Repatriation, that is people of Polish origin returning to their homeland, is one of the ways to acquire Polish citizenship. This right is only granted to individuals who do not have Polish citizenship and who wish to permanently move to the Republic of Poland. The government of the Republic of Poland treats repatriation as a fulfilment of the moral obligation to compensate for historical wrongs against compatriots coming mainly from the Asian part of the former USSR. The repatriation act aims to enable the return to the country for those people or their ancestors who, as a result of deportations, exiles and other forms of nationalistic and political persecutions, have never been able to settle in Poland.

A person applying for a visa for the purpose of repatriation submits an application for its issuance to the Polish consular office competent for the place of residence. This application must be accompanied by:

1. a recent photograph of the person concerned, undamaged, in colour, 35 mm × 45 mm, taken within the last 6 months before the application, with good focus, showing the image of the face from the top of the head to the upper part of the shoulders, so that the face occupies 70–80% of the photograph, clearly displaying eyes and face, against a uniform light background. The person in the photograph should not be wearing headwear or sunglasses and be facing forward, looking straight ahead with open eyes, hair uncovered, with a natural expression  and closed mouth
2. curriculum vitae of the applicant
3. copy of the applicant’s birth certificate
4. documents confirming the current marital status of the applicant
5. documents confirming the place of  habitual residence in the territory referred to in Article 9 (1) point 3 of the Repatriation Act
6. supporting evidence of Polish origin, referred to in Article 6 of the Repatriation Act
7. other documents confirming the circumstances given in the application for a repatriation visa
8. a declaration, on pain of criminal liability for making false testimony as to the truthfulness of the data contained in the application.

 

A valid passport document must also be submitted (children who do not have their own passport should be entered in the parents’ passport document). The consul prepares a photocopy of this document and attaches it to the visa application for repatriation.

The consul, on the basis of the documents and facts established during the interview with the person applying for a visa for repatriation and other information, assesses whether they meet the conditions set out in the Act and issues a decision on acknowledging or refusing to acknowledge the applicant as a person of Polish origin. Then the consul submits the application for a repatriation visa together with the decision on acknowledging the applicant as a person of Polish origin within the meaning of Article 5 of the Repatriation Act, to the minister competent for internal affairs in order to obtain the consent to issue a repatriation visa. The consul, after obtaining the consent in question, issues a repatriation visa by inserting a visa sticker in the passport. The visa is valid for 12 months from the date of issue. During this time, the visa holder should arrive in Poland.

The consul issues a national visa for repatriation, having received evidence confirming that the person concerned is in possession or has secured a dwelling and the sources of income in the Republic of Poland or a place at an accommodation centre, hereinafter called ‘the requirements for settlement’.

Supporting evidence for having met the conditions for settlement is a document confirming the legal title to the housing premises for a period of not less than 12 months and a statement of employment or a contract of employment for a period of not less than 12 months.

Supporting evidence for the conditions for settlement is:

1. the decision of the Government Plenipotentiary for Repatriation regarding the allocation of a place in an adaptation centre for repatriates, or
2. a resolution of the municipality council including an obligation to ensure conditions for settlement for a period of not less than 2 years, or
3. a declaration of a Polish citizen, a legal person or an organisational unit without legal personality, having their registered office in the territory of the Republic of Poland, including an obligation to ensure conditions for settlement for a period of not less than two years. At the same time, the Polish citizen’s declaration may only apply to the immediate past and present family, descendants or siblings of that person.

 

The decision on granting a place in an adaptation centre is made by the Government Plenipotentiary for Repatriation within a period of no more than 3 years from the consul issuing a decision qualifying for a national visa for repatriation. When issuing the decision, the Plenipotentiary shall take into account the waiting period for issuing a national visa for the purpose of repatriating persons included in the register of persons applying for a national visa for the purpose of repatriation, which have not met the conditions to settle in the Republic of Poland. The deadline for issuing the decision on placement in the centre may be extended by no more than 2 years if there are no vacancies in the centres.

The repatriate may stay in the centre up to 90 days. If the repatriate does not take up paid work for reasons beyond their control or does not have a new place of residence, this period may be extended by the decision of the Plenipotentiary by another 90 days.

For a person who does not have accommodation and livelihood or a place in the centre secured in the Republic of Poland, but fulfils the other conditions for obtaining a national visa for repatriation, the consul shall issue a decision making them eligible for a national visa for repatriation. Through the consul, the candidate for a repatriate is presented with information on accommodation and livelihood sources in the records kept by the Government Plenipotentiary for Repatriation. This data is made available to individuals in the order of submitting applications for a national visa for repatriation. First, they are made available to people deported and persecuted for reasons of nationality or politics whose age and poor health justify rapid repatriation to the Republic of Poland.

Territorial scope of repatriation

According to Article 9(1)(3) of the Repatriation Act, a national visa for repatriation may be issued to a person who before the date of the Act coming into force, that is on 1 January 2001, permanently resided in the territory of the present: Republic of Armenia, Republic of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Republic of Uzbekistan or the Asian part of the Russian Federation.

Pursuant to Article 10 of the Act, the Council of Ministers may determine by way of regulation other states or other parts of states whose citizens of Polish origin may apply for a repatriation visa and, particularly, those where people of Polish origin are discriminated against on the grounds of religion, nationality or political views, or are at risk of losing their life or health due to the situation prevailing in their country of residence or a part thereof.

First steps after the repatriate arrives to Poland

At the place of settlement, repatriates are obliged to:

1. register their civil status certificates (birth, marriage, etc.) at the local Registry Office, together with their translation by a sworn translator into Polish, unless the person applying for a national visa for repatriation, by presenting evidence of having or ensuring conditions for settlement, asks the consul, prior to coming to Poland, to draw up a Polish civil-status record in the civil status register (then the consul passes the application along with attached documents to the head of the registry office chosen by the individual applying for a national visa for repatriation)
2. report to the Department for Civil Affairs and Foreign Nationals of the voivodeship office competent for the place of residence in order to receive a confirmation of Polish citizenship from the Voivode. The confirmation is issued on the basis of a passport with an affixed visa for the purpose of repatriation and upon presentation of copies of civil status documents drawn up in the Polish Registry Office
3. apply to the relevant City or Municipality Office for an ID card, register for permanent residence and apply for a PESEL number

Contact

Ministry of the Interior and Administration, 
Department for Citizenship and Repatriation

ul. Stefana Batorego 5
02-591 Warsaw

phone: 22 601 39 35
fax: 22601 51 34