Lifestyle – Five to Europe

Five reasons to visit Poland

Barbara Cebula — Sun, 15 May 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Poland is not the obvious tourist destination while traveling around Europe, but it has a lot to offer and discover. If you are seeking history during your travels, Warsaw and Krakow are the cities to consider. If you are a nature lover, the Baltic Sea in the North of Poland, the Masuria region in north-eastern Poland, and the Tarta mountains in the South of Poland are the areas for you to visit. For rest and slow travel, Podlaskie Voivodeship is your area – full of forests, animals, and bicycle tracks. And did I mention Polish cuisine? Foodies will be pleased, and everyone will find something to satisfy their stomachs.

1. Beautiful Polish cities

Apart from the obvious choices such as Warsaw and Krakow, if you find more time to cruise around Poland, there are many interesting cities to visit.

Warsaw, the capital of Poland is full of history. It is hard not to fall in love with the impressive old town along with the Royal Castle. Visit the little market with the Warsaw Mermaid monument, take a walk to the barbican and sit at one of the many cafes to absorb the atmosphere of the Polish capital. It was severely destroyed during WW2, but the detailed rebuild brought back its unique atmosphere.

Gdańsk is a vibrant city on the Polish seaside that won’t disappoint you. Its old town has a lot to offer. Take a stroll along the Motlawa river where you can find many attractions, cafes, and restaurants. Not to miss is the stunning architecture of Mariacka street. If you have more time, the war memorial on the Westerplatte Peninsula is worth visiting. The Battle of Westerplatte was the first place of the German invasion of Poland, and it marked the start of WWII in Europe.

Down south you will find Krakow with the largest market square in medieval Europe, surrounded by beautiful houses, churches, and restaurants.

Not far away from Krakow, there is Auschwitz, a place worth visiting from a historical perspective, a concentration camp created by the Nazi regime in Poland which is turned into a museum presenting evidence of the crime against humanity.

2. Polish nature

Nature fans will not be disappointed with the Polish landscape. Up north, you can find calm and long beaches on the Baltic coast. Down south, visit the little town of Zakopane, located in the heart of the magnificent Tatra Mountains – The Polish Alps. North-east you will find the Masuria region with over 200 lakes to explore by boat or bicycle. The popular destinations can get crowded during the peak season, yet you will easily find a place where you can be alone.

There are also many the beaten track nature destinations such as Bieszczady or Sudety mountains, dunes in Leba, or Bialowieza Forest reserve famous for its biosphere and bisons.

3. Polish cuisine

You will be surprised at what Polish cuisine has to offer. Apart from famous Polish pierogi (dumplings filled with cottage cheese and potatoes), Polish kielbasa, potato cakes, and ‘golabki’ (cabbage rolls filled with meat and rice in a tomato sauce, Poland is a paradise for soup lovers. We love soups and we have a long list of various recipes and types of soups. If you have a craving for sweets, try Polish paczki (a donut-like pastry). There are various fillings and the most traditional one is rose filling. Also, Polish bread is famous all over the world for its taste!

4. Enjoy Polish hospitality

Poles are known for their hospitality and open heart. They love having guests, feeding them, and talking to them. If you are lucky to be invited to a Polish home, you can be sure you will be treated as a family member straight away. Many Polish also speak English, so in case of any troubles, you can be sure there will be someone to help you.

5. Poland is still affordable compared to other European countries

Despite the growing prices, especially in big cities, Poland is still considered a rather cheap holiday destination compared to other European countries. If you are a budget traveler, eat at the famous Polish milk bars, use public transport to move around the city or use public bicycles, and stay at the local guesthouses or hostels while visiting big cities.

How do I travel with double citizenship and two passports?

Barbara Cebula — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 09:17:00 +0000

Have you ever thought about how double citizenship can impact your traveling? How can you use the fact of having two passports to your benefit?

Do you know that if someone in your family was a Polish citizen, you are likely eligible to confirm your Polish citizenship, become a dual citizen, and apply for a second passport? There are a couple of requirements that you need to fulfill to be eligible for it and if you need help in assessing your eligibility for Polish citizenship by descent, contact us and we will assess it free of charge for you.

Once you are the lucky owner of a Polish passport, below you can find a list of tips and advice that will make your life easier while moving around the EU, between the EU and your country of origin, and while traveling to third party countries.

1. In your own country, use your own country passport

When you are in your country of birth, you need to use your birth country passport. Meaning if you are born in the United States, and you return to your country from abroad, you need to show the American passport while entering the USA. Also in America, you should use your American id that confirms your American citizenship and gives you American citizen rights.

While traveling from the USA to the EU, the little inconvenience is that you need to travel with two passports. For example, if you are going from the States to Europe, you leave the US on your American passport and enter Europe on your Polish passport, then when you return to the US, you leave Europe on your Polish passport and enter the US on the US passport. This way you will avoid being asked for a visa in your country of origin.

Also, when you enter the EU with your Polish passport, you can go to the queue for the EU citizens which will speed up the process and formalities for you at the airport. In other words, you will not be standing in the long and tiring queues. Yes, with a Polish passport you became a citizen of the European Union so while entering any European Union country, use your Polish passport.

2. Once you are in the European Union, use your Polish passport

A Polish passport gives you freedom of traveling within the EU, and Schengen Zone. Once you enter the EU, you are considered a European Union citizen and your Polish passport is your identity document. Once you enter the EU with your Polish passport, you do not have any stay limits, you are not obliged to apply for any sort of visa, and you are free to move around. How cool is that? There are no passport controls on the borders and if you travel by land, sometimes you may not even notice that you are already in another country. Also, while traveling by plane, if you travel within the EU your passport will be checked only as proof of an id and there are no border or passport controls.

What is also worth mentioning is the right to work in any European Union country without a need for a work visa. Once you are a fully-fledged Polish citizen and have a Polish passport, you can work anywhere in the European Union. So even business trips will be much easier and more pleasant for you!

3. Travelling to countries outside the European Union and Schengen Zone

Here the trick is rather simple and depends mainly on the immigration and visa rules of the country you enter or plan to travel to. What that means is that we advise you to check on the official government websites about entry and visa conditions for both of your passports and use the one which is more convenient. For instance, some countries in Asia have a visa-free option for a Polish passport, some will require a visa on arrival, for others you will need to apply for a visa before.

If you need to apply for a formal visa anyway, check which passport has less or easier formalities as visa requirements may vary for different country passport holders. Some countries may require less paperwork if you apply for your visa as a Polish citizen or if you decide to apply as a citizen of any other country e.g. Canada or Australia.

The situation is a bit different if you travel to a country that is still in Europe and is not part of the European Union or Schengen, for instance, United Kingdom, Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, and others. Likely it will be more convenient for you to use your Polish passport which is still a European passport. Most European countries, even though they are not part of the EU or Schengen, will have fewer visa requirements or no entry visa at all for Polish passport holders.

Again, the best recommendation is to check the latest visa information on official and governmental websites. This way you can be sure they are updated and relevant.

As you can see, having double citizenship and two passports has lots of benefits and it allows you to use the one which is more convenient for you in the situation.

If you have Polish ancestry and think about applying for Polish citizenship and a Polish passport, think no further. It will allow you to freely travel to the European Union, then freely travel within the European Union. You can reside within the EU with no time limits and work anywhere within the EU without any visa restrictions. All that with Polish citizenship and a Polish passport!

6 things you should know about Polish passport

Barbara Cebula — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 13:59:01 +0000

Being able to call yourself a Polish citizen sounds great, doesn’t it? If you are looking for help with applying for a Polish passport or maybe you are still not sure if you could get it – stay with us for a moment. As you may probably know, we assist people with their special needs.

No matter if you are interested in getting a Polish passport or you would like to find out if your ancestors held Polish citizenship, we are here to help you. Thus, we have prepared a brief guide, in which you will find 6 things you should know about Polish passport.

1. Who is eligible for a Polish passport?

You are eligible for a Polish passport if at least one of your ancestors was born in Poland or one of the former territories of Poland and resided there after 1920. We just need to prove that Polish citizenship was not lost on the way by any of your family members.

2. Is a Polish passport a European Union passport?

Yes, it is! Poland has been a member of the European Union since 2004 and therefore, with Polish citizenship, you automatically become a European Union citizen and a Polish passport is equal to a European Union passport.

3. If I do decide on a Polish passport, what are the advantages?

With a Polish passport, you can travel freely within Europe and not only. There are no border controls inside the EU and special gates for EU citizens at the airport if you enter Europe out of the Schengen zone.
With a Polish passport, you can live everywhere within the EU. EU countries are open for you. What does it really mean? You can live everywhere without any limits or restrictions. This right extends to your family members e.g. spouse, children, even if they didn’t hold a Polish passport.
With a Polish passport, you can work everywhere within the EU. The European Union job market will become open and widely available for you. Once you apply for Polish citizenship and get a Polish passport, you will not need any visa or permission to work in any of the EU countries. The same would apply to opening business in Poland or anywhere in the EU.
With a Polish passport, you can study for free at many public universities or get reduced fees.
With a Polish passport, you get the benefits of dual citizenship. You can use whichever passport is more convenient while applying for visas or entering countries outside Europe (e.g. Asia).

4. What documents do I need to get a Polish passport?

In order to apply for your Polish passport you need to be Polish citizen and possess the following documents:

Polish Citizenship Confirmation,
Polish birth certificate,
Polish marriage certificate (if applicable),
Passport and PESEL application filled in Polish,
Passport photo.

5. How do I apply for a Polish passport?

Once you have your Polish citizenship confirmed, you would need to lodge your Polish passport application with the nearest Polish Consulate or General Polish Embassy with Consular services. We may assist you with that step as well! We will help you with preparing an application for your Polish passport. It usually takes around 2-3 months to have a Polish passport issued.

6. How strong is a Polish passport?

A Polish passport is an international travel document issued to nationals of Poland, and may also serve as proof of Polish citizenship. Besides enabling the bearer to travel internationally and serving as an indication of Polish citizenship, the Polish passport facilitates the process of securing assistance from Polish consular officials abroad or other European Union member states in case a Polish consular is absent.

According to the 2021 Visa Restrictions Index, Polish citizens can visit 183 countries without a visa or with a visa granted on arrival. This ranks Polish passport on 10th place in terms of travel freedom (according to Henley Passport Index). Polish citizenship will allow you to live and work in any country within the EU as a result of the right of free movement and residence granted in Article 21 of the EU Treaty.

What’s more, every Polish citizen is also a citizen of the European Union. The Polish passport, along with the national identity card allows for free rights of movement and residence in any of the states of the European Union, European Economic Area, and Switzerland.