Restoration of Polish Citizenship

The application for the restoration of Polish citizenship itself must meet formal requirements – many documents must be collected – in original or officially certified copies.

These include: a photograph, a document confirming the foreigner's identity and citizenship, and civil status records.

Any foreigner who lost Polish citizenship before 1 January 1999 in certain circumstances may submit an application for the restoration of Polish citizenship :

1) under the Act of 20 January 1920 on Polish Citizenship, he lost Polish citizenship by acquiring the citizenship of a foreign state, or by accepting a public office or entering military service in a foreign state without the consent of the relevant voivode. A ruling on the loss of Polish citizenship generally covered his wife and minor children.

2) Under the Act of 8 January 1951 on Polish Citizenship, he acquired foreign citizenship after obtaining permission from the Polish authorities to change his citizenship. The change of citizenship extended to his minor children.

3) Pursuant to the Act of 8 January 1951 on Polish Citizenship, a Polish citizen residing abroad has been deprived of Polish citizenship if:

1. violated the duty of allegiance to the Polish State,
2. acted to the detriment of the vital interests of the People's Republic of Poland,
3. illegally left the territory of the Polish State after 9 May 1945,
4. refused to return to the country when requested by the competent authority,
5. evades military duty,
6. he was convicted abroad for a common crime or is a recidivist.

Deprivation of Polish citizenship in this way extended to a child residing abroad who was under 13 years of age.

4) Pursuant to the Act of 15 February 1962 on Polish Citizenship, he renounced his Polish citizenship. This consent to the renunciation extended to his minor children.

The procedure for restoring Polish citizenship begins with submitting an application for restoration of Polish citizenship. The foreigner must do so on their own behalf and personally sign the application.

An application for the restoration of Polish citizenship should be submitted:

• to the minister responsible for internal affairs – in person or by letter,
• through a consul by a foreigner living abroad.

PLN 1,000 – foreigners who apply for Polish citizenship in Poland through the Voivode.

EUR 50 – consular fee for foreigners who apply for Polish citizenship abroad through a consul.

Polish citizenship is restored by the minister responsible for internal affairs by decision.

Polish citizenship is acquired on the day on which the decision to restore Polish citizenship becomes final.

If you disagree with the decision of the Minister of Internal Affairs, you may submit a request for a reconsideration. This must be done in writing, within 14 days of receiving the decision. The request can be submitted in person at the office or by mail.

If you disagree with another negative decision, you can appeal it to an administrative court. This must be done within 30 days of receiving the minister's decision. The complaint should be submitted to the minister responsible for internal affairs.

One way to obtain Polish citizenship is to have it restored by a decision issued by the Minister of Internal Affairs. To obtain it, it is necessary to submit an application for the restoration of Polish citizenship , which must meet certain formal requirements. An application for the restoration of Polish citizenship can be submitted directly to the Minister of Internal Affairs by a foreigner residing in Poland or through a consul by a foreigner living abroad. Depending on the method of application, various official fees apply.

The decision to restore Polish citizenship is made by the Minister of Internal Affairs. If the decision is positive, the foreigner becomes a Polish citizen on the date the decision to restore Polish citizenship becomes final . If the decision is negative, the foreigner receives a decision refusing the restoration of Polish citizenship, to which they may respond with a request for reconsideration of their case. In the event of a subsequent negative decision, they may appeal to an administrative court.

If you're eager to have your application approved, the Citizenship Office can help. Contact us, and we 'll help you get your Polish passport back !