Poland in the UK

To have Polish citizenship restored, you should apply to the minister competent for internal affairs through the consul at a Polish consular office of your local competence.

You can submit the documents personally or send them by post. 

• You can book an appointment with the Consular and Polish Diaspora Section of the Polish Embassy in London by emailing: london.citizenship@msz.gov.pl.
• You can book an appointment with the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Manchester via the e-Consulate system or by emailing: manchester.citizenship@msz.gov.pl.
• You can book an appointment with the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Edinburgh by phone: +44 131 5520301 or by emailing: edinburgh@msz.gov.pl.
• You can book an appointment with the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Belfast by emailing: belfast.kg.sekretariat@msz.gov.pl. 

1. Application for restoration of Polish citizenship,
2. passport photo,
3. documents to confirm identity and citizenship,
4. documents to confirm change of name and surname, if such change occurred,
5. any documents you possess to confirm loss of Polish citizenship.

Please note:

• the application must be filled in Polish only,
• copies of Polish and foreign documents must be certified by the consul to be true copies of the originals,
• all documents made in a foreign language must be translated into Polish by a sworn translator or consul,
• in case of some documents made in EU countries, a multilingual standard form issued by a foreign authority under Regulation 2016/1191 can be attached instead of a translation,
• documents made in EU countries and not covered by Regulation 2016/1191 should have the apostille attached,
• documents made outside the EU should have the apostille attached for countries parties to the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, signed in the Hague on 5 October 1961 or be legalised by a Polish consul for other countries.

The fee is 35 GBP.

The consul will pass your application to restore Polish citizenship to the minister competent for internal affairs.

You can collect the documents personally. The consul can also send the documents to the address of your choice – discuss this possibility when you submit your application.

If you do not agree with the decision of the minister competent for internal affairs, you can ask  the Ministry of the Interior and Administration (MIA) for reconsideration. You should do this in writing within 14 days from the date of receipt of the decision. The application can be submitted personally in the office or by post.

If you do not agree with the Ministry's subsequent decision, you can appeal to an administrative court. You should do this within 30 days from the date of receipt of the Minister's decision. A copy of the appeal must be also delivered to the MIA.

Who can apply for the restoration of Polish citizenship?

Restoration of Polish citizenship only applies to former citizens of Poland who lost the citizenship before 1 January 1999 in accordance with:

• Art. 11 or 13 of the Act of 20 January 1920 on the citizenship of the Republic of Poland (Journal of Laws no. 7, item 44, as amended),
• Art. 11 or 12 of the Act of 8 January 1951 on Polish citizenship (Journal of Laws no. 4, item 25),
• Art. 13, 14 or 15 of the Act of 15 February 1962 on Polish citizenship (Journal of Laws of 2000, no. 28, item 353, as amended).

Polish citizenship will not be restored to a foreigner who:

1. voluntarily joined – between 1 September 1939 and 8 May 1945 – military service in the armies of the Axis countries or their allies or held public office in these countries,
2. acted against Poland, especially against its independence and sovereignty, or participated in human rights violations.