Polish citizenship for Belarusians

In this article: 

• Can Belarusians have dual citizenship? 

• Granting citizenship to a Belarusian by the President of the Republic of Poland 

• Recognition as a Polish citizen 

• Polish citizenship for Belarusians – other paths 

• Summary 

In Poland, holding passports from two countries is fully permitted. It's important, however, that such a person, while residing in the Republic of Poland, is treated solely as a Polish citizen, not as a foreigner. This is different from the perspective of Belarusian law. Belarus does not officially recognize dual citizenship . 

The President of the Republic of Poland may grant Polish citizenship to a Belarusian at any time . This is at his discretion, and he is not required to justify his decision. It cannot be appealed. How can one apply for citizenship from the President of the Republic of Poland ? An application must be submitted, along with photographs and documents confirming the information provided in the application. The application should be submitted to the appropriate Voivodeship Office or consular office. 

In order for a foreigner to be recognized as a citizen of the Republic of Poland, one of the following conditions must be met: 

• Residing in Poland continuously and legally for at least three years under a permanent residence permit, a long-term EU resident permit, or permanent residence permit. A stable and reliable source of income and the right to use residential premises are also required. 

• Continuous and legal residence in Poland for at least 2 years on the basis of a permanent residence permit, a long-term EU resident's permit or the right of permanent residence, while being married to a Polish citizen for at least 3 years or having stateless person status. 

• Legal and continuous stay in Poland for at least 2 years on the basis of a permit granted in connection with granting refugee status. 

• Persons under 18 years of age who reside legally in Poland on the basis of a permanent residence permit, a long-term EU resident's permit or the right of permanent residence may be recognised as Polish citizens if one of their parents has Polish citizenship and the other parent consents. 

• Children under 18 years of age , residing legally in Poland on the basis of one of the above-mentioned permits, may obtain Polish citizenship if one of the parents has had his/her Polish citizenship restored and the other parent, if he/she does not have it himself/herself, has given his/her consent. 

• Continuous and legal residence in Poland for at least 10 years , while also holding a permanent residence permit, a long-term EU resident permit, or permanent residence permit. A stable source of income and legal title to housing are also required. 

• Continuous and legal stay in Poland for at least 1 year , with a permanent residence permit granted on the basis of Polish origin or possession of the Pole's Card. 

Additionally, for a foreigner – including a Belarusian citizen – to be recognized as a Polish citizen, they must demonstrate knowledge of the Polish language at least at a B1 level , confirmed by an appropriate document. An application for recognition as a citizen should be submitted to the appropriate Voivodeship Office. 

Although there are officially two ways to acquire Polish citizenship , you may also consider other methods: 

• Confirmation of Polish citizenship – if your ancestors hold or held Polish citizenship, you may be entitled to Polish citizenship by operation of law. Simply submit an application to the voivode responsible for your place of residence or last residence in Poland, or through a consul if you live abroad. 

• Restoration of Polish citizenship – such an application may be submitted by a foreigner who lost Polish citizenship before 1 January 1999 under certain circumstances. This does not apply to persons who renounce their citizenship in the future. 

Belarusians who have lived in Poland for years or have Polish roots can apply for Polish citizenship as a foreigner in several ways. The most common paths are granting citizenship by the President of the Republic of Poland or recognition as a Polish citizen . In the former case, the decision rests solely with the President and does not require justification. In the latter, certain requirements must be met, such as long-term legal residence in Poland, a stable source of income, the right to housing, and Polish language proficiency at least at a B1 level. 

Applying for citizenship doesn't have to be stressful. Contact us – comprehensive services for foreigners are our specialty. We also provide support in matters such as: 

• legalization of stay and work ; 

• work permits in Poland ; 

• temporary and permanent residence permits ; 

• power of attorney to represent a foreigner . 

We invite you to take advantage of our advice.