BREXIT and British citizens of Polish descent

01

How did the Polish ancestors of British citizens land in the United Kingdom?

In the United Kingdom, there is a big population of British Poles, British citizens of Polish descent. Many of their ancestors settled down in the UK after World War II. There were Polish soldiers, servicemen, and women who fought alongside allied forces, Polish military personnel, Polish survivors of German concentration and POW camps. After WWII ended, many of them did not want to or could not return to Poland, due to the fact Poland became a communist country and because of Soviet repressions of Poles. As there were soldiers and former members of the Home Army, they were often at risk to be oppressed and be executed by the Soviets. Great Britain offered them a safe place to settle down, live, and start a family. Descendants of these Polish war heroes in most cases are eligible to confirm their Polish citizenship and also obtain a Polish passport. We offer assistance in locating necessary documents for their Polish citizenship confirmation in archives across Poland and the UK. So in case your grandfather or grandmother was Polish and you wish to confirm your Polish citizenship, please do contact us and we will be able to help you with the process and advice on the required steps.

02

I am a British citizen with Polish descent, should I confirm my Polish Citizenship?

If you have Polish ancestry, it will be very convenient and beneficial for you to confirm your Polish citizenship and apply for a Polish passport. This way you could secure your access to the European Union, its job market, and travel freely without a need for a visa. With a Polish passport, you can easily buy a property within the EU, your children can study at many public universities at reduced fees or even free of charge. With dual citizenship, Polish and British, and with two passports, you can always pick and use the one, which is convenient in a particular situation. If you have Polish ancestry and consider applying for a Polish passport and securing your European Union citizenship, please contact us for a free assessment of your case. We will be able to assist you with lodgement of your Polish citizenship application, gather necessary documents needed for your application as well as locate any required evidence in Poland and UK to support it. 

03

My grandfather was Polish and came to the UK during World War II. Can I get my Polish citizenship confirmed based on the fact that my grandfather was Polish?

If you have any Polish documents of your grandfather such as expired Polish id, expired Polish passport, documents confirming military service in the Polish army, Polish birth certificate, etc., this is a perfect case! If not, we can source them across archives in Poland and the UK. If he was at the conscription age, likely he served in the Polish army back then and we can track the documents proving his military service across archives in Poland and the UK. There is also a chance he was a member of the Polish Resettlement Corps, an organization formed by the British Government in 1946. It was still a Polish Army under British command and archives in the UK hold a great number of records of all Polish soldiers who served in the PRC in the UK. We obtain these records on behalf of our clients to further use them in the process of Polish citizenship confirmation. 

04

Can I have dual citizenship, both Polish and British citizenship and two passports, Polish and British one?

Yes, absolutely! You can have double citizenship (Polish and British) and two passports, British and Polish. Depending on the situation you can use the one which is more convenient in a particular situation and use the privilege of double citizenship. So for example, when you are in the UK, you use your British passport which confirms you are a British citizen. When you enter the European Union, you can use your Polish passport which gives you privileges of not only being a Polish citizen but also a citizen of the European Union. This way you can freely travel within the EU without a need for a visa, you can reside within the EU without any time limits, and work anywhere within the EU without any restrictions. Polish citizenship and a Polish passport give you all of that!

05

Why is it worth confirming Polish citizenship for British citizens?

With the Brexit vote, the United Kingdom withdrew its membership from the European Union. British citizens who still wish to work, study, or travel in the EU will need to follow a different process. That means they would need to legally register as a resident or in some cases, apply for a visa or work permit.

Therefore, if you are a British citizen with Polish ancestry, it is very convenient for you to confirm your Polish citizenship and apply for a Polish passport, which equals the passport of the European Union. This way, you can secure yourself and your family members, children, and grandchildren easy access to the European job market and visa-free travels. In the future, if you or anyone from your family, decides to move abroad, this will also be helpful. With a Polish passport, you can reside anywhere within the European Union and buy a property with much fewer formalities. You can have dual citizenship, British and Polish one and depend on the situation, you can use whichever passport is more convenient. Having dual Polish and British citizenship is a great advantage and you can pass it further on to the next generations!

06

What is the process of confirming Polish citizenship for British citizens with Polish ancestry?

If you get in touch with us, we will closely analyze your case and your Polish ancestor’s details. We will also analyze your family immigration history, details of your family members linking you to your Polish ancestor, and check your eligibility for a Polish citizenship application. Depending on whether you have enough Polish documents or not, we will conduct research across archives in Poland and the UK to search for documents required for Polish citizenship confirmation application. If you are interested in free assessment, please do send us a query via Contact Form.  

07

Can British citizens of Polish descent confirm their Polish citizenship and obtain a passport of the European Union?

If you are a British citizen, you may wonder how to keep European Union citizenship after Brexit and keep easy access to the EU job market and freedom of travel across the Schengen Zone. If you have Polish roots, your parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents were born in Poland, there is a chance you are a Polish citizen too. It is necessary to confirm it through the process of Polish citizenship confirmation and as a result, you will receive a Polish citizenship certificate confirming your Polish citizenship. This way you can get a passport of the European Union and get rights of EU citizens for yourself and your family members. In case you wonder if you are eligible to apply for Polish citizenship by descent, contact us for a free assessment of your case. We will review the information and documents you have and will be able to assist you with the application process. 

08

How to apply for a Polish passport in the UK?

Once your Polish citizenship is confirmed, you will be issued with a Polish citizenship confirmation document/Polish citizenship certificate. It is also necessary to register any relevant vital records in Poland such as birth and marriage certificates and based on them you will be issued with Polish duplicates of these documents. In the next step, you need to get in touch with the nearest Polish Consulate General and book an appointment for a Polish passport application. You can phone them or book an appointment online via E-konsulat (https://secure.e-konsulat.gov.pl/). You need to attend the Polish passport application appointment in person as you are required to leave your fingerprints since the Polish passport is biometric. You need to bring with you a set of original documents for the Consular officer’s verification. We assist our clients with that step as well and give all necessary guidelines with the Polish passport application.  

09

Where to apply for a Polish passport in the UK?

In the United Kingdom you can apply for a Polish passport at the Polish Embassy in London and any of the below Consulates General:

  • Consular Section of the Embassy of Poland in London
  • Polish Consulate General in Belfast
  • Polish Consulate General in Manchester
  • Polish Consulate General in Edinburgh

Please contact the nearest Polish consular post directly to book an appointment for a Polish passport application.

10

What are the changes in requirements for British citizens to Visit Europe and enter Schengen area?

Beginning in mid-2025, UK nationals will not need a visa for short stays in Europe, but an ETIAS visa waiver will be required. Since Britain exited the EU, there are no new visa requirements for British citizens traveling to Europe for short periods, but there are some new rules and regulations of which to be aware. British passport holders must meet all the ETIAS requirements for third-country nationals to apply.

ETIAS is being introduced for all visa-exempt non-EU nationals and therefore applies to travellers from the UK.

Citizens of over 60 countries including Australia, Canada, and the United States will also need to apply for ETIAS.

11

How Long Can British Citizens Stay in Europe?

One of the major changes following Brexit is the length of time British visitors can remain in the Schengen Area without a visa. Since the UK is outside the EU, UK passport holders can cross an external EU border using just a valid passport and stay anywhere in the Schengen Area for up to 3 months (90 days) per 180-day period. But to stay in the Schengen Area for longer than 90 days, a visa or another kind of travel permit is required.

 

From mid-2025, British passport holders will be able to register before traveling to any of the ETIAS countries by completing the online ETIAS application form.

Because ETIAS is not a visa, document requirements are minimal. British applicants should have the following to hand before proceeding with their request:

  • Valid UK passport
  • Credit or debit card to pay the ETIAS fees

 

Filling out the online ETIAS application form is a quick process, requiring only the following details:

 

  • UK passport details: number, expiry, and issue date
  • Basic personal information: full name, date of birth, gender
  • Contact details: email address is used for all correspondence

12

What you need to know about ETIAS for UK citizens?

With the introduction of ETIAS, the requirements to travel from the UK to Europe will change. You will need ETIAS for holidays and business trips to Schengen countries.

  1. You can stay in Europe for up to 90 daysper 180-day period with ETIAS. A visa is required for longer stays.
  2. You can visit Europe multiple timeswith the same authorisation. You do not need to apply and pay each time you travel—ETIAS is valid for 3 years, or until your passport expires.
  3. You can go to any of the countries in the Schengen Areawith the same ETIAS permit. No need to get separate authorisations for each country you plan to visit.

13

Post- Brexit travel for British citizens

Post-Brexit, British citizens are treated as third-country nationals for Schengen Area travel, hence the need for ETIAS and visa requirements for long stays. It is important to stay updated on any changes to travel requirements by checking official government sources or the consulates of the respective Schengen countries.

For the most current and detailed information, always refer to the official website of the Schengen country you intend to visit or their consulate in the UK.

Speak to our consultants about Your Polish Citizenship.

Live in Europe with no limits.

Fill in a simple contact form with your and your family details and we will get back to you to book a FREE consultation.

We will help you pick the best strategy and manage your application on your behalf. You will be informed about every step in the process. You do not need to speak Polish. You do not need to travel to Poland.

Once you are a confirmed Polish citizen, you can apply for your Polish passport on your own! Do that at the nearest Polish Consulate General or Polish Embassy with Consular services, we’ll show you how.

CONTACT FORM
If you are interested in applying for a Polish Citizenship, contact us for a free assessment of your case..