Grant of Polish citizenship by the President of Republic of Poland

Grant of Polish Citizenship – what is it?

Grant of Polish citizenship, commonly called naturalization, is one of the ways of acquiring Polish citizenship by a foreigner. According to Article 18 of the current Act on Polish Citizenship, the President of the Republic of Poland may grant Polish citizenship to any foreigner upon a foreigner’s request.

Who can apply for Grant of Polish citizenship?

Considering both the provisions of the Constitution and the Act on Polish citizenship, both, people having citizenship of another state and stateless people (people who do not have any citizenship) can be naturalized as  Polish citizens via a grant of Polish citizenship.

The current legal regulations do not specify any rules or requirements for naturalization apart from the application and the legislator does not limit in any way the access to acquiring Polish citizenship in that way. In addition to that Polish Constitution does not set out the prerequisites for granting citizenship either.

No formal requirements for Grant of Polish Citizenship – what does it mean?

The above emphasizes the fully discretionary nature of this procedure. It means that each case is assessed independently. The President decides which arguments indicated by the foreigner in the Polish citizenship application are crucial enough for him to grant Polish citizenship. A foreigner’s personal and family situation, current ties with Poland, Polish culture, business, society, grounds of public interest or welfare of the country of Poland may be important.

 

Can an applicant appeal against the President's decision if he rejects the Grant of Polish citizenship application?

Grant of Polish citizenship, as well as its refusal, takes place in the form of a written decision. In matters related to Polish citizenship application the President does not act as a public administration body but as the Head of the Polish State, symbolizing its majesty and sovereignty.

This means that the President of the Republic of Poland is not limited by any conditions and is not a subject of any control. No legal remedies (appeal, motion for reconsideration of the case, complaint for inaction) are provided by the current legal regulations in this respect.

In other words, you cannot appeal the President’s decision and it’s final. However, you can lodge a new application in case of rejection.

Where to apply for the Grant of Polish citizenship?

An application for the Grant of Polish citizenship is filed with the President of the Republic of Poland through provincial governors (if you reside in Poland) or Polish Consulate General (if you live abroad). Then your application is forwarded together with a set of documents and governors’ or consuls’ own opinion to the President’s office, through the minister of internal affairs, who also prepares his own opinion on the application.

How long does the process of the Grant of Polish citizenship take?

The President of the Republic of Poland is not limited by any deadlines in cases of Polish citizenship. Usually, it takes more than a year for the President of the Republic of Poland to issue the decision.

How can you make the Grant Polish citizenship application easy and hassle free?

If you contact us, we will assess your case and chances based on our experience. We will ask a number of questions about your ties and connections to Poland and will do our best to support you in preparing a strong application.

You can contact us for FREE assessment the following ways:

  1. Filling out our Contact Form
  2. Phone  +48 509 374 209
  3. WhatsApp: +48 509 374 209
  4. E-mail: contact@fivetoeurope.com
Dorota Dwojacka

Dorota Dwojacka

Polish Citizenship Expert at Five to Europe – conducts eligibility assessment, research towards locating required records for Polish citizenship application, application preparation and representing customer during the entire administrative process by the Voivode.

How to get Polish citizenship by descent through Five to Europe, a Polish based company?

26 March 2024

Polish citizenship follows the “right of blood” rule which means that a Polish parent passes it to his or her child at birth. If you have Polish ancestry, you know that someone from your family came from Poland or what used to be Polish territory, likely you are eligible for Polish citizenship by descent. It is also necessary to prove that your Polish ancestor left Poland after 1920, or provide an official and legal document issued by the Polish Government after 1920.

Becoming a Polish citizen by right of blood

12 March 2024

Polish citizenship is passed by “the right of blood”. If one of the parents holds Polish citizenship (or is a person of Polish descent), it is passed to the child irrespective of whether the child was born in Poland or abroad.
It also applies to people born in countries with the “right of soil” e.g. USA. If you were born in the USA to at least one Polish parent (or a parent of Polish descent – to your Polish grandparents), you can claim Polish citizenship despite the fact you acquired US citizenship at your birth.

How to get passport of Poland based on descent?

7 February 2024

Obtaining a Polish passport based on descent involves a process known as “confirmation of Polish citizenship.” If you have Polish ancestry and can prove your descent from Polish citizens, you may be eligible to apply for confirmation of citizenship, which can then lead to obtaining a Polish passport.