If you have Polish ancestry, there is a chance you are eligible to obtain Polish citizenship by descent and get a Polish passport. There is a list of requirements you and your ancestors need to meet to prove that Polish citizenship was not lost, and a set of evidence you need to provide in the form of certified or original documents. If you wonder if you should do that, below you can find additional information that should convince you!
1. You will become a Polish citizen, but in addition to that also a European Citizen.
That gives you access to the entire European Union and much easier residential and visa requirements in other countries which may not be a part of the EU but are still in Europe. Basically, being Polish opens your European door!
2. You can travel freely within Europe (Schengen zone border-free area) and not only.
No more queuing at the airport before “Other countries” sign. Once you are in the Schengen zone; you are a European Union citizen and that gives you the right of free movement. There are also no border controls while you travel by land. Sometimes you don’t even realize you crossed the border already and are in a different country.
3. You can live anywhere within the EU.
A Polish passport gives you freedom to reside anywhere in Europe. You just need to register your residency with the country of your choice and for that please contact local authorities. It is also much easier for Polish citizens to buy a property in Europe. Besides that, if you decide to spend your retirement somewhere in Greece or Italy, guess what? You can!
4. You can work anywhere within the EU and some non-EU countries like Norway, Switzerland among others.
Once you are a Polish passport holder, the European job market is widely open for you. You just need to apply for a job and get it. Your employer will not need to sponsor you or acquire a job permit, you as a Polish and European citizen can work without any visa or time limits.
5. You can pass it to your children and grandchildren and so on.
Yes, once you are eligible for Polish citizenship confirmation by descent, so are your children and your further descendants in the future. Think about securing access to public European universities and the job market for them. They will also be able to freely backpack through Europe without a need for a visa and requirement to leave after 90 days. They will be grateful! If you are a Polish citizen, and if you just got a child, think about securing Polish citizenship and Polish passport for him or her.
6. Your spouse, despite not being a Polish citizen, gets equal rights to yours to work and reside in Europe.
Polish citizenship cannot be passed via marriage, however, in case you are married, and once you are a Polish passport holder, your spouse gets the same rights as yours to reside and work in any European country. You just need to follow the regulations in the country of your choice, register your spouse residency with the appropriate authorities, and she or he is free to stay with you. There are some options for obtaining citizenship by naturalization after a certain period, but this is a different procedure to Polish citizenship confirmation by descent and different rules and requirements apply in case of naturalization across Europe. Learn more about family members rights from our FAQs section.
7. Your other family members are also eligible to confirm their Polish citizenship.
Once we establish after whom we could confirm your Polish citizenship by descent, all your family members that are directly related to him or her, are eligible for Polish citizenship confirmation along with you. You only need one Polish ancestor; you need to prove lineage and confirm he or she did not lose Polish citizenship and passed it to you. All descendants of your Polish ancestor, such as your siblings, cousins, parents, aunts, and uncles can confirm Polish citizenship as well and become Polish citizens. If you are a confirmed Polish citizen, it is enough to give us your consent to use your file, and your research findings, and we will be able to use it to your other family members.
8. Once you are a Polish citizen you can study for free at many public universities or get reduced fees.
Many public universities across Europe offer free education to European Union citizens. By being a Polish citizen and Polish passport holder, you can either study for free or at reduced tuition fees. A Polish passport also gives you an opportunity to apply for European Union programs organized by the European Union such as student’s exchange or doctors’ exchange. Once you are Polish and a European citizen, you can apply to study at many prestigious European universities, not only in Poland.
9. You get the benefits of double citizenship and you can use whichever passport is more convenient while applying for visas or entering countries outside Europe (e.g. Asia).
One you have your Polish passport issued to you, you get the full package of rights that goes along with it. As a Polish citizen, it will be easier for you to travel to and within Europe. But not only. When you travel outside Europe, check visa requirements as Polish passport holders have visa free entry to many countries. For instance, in some cases it may be more convenient for you to use a Polish passport while travelling to Asia than the passport you currently hold. Just use whichever is better for you and enjoy the benefits of being Polish dual citizen.
If you would like to learn more about Polish citizenship confirmation, please feel free to contact our Polish citizenship experts.
We will be more than happy to assess your situation, advise on the best possible option for you and give you details about next steps.
How to get in touch with Polish Citizenship Experts:
Contact us for a free consultation and confirmation of your eligibility for Polish citizenship by descent. You can fill in our Contact Form on our website, send us an email at contact@fivetoeurope.com or give us a call phone / WhatsApp / Signal + 48 509 374 209
