Apply to the President for Polish citizenship

How to proceed?

At the office or by mail.

Who is it for?

People who do not have Polish citizenship.

When to apply?

At any time.

What to do?

1. Collect all the necessary documents. For details, see ‘What to prepare’.
2. Submit an application to the appropriate voivodeship office or consulate. For details, see ‘Where to apply’.
3. If you apply to a consulate, you must pay a consular fee. For details, see ‘How much to pay’.
4. Wait for a reply. You will receive a certificate of naturalisation or a notice of refusal to grant citizenship from the authority you filed your application with. For details, see ‘How long you will wait’.
5. If you have children between 16 and 18, they must give their consent for you to apply for their citizenship. They must do it in person at a voivodeship office or a consulate or by correspondence with an officially certified signature.

Where to apply?

• to the voivodeship governor responsible for the area where you have your place of residence – if you legally reside in Poland. For example, if you live in the Pomorskie Voivodeship, apply to the governor of the Pomorskie Voivodeship.
• If you live abroad, apply to the appropriate consulate. You can use a consulate search engine on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

How much you will pay?

•    EUR 360 – if you apply at a consulate; the consulate staff will instruct you on how to pay,
•    translation costs – if you attach foreign-language documents to the application; the cost of translation depends on the translator's rate,
•    authentication costs – if you attach copies of documents to the application,
•    PLN 20 for notary signature authentication – if you submit your application by mail. The notary will charge a fee.

What to prepare?

• application for Polish citizenship,
• translation of foreign-language documents into Polish – if you enclose foreign-language documents to the application; such translation must be done by a sworn translator or the Polish consul,
• a statement of consent by the other parent to their children under 18 being granted Polish citizenship – if only one parent applies for citizenship. It can be done in person in the presence of an employee of a voivodeship office or a consul or by correspondence with an officially certified signature.

6. Remember! Children between 16 and 18 must first consent to be granted citizenship. They must do it in person at a voivodeship office or a consulate or by correspondence with an officially certified signature.

How long you will wait?

The President of the Republic of Poland is not bound by any deadlines in cases of Polish citizenship. Typically, it takes more than a year for the President of the Republic of Poland to decide these matters.

How to appeal?

You cannot appeal. The decisions of the President of the Republic of Poland are final.

Good to know

7. Granting Polish citizenship to children – if both parents simultaneously (on the same date) obtain Polish citizenship, their children under 18 will also acquire Polish citizenship. Remember that children over 16 must first consent to the acquisition of Polish citizenship. They can do so in person in the presence of an employee of a voivodeship office or a consul or by correspondence with an officially certified signature

 If one of the parents acquires Polish citizenship, their children under 18 will only be granted Polish citizenship if:

• the other parent has no parental responsibility,
• the other parent has consented to their child being granted citizenship (such consent is expressed in a relevant declaration).

8. Children over 16 will give their consent. They can do so in person in the presence of an employee of a voivodeship office or a consul or by correspondence with an officially certified signature.