous residence on that status can you file a wniosek o uznanie.
If you have Polish ancestors, check the other option too: citizenship may already have passed to you by law. In that case you need potwierdzenie, not uznanie. More in Polish citizenship by descent.
2 years: spouse of a Polish citizen or stateless person
For the spouse of a Polish citizen, the law requires two periods at once: the marriage must have lasted at least 3 years, and residence on a zezwolenie na pobyt stały at least 2 years. Years on a zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy based on marriage do not count towards those 2 years. We cover this route in detail in our guide to Polish citizenship by marriage.
If you married outside Poland, your wniosek must include a Polish odpis aktu małżeństwa (copy of the marriage certificate) from the USC (Polish civil registry). For that, the foreign certificate first has to go through transkrypcja (entry into the Polish civil register). Do this early: without the Polish certificate your application is incomplete.
The same 2-year period applies to stateless persons: the person must have no citizenship at all, and the 2 years count on pobyt stały, EU long-term resident status or prawo stałego pobytu.
2 years for refugees, 10 years of residence, and minors
The 2-year route for refugees only applies to a zezwolenie na pobyt stały granted on the basis of status uchodźcy (refugee status) granted in Poland.
Ochrona czasowa (temporary protection, including the UKR status held by many Ukrainian citizens) and subsidiary protection are not status uchodźcy. People on temporary protection cannot use the 2-year refugee route.
The 10-year route is the only one where all legal residence counts, not just the years on a permanent status. You need 10 years of continuous and legal residence and, on the application date, pobyt stały, EU long-term resident status or prawo stałego pobytu, plus income and housing. In practice it helps people who have lived in Poland for a long time but got their permanent status only recently: if you reach 10 years before you reach 3 years on pobyt stały, you can apply under pkt 6.
Minors have no separate residence period: their route is linked to their parents’ status. A child born in Poland may get pobyt stały right after birth, depending on the parents’ status; see our guide for expat parents having a baby in Poland. Minors can also be included in a parent’s wniosek, even if they do not live in Poland. Uznanie of one parent extends to the child if the other parent agrees or does not have władza rodzicielska (parental authority). A child over 16 must give their own consent.
How long do you need to live in Poland to get citizenship?
At least 1 year, usually 3 years, at most 10 years. But these figures refer to years on a specific status, not years since you arrived. Someone who came to work usually lives on a zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy first, then gets pobyt stały or EU long-term resident status, and only then does the clock for citizenship start.
| Route | Period | Counted from | What does not count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karta Polaka / polskie pochodzenie | 1 year | the date of the zezwolenie na pobyt stały on that basis | time before pobyt stały, the date the Karta Polaka was issued |
| Married to a Polish citizen, stateless person | 2 years | marriage: the date of pobyt stały; stateless: the date of the permanent status | years on pobyt czasowy, including marriage-based |
| Refugee | 2 years | the date of pobyt stały based on status uchodźcy | ochrona czasowa, ochrona uzupełniająca |
| Standard route | 3 years | the date of pobyt stały, EU long-term resident status or prawo stałego pobytu | years on pobyt czasowy (TRC), visas, visa-free stays |
| Long residence | 10 years | the start of legal residence in Poland | periods of illegal stay |
Worked example
A foreigner came to Poland in March 2018 to work and lived on a zezwolenie na pobyt czasowy. In May 2023 they received a zezwolenie na pobyt rezydenta długoterminowego UE. The 3 years of the standard route count from May 2023, so they can apply from May 2026, provided all trips abroad fit the continuity rule and income, housing and B1 are proven. Counting from 2018 would give 2021, and that application would end in a refusal.
What nieprzerwany pobyt (continuous residence) means
Residence counts as continuous if no single absence from Poland lasted longer than 6 months and all absences together did not exceed 10 months during the period being checked. That period equals the period of your route: 3 years on the standard route, 2 years for marriage, 1 year for the Karta Polaka.
There are exceptions. Continuity is not broken by work trips for an employer with its siedziba (registered office) in Poland, by a spouse or minor child accompanying such a worker, by a special personal situation requiring travel that lasted no longer than 6 months, or by internships and classes as part of studies at a Polish university.
Your wniosek must list all absences during the period, including trips within the Schengen area. Long visits to family back home are the ones most often miscounted. Absences are proven with passport stamps and tickets. The rule is based on art. 195 ust. 4 of the ustawa o cudzoziemcach; a detailed explanation is in the Mazowiecki Urząd Wojewódzki glossary (in Polish).
If you are still working towards a permanent status, read up early on permanent residency in Poland and on when you can apply for EU long-term resident status. Your time towards citizenship will count from the date of that decision.
Polish citizenship requirements: language, income and housing
Time is only the first condition. The wojewoda checks three more things: language and, on the standard and 10-year routes, income and housing. On top of that, the security services give an opinion on every applicant.
Język polski B1: how to prove it
There is no exam at the urząd. Language is proven with a document, and the law accepts only three kinds:
- a certyfikat znajomości języka polskiego (state certificate of Polish) at B1 level or higher, issued by the Państwowa Komisja do spraw Poświadczania Znajomości Języka Polskiego jako Obcego;
- a świadectwo ukończenia szkoły (school-leaving certificate) from a school in Poland;
- a świadectwo ukończenia szkoły from a school abroad where teaching was in Polish.
A świadectwo ukończenia szkoły policealnej (post-secondary school certificate) no longer proves language. The transitional rule only covered proceedings started between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026, and that window has closed. For most applicants, the realistic route is the state exam: dates and centres are on certyfikatpolski.pl. Document requirements: UW Łódzki (in Polish).
Minors under pkt 4 and 5 do not need to prove language. For nadanie przez Prezydenta, the law does not formally require it.
Stable income and tytuł prawny do lokalu
Both conditions apply only to pkt 1 (3 years) and pkt 6 (10 years). The law requires a stabilne i regularne źródło dochodu in Poland. In practice, income must not be lower than the subsistence minimum and is calculated per family member. So what matters is the amount, how many people live on it, and how consistently your documents show it.
Income and housing are usually proven with:
- a zaświadczenie od pracodawcy (employer certificate) together with an umowa o pracę (employment contract);
- a zeznanie podatkowe PIT (tax return);
- a wyciąg z CEIDG (business register extract), if you run a JDG (sole proprietorship);
- umowy cywilnoprawne (civil-law contracts);
- a zaświadczenie ZUS o niezaleganiu w opłatach (certificate of no social security arrears);
- pension, maintenance or other payment documents;
- an umowa najmu (tenancy agreement), akt własności (title deed) or umowa użyczenia (free-use agreement).
An umowa użyczenia is only accepted from close relatives or a spouse; this is stated, for example, on the Zachodniopomorski UW page (in Polish).
When applications are refused
The wojewoda refuses uznanie if even one condition of art. 30 is not met: not enough time, the wrong status, no B1 proof, income or housing not proven. A separate ground for refusal is that granting citizenship would threaten national defence, state security or public order. Before deciding, the urząd asks the Policja and the Agencja Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego for information.
If the wniosek has formal gaps, the urząd first asks you to fix them. If you do not respond in time, the case is left without consideration.
The opłata skarbowa is charged for processing the case as a whole, not for a positive outcome, so it is not refunded after a refusal.
Documents for Polish citizenship: checklist
The document list for uznanie is the same in every voivodeship. The list below is based on MigrantExpert specialists’ practice and the official pages of the MSWiA, UW Łódzki and Zachodniopomorski UW (in Polish).
For all applicants:
- A wniosek o uznanie za obywatela polskiego on the official form (urzędowy formularz), completed in Polish, one copy. The official wzór wniosku (form template) is published on the MSWiA website.
- One colour photo, 4.5 x 3.5 cm, taken no more than 6 months before applying.
- A copy of your passport, with the original for inspection. The passport must remain valid until the decyzja is issued: if it expires during the procedure, you need to renew it.
- A copy of your decyzja and karta pobytu (pobyt stały or rezydent długoterminowy UE) or, for EU citizens, the document confirming prawo stałego pobytu.
- Odpis aktu urodzenia (birth certificate) – Polish, from the USC. A foreign birth certificate must first be entered into the Polish register (transkrypcja).
- A Polish odpis aktu małżeństwa from the USC, if you are or were married, plus divorce or death certificates for a former spouse, if any.
- Proof of Polish: certyfikat B1 or świadectwo szkoły.
- Oświadczenie o wyjazdach: dates you left and returned to Poland during the period, with proof (stamps, tickets).
- Dowód wniesienia opłaty skarbowej: 1000 zł. The account number is on your urząd wojewódzki’s website.
If your karta pobytu has expired, your pobyt stały or EU resident status remains, but the card needs to be replaced.
Depending on your route:
- Income documents and tytuł prawny do lokalu: for pkt 1 and pkt 6.
- Proof of your spouse’s Polish citizenship: for the marriage route.
- Documents about any previous Polish citizenship or earlier applications, if relevant.
- Pełnomocnictwo (power of attorney) and a 17 zł opłata skarbowa, if a representative handles the case.
If you include your children:
- A photo of the child, their Polish odpis aktu urodzenia from the USC, passport and karta pobytu, if issued.
- Oświadczenie (statement) of consent from the other parent, made before the wojewoda or a Polish consul, or sent by post with a notarised signature.
- Consent of a child over 16, made the same way.
The opłata is paid once per wniosek, even if it includes children. In the tytuł przelewu (transfer reference), state that the payment is for złożenie wniosku o uznanie za obywatela polskiego, not for issuing the decyzja.
Documents in foreign languages are submitted with a translation by a tłumacz przysięgły (sworn translator) or a Polish consul. If you send your application by post, copies must be certified by a notary, a Polish consul or your representing lawyer.
About Polish certificates: birth and marriage certificates are accepted only as Polish odpisy from the USC. If yours were issued abroad, do the transkrypcja at the USC first. Documents from most non-EU countries usually need an apostille and a sworn translation into Polish, so start this before collecting everything else.
Polish citizenship through the wojewoda: how to file a wniosek o uznanie step by step
- Identify your route under art. 30 and count your time from the date of your permanent status. Check your absences for that period against the 6- and 10-month rule.
- Get your B1 proof if you do not have it yet. Exam registration must be done well in advance.
- Prepare Polish odpisy aktów stanu cywilnego from the USC. If your certificates were issued abroad, do the transkrypcja early.
- Pay the 1000 zł opłata skarbowa to the account the urząd specifies. In the tytuł przelewu, write złożenie wniosku o uznanie za obywatela polskiego.
- Submit the wniosek to the wojewoda where you live, in person or by post. Many urzędy require an online appointment for in-person filing.
- Wait for the checks. The urząd requests information from the Policja and the ABW and may ask you for explanations or extra documents.
- Receive the decyzja. By law the wojewoda has 6 months; in justified cases this is extended.
- If the decision is negative, you have 14 days from delivery to file an odwołanie (appeal) to the MSWiA through the wojewoda who issued it. The minister’s decision can be challenged at the wojewódzki sąd administracyjny (regional administrative court) within 30 days.
- After a positive decision, return your karta pobytu, apply for a dowód osobisty (Polish ID card) and a Polish passport, and complete any steps your home country requires (see the country section below).
Most delays happen at steps 1 and 3: a miscounted period and certificates without transkrypcja. If you want to check this before paying, talk your case through with a MigrantExpert specialist.
Citizenship through the President: when it is an option
Nadanie obywatelstwa polskiego przez Prezydenta RP is a constitutional prerogative of the President of Poland, not an administrative procedure. The law sets no conditions: no residence period, no status, no income. Any foreigner can apply, including people who live abroad.
The flip side is that there are no procedural guarantees. There is no deadline, refusals are not explained, and there is no appeal. This is why the route is usually considered when no uznanie route fits but a link to Poland can be shown convincingly, for example through work, family or a contribution to public or professional life.
| Uznanie | Nadanie | |
|---|---|---|
| Who decides | wojewoda | President of Poland |
| Conditions | set out in art. 30 | none in the law |
| B1 Polish | required | not formally required |
| Where to apply | urząd wojewódzki where you live | urząd wojewódzki or a Polish consul |
| Opłata | 1000 zł | 1669 zł via a urząd wojewódzki |
| Time | up to 6 months | not set |
| Appeal | odwołanie to the MSWiA, then the courts | none |
Procedure: MSWiA – Uzyskaj polskie obywatelstwo (in Polish); fee: UW Lubelski (in Polish).
Does Poland allow dual citizenship?
Yes. Poland does not require you to give up your current citizenship for either uznanie or nadanie. You state your current citizenship in the wniosek, but no renunciation is attached.
Two points are worth knowing in advance. First, in dealings with the Polish state you will be treated only as a Polish citizen: you cannot rely on your other passport before Polish authorities. Second, whether you keep your current citizenship is decided not by Poland but by the country of your passport. Some countries let you keep it, some end it automatically, and some require you to notify a consulate or make a declaration. The country section below explains the rules for the nationalities we verified.
Rules by country of origin
The uznanie procedure is the same for everyone. What differs is where you start and what happens to your current passport. The notes below are checked against official sources of each country; if your country is not listed, use the last section.
Citizens of Ukraine
Since 16 January 2026, Ukraine’s Law No. 4502-IX on multiple citizenship has been in force, and Poland is on the first list of states approved by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 1412. Getting Polish citizenship is therefore no longer a ground for losing Ukrainian citizenship. Status of the law: Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Check with a Ukrainian consulate how to notify Ukrainian authorities about your second citizenship.
Temporary protection and the UKR status are not refugee status, so the 2-year refugee route does not apply. The typical path is: move from temporary protection to a karta pobytu (for people with a PESEL with UKR status, the simplified CUKR card is issued for 3 years and applied for only online via MOS; see the UdSC page on the CUKR card (in Polish)), then get EU long-term resident status or pobyt stały, then live 3 years on that status. Time on a CUKR card counts towards EU long-term resident status, as stated in the UdSC information materials (in Polish). How the period of temporary protection itself counts is not clearly explained in official sources and should be checked individually. More on our temporary protection page.
Citizens of India
Most Indian citizens in Poland follow the work route: a TRC based on work or an EU Blue Card (see the EU Blue Card salary requirements), then EU long-term resident status, usually after 5 years of continuous legal residence, then 3 years on that status plus B1. In total this usually takes more than 8 years from arrival.
India does not allow dual citizenship. Under section 9 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, Indian citizenship ends automatically when you voluntarily acquire another citizenship, so no separate renunciation is needed. Surrendering your Indian passport is mandatory, however: holding or travelling on an Indian passport after acquiring foreign citizenship is an offence. In Poland, the passport is surrendered at the Embassy of India in Warsaw, which issues a Surrender Certificate. Source: Embassy of India.
After that you can apply for an OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card. OCI is not dual citizenship: it gives the right to travel to and live in India, but no Indian passport or right to vote. The Embassy of India in Warsaw requires the cancelled Indian passport and the Surrender Certificate for an OCI application: Embassy of India, Warsaw – OCI.
Citizens of Indonesia
Indonesia applies single citizenship for adults. Under Article 23(a) of Law No. 12 of 2006, an Indonesian citizen loses Indonesian citizenship by voluntarily acquiring another citizenship: Law No. 12 of 2006 (peraturan.go.id). The procedure for loss of citizenship is set out in Government Regulation No. 2 of 2007; after you become Polish, contact the Indonesian Embassy in Warsaw about the administrative steps, including your Indonesian passport. Under Article 25 of the same law, a parent’s loss of citizenship does not automatically extend to their child until the child turns 18 or marries.
Former Indonesian citizens can apply for Global Citizenship of Indonesia (GCI), introduced in 2025. GCI is an unlimited permanent stay permit in Indonesia for former citizens, their descendants up to the second degree and the spouses of Indonesian or former Indonesian citizens. It is not dual citizenship, and applications are filed online at evisa.imigrasi.go.id. Source: Directorate General of Immigration.
Spain, Mexico and Colombia
| Country | What happens when you become Polish | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | Spanish nationals living abroad who voluntarily acquire another citizenship lose Spanish nationality 3 years after acquiring it (art. 24 of the Civil Code). Poland is not among the exempted countries. | Declare your wish to keep Spanish nationality at the consular civil registry within those 3 years. |
| Mexico | No Mexican by birth can be deprived of Mexican nationality (art. 37 A of the Constitution). Naturalised Mexicans lose it when they voluntarily acquire another citizenship. | Mexicans by birth need no action. Naturalised Mexicans should check with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) first. |
| Colombia | Colombian nationality is not lost by acquiring another citizenship (art. 96 of the Constitution). | In Colombia you must always enter, leave and identify yourself as a Colombian. |
Official sources: Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), Colombian Foreign Ministry. Spanish citizens are also EU citizens, so the next section applies to them.
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens
As an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen you do not need a karta pobytu; for stays over 3 months you register your residence as an EU citizen. After 5 years of continuous residence in Poland you acquire prawo stałego pobytu (3 years if your spouse is a Polish citizen). You can ask the wojewoda for a dokument potwierdzający prawo stałego pobytu (document confirming it), which is free and valid for 10 years. Source: MSWiA (in Polish). From that point, the 3 years of the standard uznanie route begin, with the same B1, income and housing conditions.
British citizens are no longer EU citizens after Brexit. Unless you hold residence rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, you follow the non-EU route with a residence permit.
Descendants of Poles: US, Canada, UK, Australia, Israel, Latin America
If your ancestor was a Polish citizen and the chain of citizenship was not broken, you may already be Polish. You do not need to live in Poland or apply for uznanie: potwierdzenie posiadania obywatelstwa polskiego is enough, can be filed through a Polish consulate and costs 277 zł. Read more in Polish citizenship by descent.
If the chain was broken, the Karta Polaka may be an option. Since 2019 it has been available to people of Polish origin in any country, not only in Eastern Europe (Dz.U. 2019 poz. 1095). It leads to pobyt stały and, after one year of residence in Poland, to uznanie.
Belarus, Russia, Central Asia and other countries
The general routes are the same for you: a permanent status, then uznanie after 1, 2, 3 or 10 years. If you have Polish roots, check the Karta Polaka and pobyt stały based on Polish origin separately, as it gives the shortest path to citizenship.
Rules on dual citizenship differ from country to country and change over time. Before filing your wniosek, check the current citizenship law of your country on the official website of its foreign ministry or consulate and, if the rule is not clear, get a written explanation. Check this before you apply, not after the decyzja.
What may change in 2026-2027
As of 14 October 2026, the current rules still apply: 3 years on a permanent status in the standard case and B1 Polish. No bill tightening the conditions has entered into force. Several options are under discussion, however, and all of them point towards longer periods and stricter integration checks.
| Bill | What it proposes | Status on 14.10.2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Poselski projekt, druk nr 1888 | 10 years instead of 3, C1 Polish, a Państwowy Egzamin Obywatelski (state citizenship exam) | rejected by the Sejm at first reading on 9 January 2026 |
| Prezydencki projekt, druk nr 1759 | 10 years instead of 3 | submitted to the Sejm in September 2025, not passed |
| Poselski projekt, druk nr 1273 | 10 years instead of 3 | referred to committee for first reading, not passed |
| MSWiA concept | at least 8 years of residence, a test on knowledge of Poland, a higher language level | in preparation, no official text in the Sejm |
On the presidential bill: website of the President of Poland (in Polish).
What this means in practice. How a new law would treat applications already filed will only be known from its transitional provisions, and no such law has been passed. So if you already meet the conditions, delaying your application in the hope that the “old rules” will apply is risky; it is better to apply as soon as your file is ready. We update this section whenever the bills move; the date of the last check is at the top of the page.
When you need a specialist
If you have lived on pobyt stały for three years, work on an umowa o pracę, have not been away for long and have a B1 certificate, you can file the wniosek yourself. Difficulties usually start where the facts do not fit the standard pattern:
- you have had long trips abroad, or their total is close to 10 months;
- your income comes from a JDG, B2B contracts or several sources;
- your birth and marriage certificates were issued abroad and must first be transcribed at the USC;
- you have been refused before, for citizenship or a karta pobytu;
- you want to include your children and the other parent lives abroad;
- your status has changed and it is unclear from which date to count.
In these cases, it pays to check your route and documents before paying the opłata skarbowa: after a refusal the 1000 zł is not refunded, and reapplying means a new fee and a new wait.
Want your route and documents checked before you apply?
A MigrantExpert specialist will assess your route and timeline, review your documents and tell you what to fix before filing. More on our page about help with getting Polish citizenship.
Frequently asked questions
Does Poland allow dual citizenship?
Yes. Poland does not require you to give up your current citizenship. Whether you keep it depends on your own country: for example, Ukraine (since 2026) and Colombia allow it, Mexicans by birth keep their nationality, Spaniards abroad must declare that they want to keep theirs, and India and Indonesia end citizenship automatically for adults.
How much does it cost to apply for Polish citizenship?
The opłata skarbowa for processing a wniosek o uznanie is 1000 zł, an application to the President through a urząd wojewódzki is 1669 zł, and a power of attorney for a representative is 17 zł. Sworn translations are paid separately. The fee is not refunded after a refusal.
Can I get Polish citizenship without a language test?
For uznanie you need a document proving at least B1: the state certificate or a Polish school certificate. Without a Polish school certificate, the state exam is the practical way to get it. For nadanie by the President, proof of language is not formally required.
What are the benefits of having Polish citizenship?
As a Polish citizen you are an EU citizen: you can live, work and study in any EU country without residence permits, hold a Polish passport and vote in Polish elections. You also no longer need to renew residence documents in Poland.
Do years on a TRC (karta czasowego pobytu) count?
Not for the 3-year and 2-year routes: those only count time on a permanent status. On the 10-year route all legal residence counts, but on the application date you must hold pobyt stały or EU long-term resident status.
I am an EU citizen. Which period applies to me?
Your permanent status is prawo stałego pobytu, acquired after 5 years of continuous residence in Poland (3 years if your spouse is Polish). The 3 years of the standard uznanie route count from that point.
Can I get citizenship with just the Karta Polaka?
No. The Karta Polaka gives the right to a zezwolenie na pobyt stały, and only after one year of continuous residence on that status can you file a wniosek o uznanie.
How long does the decision take?
By law, the wojewoda must issue the decyzja o uznaniu within 6 months; in justified cases this is extended. There is no deadline for nadanie by the President.
Will my children get citizenship?
You can include your minor children in your wniosek, even if they do not live in Poland. The other parent must consent if they have parental authority, and a child over 16 must give their own consent. The fee is paid once.
What if my application is refused?
You have 14 days from delivery of the decyzja to file an odwołanie to the MSWiA through the wojewoda who issued it. The minister’s decision can be challenged at the wojewódzki sąd administracyjny within 30 days. A refusal by the President in nadanie cannot be appealed.
Official sources
- MSWiA – Złóż wniosek o uznanie za obywatela polskiego
- MSWiA – Uzyskaj polskie obywatelstwo
- MSWiA – Dokument potwierdzający prawo stałego pobytu obywatela UE
- UW Lubelski – Obywatelstwo i repatriacja (fees)
- UW Łódzki – Uznanie za obywatela polskiego
- Zachodniopomorski UW – Uznanie za obywatela polskiego
- Mazowiecki UW – nieprzerwany pobyt
- certyfikatpolski.pl – state Polish exam
- UdSC – karta pobytu CUKR
- Sejm RP – druk nr 1888, druk nr 1759, druk nr 1273
- Ukraine – Cabinet of Ministers, Law No. 4502-IX
- India – Embassy of India, surrender of citizenship
- India – Embassy of India, Warsaw, OCI
- Indonesia – Law No. 12 of 2006
- Indonesia – Directorate General of Immigration, GCI
- Spain – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, art. 24 Civil Code
- Mexico – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, nationality
- Colombia – Foreign Ministry, nationality
Not sure which route is yours or from which date your time counts? A MigrantExpert specialist will assess your situation and check your documents before you apply.
