The issue of losing Polish citizenship is regulated by Article 34 (2) of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland and the Polish Citizenship Act. The Constitution states that ‘A Polish citizen shall not lose Polish citizenship except by renunciation thereof’. Pursuant to Article 46 of the Act, Polish citizens may renounce Polish citizenship by filing an application to and receiving consent from the President of the Republic of Poland to renounce Polish citizenship.

10. The loss of Polish citizenship occurs after 30 days from the date of the President’s decision on the matter or in a shorter period if the President so decides (Article 49(2) and (3)). The consent to renounce Polish citizenship granted to parents also covers their children. Granting consent for renunciation of Polish citizenship to one of the parents covers a minor remaining under their parental authority in the event that the other parent does not have parental authority or the other parent has submitted a declaration of consent for the minor’s loss of Polish citizenship. If the children are over 16, they must give their consent in person in the presence of an employee of a voivodeship office or a consul or by correspondence with an officially certified signature.

People living in Poland submit the application for consent to having their Polish citizenship renounced to the President of the Republic of Poland via a voivode and people living abroad – via a consul. The application is submitted in person or by post with an officially certified signature. Documents issued in a foreign language should be submitted along with their translations into Polish, prepared by a sworn translator or a Polish consul. The template for the application to renounce Polish citizenship is determined in the Ordinance of the President of Poland of 7 August 2012 on the specification of the model application for the consent to renounce Polish citizenship, requirements for the photograph to be attached to the application and model notice informing about the contents of the decision on granting consent to renounce Polish citizenship (Journal of Laws, item 928).