How to obtain Polish citizenship for a child born abroad?

How to obtain Polish citizenship for a child born abroad? This is a question that many parents ask themselves, who want to provide their child with access to Polish documents and rights. In fact, in most cases, no application for Polish citizenship for a child is needed. In our post, we will present when a child acquires citizenship by operation of law and when it is necessary to submit an appropriate application.

Polish citizenship for a child – how to obtain it?

How does acquiring Polish citizenship for a child look like? There are different ways to acquire Polish citizenship:

The law of blood (jus sanguinis) – a child acquires Polish citizenship automatically if at least one parent is a Polish citizen.
Law of the land (jus soli) – in exceptional cases, a child born in Poland may obtain citizenship, e.g. when its parents are unknown or do not hold citizenship.
Granting Polish citizenship – The President of the Republic of Poland may grant citizenship to a foreigner at his or her request, without having to meet specific conditions.
Recognition as a Polish citizen – the voivode may recognize a foreigner as a Polish citizen if he or she meets certain conditions, e.g. has resided in Poland for many years.
Restoration of Polish citizenship – applies to persons who lost Polish citizenship under previous regulations and want to regain it (this procedure cannot be used if Polish citizenship has been renounced).
Adoption – a child under 16 years of age who is adopted by a Polish citizen automatically acquires Polish citizenship.

A child born abroad and Polish citizenship - the principle of the right of blood

How to obtain Polish citizenship for a child? A child whose at least one parent holds Polish citizenship automatically acquires it by operation of law , regardless of place of birth. This means that there is no need to carry out an additional procedure for granting citizenship.

Registering a child in the Polish Civil Registry Office

Although confirmation of Polish citizenship for the child is not necessary, it is necessary to register the child at the Polish registry office.

The registration process is done in one of three ways:

Transcription of a foreign birth certificate – involves transferring a foreign document to the Polish civil status register;
Birth certificate reproduction – used in situations where obtaining a foreign copy of a document is impossible or very difficult;
Registration of birth – applies to cases where the child has not been entered in the register abroad or when no civil status records are kept in a given country.

The application for registration can be submitted in person at the selected Civil Registry Office in Poland or through a Polish consul.

Dual citizenship and obligations towards other countries

If a child has acquired citizenship of another country under the law of that country, they may have dual citizenship . Poland recognizes the possibility of having more than one citizenship, but it is worth making sure what obligations towards the other country the child may have, e.g. in terms of compulsory military service or taxes.

Confirmation of Polish citizenship for a child

In individual cases, the acquisition of Polish citizenship by a child is not so obvious. Sometimes - especially in the case of the next generation of emigrants - the parents themselves may not be sure whether they are entitled to Polish citizenship by operation of law. In such a situation, it is worth applying for confirmation of Polish citizenship .

If the answer is negative, you can still apply for Polish citizenship for your child or recognition as a Polish citizen . Both of these processes require formulating an application and collecting many documents. Fortunately, you can count on our help - comprehensive service for foreigners and emigrants is our specialty. You can also count on us in such areas as:

Summary

How to obtain Polish citizenship for a child born abroad? A child born abroad and Polish citizenship is an important topic for many families who want to provide their children with access to Polish documents and rights. It is worth remembering that Polish citizenship for a child born abroad is in most cases granted by law.