European citizenship – Five to Europe https://fivetoeurope.com The Best and Easiest Way To Get European Citizenship Mon, 27 Jan 2025 13:48:11 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://fivetoeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-five-to-europe-icon-32x32.png European citizenship – Five to Europe https://fivetoeurope.com 32 32 Polish citizenship for Americans with Polish ancestry https://fivetoeurope.com/2025/01/27/polish-citizenship-for-americans-with-polish-ancestry/ Mon, 27 Jan 2025 13:42:33 +0000 https://fivetoeurope.com/?p=995365

The emigration of Polish people to the United States is a story of resilience, hope, and the pursuit of a better life. Over the past centuries, millions of Poles have left their homeland to seek new opportunities across the Atlantic, transforming both their own lives and the fabric of American society. Americans, with Polish roots whose ancestors left Poland after 1920 can apply for Polish citizenship by descent which opens many gates to live, work and study in Europe without any visas and limits.

Early Waves of Emigration

Polish emigration to the United States can be traced back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries, with the first significant wave occurring in the aftermath of the Partitions of Poland (1772-1795), when the Polish state was divided and ceased to exist. During this period, many Poles fled the political turmoil and repression under foreign rulers, seeking freedom and security in the New World.

The 19th century saw a second wave of Polish immigration, mainly driven by: economic hardship, and the aftermath of failed uprisings against foreign occupation. The most notable of these was the 1830 November Uprising, which spurred thousands to leave Poland and settle in the U.S. Polish-Americans began to form tight-knit communities in cities like Chicago, New York, and Buffalo, contributing to the cultural and social fabric of the country.

 

The Industrial Boom and Mass Migration

The late 19th and early 20th centuries marked a peak in Polish emigration, as millions sought refuge in America during the Industrial Revolution. Poland, still under foreign occupation, was experiencing political repression and economic struggle. Meanwhile, the U.S. offered the promise of jobs, land, and the chance to build a better future.

Polish immigrants, many of them farmers or manual labourers, found work in factories, steel mills, and coal mines, especially in cities like Pittsburgh and Detroit. The rapid urbanization and industrialization of the U.S. provided opportunities for hard-working immigrants to improve their economic status and establish a strong sense of community.

The Role of Polish Americans in Shaping the U.S.

Polish-Americans established churches, social clubs, and fraternal organizations, helping to preserve their language, traditions, and customs for future generations. The Polish community also became a driving force in advocating for the rights of immigrants and workers. The labour movement in the U.S. saw many Polish immigrants at the forefront of strikes and protests, fighting for better working conditions and wages.

Post-World War II Emigration and the Changing Landscape

After World War II, another wave of Polish immigrants arrived in the U.S. due to political instability and the Soviet occupation of Poland. The post-war period saw thousands of displaced persons, including Polish refugees, coming to America. These immigrants brought with them the scars of war but also a deep sense of gratitude and determination to rebuild their lives.

In the 1980s, during the rise of the Solidarity movement under Lech Wałęsa, Poland saw significant political and economic upheaval. As a result, many Poles once again sought refuge in the U.S.

 

Polish citizenship by descent for Americans with Polish heritage

If you are an American citizen with Polish ancestry, and if at least one of your ancestors was born in Poland or its former territories, and resided there after 1920, likely she or he was a Polish citizen and so you are. You just need to prove that with documented evidence and confirm that citizenship was not lost by any of your ancestors linking you to the last one who left Poland and that it was passed to you. If you are eligible, you need to lodge a Polish citizenship confirmation application and register your vital records in Poland. Once this process is finalised, applying for a Polish passport is just a formality as you need to show up with a set of your Polish documents at the Polish Consulate and leave your fingerprints, as Polish passports are biometric.

Getting a Polish passport 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 an easy access to the European job market and visa free travels.

With a Polish passport you can reside anywhere within the European Union and buy property which has much less formalities. You can hold dual citizenship, American and Polish citizenship and depending on the situation, you can use whichever passport is more convenient.

A Polish passport will allow you to stay in the European Union for more than 90 days without a need for you to leave the Schengen zone. If you would like to spend your retirement in Europe, it is worth considering applying for your Polish citizenship confirmation and getting a Polish passport. 

 

Contact us for a FREE consultation:

If you are not sure if the evidence you have is enough to support your Polish citizenship claim, please contact us for a free consultation. We will assess your situation and advice on the best next steps for you. We can manage the entire process for you and on your behalf from Poland.

]]> How British citizens with Polish roots can get EU citizenship and Polish passport https://fivetoeurope.com/2025/01/03/hiw-british-citizens-can-get-eu-citizenship/ Fri, 03 Jan 2025 14:57:56 +0000 https://fivetoeurope.com/?p=989337

How did Brexit impact British citizens in the European Union?

With the Brexit vote, the United Kingdom withdrew their membership from the European Union. British citizens who still wish to work, study or travel in the EU, 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.

British citizens of Polish descent can confirm their Polish citizenship and apply for a Polish passport which is a passport of European Union

If you are a British citizen, you may wonder how to keep European Union citizenship after Brexit and have easy access to the EU job market, 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 too have acquired Polish citizenship and you are eligible to confirm Polish citizenship. This way you can get a Polish passport which is also a passport of the European Union and get rights of the EU citizen for yourself and your family members.

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What is the process of confirming Polish citizenship via descent for British people with Polish ancestry?

The Act on Polish Citizenship of 2 April 2009 makes it possible to obtain confirmation of Polish citizenship by decision issued by the Voivodeship Office, in case you never lived in Poland, Masovian Voivodeship Office in Warsaw. In order to obtain such a document confirming your Polish citizenship, you have to file an application and prove that you have acquired Polish citizenship by the ‘right of blood’ from your Polish ancestor. You also need to prove you have not lost Polish citizenship by the time of filing the application.

How can you verify whether you have acquired Polish citizenship?

When determining whether you currently possess Polish citizenship, you need to refer not only to the current Polish Citizenship Act but also to the number of legal regulations which are no longer in force but were applicable to your Polish ancestors depending on their date of birth. These Acts are relevant for the assessment of whether they acquired or/and lost Polish citizenship. The Polish Citizenship Acts are as following:

  • the Act on Polish Citizenship of 20 January 1920,
  • the Act on Polish Citizenship of 8 January 1951,
  • the Act on Polish Citizenship of 16 February 1962.

Polish citizenship of your ancestor will need to be checked against the Act, which was in force when he or she was born and it needs to be proved, Polish citizenship was not lost on the way by any of your Polish ancestors directly linked to you.

What do you need to do to proceed with the Polish citizenship application?

You need to determine after which of your Polish ancestors you can confirm your Polish citizenship, e.g. your mother or father, your paternal or maternal grandfather or grandmother or their parents. Later on, you have to verify if further descendants of that person (your other ascendants) also held Polish citizenship, e.g. your father who was the son of a Polish grandfather. You have to prove that the possession of Polish citizenship was continuous among your ascendants in a straight line linking you to a person about whom you know that she or he had Polish citizenship.

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

If you are not sure if the evidence you have is enough to support your Polish citizenship claim, please contact us for a free consultation. We will assess your situation and advice on the best next steps for you. We can manage the entire process for you and on your behalf from Poland.

]]> Do you have Polish ancestry? Get your Polish passport! https://fivetoeurope.com/2023/05/08/do-you-have-polish-ancestry-get-your-polish-passport/ Mon, 08 May 2023 09:30:04 +0000 https://fivetoeurope.com/?p=994545

Polish passport holders get lots of privileges and benefits along with it. Apart from having free access to over 180 countries around the world, you get free and unlimited access to the European Union. In other words, you and your family can live in Europe without any time limits and work here without a need for a visa.

Your Polish ancestry can get you Polish citizenship

If you have Polish ancestry and know that at least one of your Polish ancestors left Poland after 1920, this is already great. Now, it’s a matter of proving they were Polish by locating the documents in Poland issued by the Polish government such as residential records, vital records, documents confirming service in the Polish army among others. It is also necessary to prove that your Polish ancestors and any of their descendants linking them to you, did not lose Polish citizenship.

What if you don’t have any documents proving your Polish citizenship?

Here we can offer research towards locating records and evidence needed to support your Polish citizenship claim. If you have absolutely no records, but have a good number of details about your Polish ancestors such as date and place of birth, full name, parents’ names etc. in most cases this is already a good enough base to search archives and civil registry offices in Poland. Try to talk to your family members who may know more. See if there is anything in the archives in the country of your origin, such as naturalization records, petition for naturalization, immigration documents, passengers’ lists. They may contain precious information for us to confirm your eligibility and commence research in Poland on your behalf.

Polish citizenship confirmation process

Polish citizenship is passed via ‘the right of blood’. Once your eligibility for Polish citizenship by descent is confirmed, it is necessary to lodge your citizenship application to get an official document confirming your Polish citizenship. You need to present documents confirming your lineage, documents proving your ancestor was a Polish citizen, and documents confirming that Polish citizenship was not lost by your Polish ancestors and any of his or her descendants all the way to you.

Once you are issued with your Polish citizenship confirmation, and have your vital records registered in Poland such as birth and marriage certificates, the last step for you is to apply for your Polish passport. This needs to happen in person at the Polish Consulate general since a Polish passport is biometric and you are required to leave your fingerprints. This is just formality and after a couple of weeks, your passport will be issued to you!

Polish citizenship for my children

If you are eligible for Polish citizenship by descent, so are your children and grandchildren etc. You can lodge your citizenship application at the same time to make it smooth for them to apply for a Polish passport later in the process.  Please keep in mind you can skip generations in the process, what that means, your children can apply for Polish citizenship without you going through the process, but they still need to prove lineage to your ancestors via you, by presenting your birth certificate. 

]]> Five reasons you should get a Polish Citizenship and apply for a Polish passport https://fivetoeurope.com/2023/04/25/5-reasons-you-should-get-polish-citizenship/ Tue, 25 Apr 2023 07:45:00 +0000 https://fivetoeurope.com/?p=988774

If you have Polish ancestry and think about getting your Polish citizenship and Polish passport, think no further! 

It’s an opportunity for you and your family to enjoy freedom of residence and movement in European Union and also many European countries outside of EU.

Why you should consider doing it? Here are the five good reasons:

1. You will become Polish citizen but in addition to that, also European citizen

Poland has been a member of the European Union since 2004 and therefore, with Polish citizenship you automatically become a European Union citizen. A Polish passport will open many gates for you across Europe to freely live, work and travel across. There are no restrictions for any European Countries citizens to live or work and everyone is treated equally.

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The 27 member countries of the European Union:

  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Malta
  • Netherlands
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Spain
  • Sweden

2. 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 Schengen zone. That means no more time consuming border checks and no more long queues. 

Did you know the Polish passport is one of the most powerful travel documents in the whole world? Believe us or not, it really is! That means you can visit more than 180 countries and, at the same time, avoid any formalities associated with crossing borders, such as long queues at the airport or visa restrictions.

In some countries outside the EU, Polish passport may be much better and beneficial than one of your country, while entering or applying for a visa. Double check which one is more convenient for you to use while going to Asia or applying for Working Holiday visas in various countries.

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3. You can live everywhere within the EU

With Polish passport, all European Union countries are open for you and you can live everywhere without any limits and restrictions. This right extends to your family members e.g. spouse, children, even if they didn’t hold EU citizenship. 

Poland is a wonderful country to live in, but once you finally have your travel document issued, you can move aaround Europe and change your whole life. Do not worry about the labor market too! It is open to European Union citizens, but before you decide to take such a step, please check the legal regulations in the country you choose as your final destination. The tax issue might be different. In most cases, it is also crucial to report your presence at the appropriate institution.

4. You can work everywhere within the EU

European Union job market will become open and widely available for you. Once you become Polish citizen, 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. There are non-EU countries such as Norway, Switzerland and Iceland among others, which still offer much less restrictions for EU citizens when it comes to work and residency regulations and visas restrictions.

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Another massive advantage of you becoming Polish is that you can bring your family on board. Your spouse despite not being Polish citizen, gets equal rights to yours

Barbara Cebula

5. You can pass it to your children and grandchildren and so on

Once you are a confirmed Polish citizen, you can pass your Polish citizenship to your descendant in direct blood lineage following ‘right of blood’. Even if your children will not decide to go ahead with the process, your grandchildren would be able to confirm Polish citizenship after you. It’s worth going through the process and keeping it for the future generations in your family. 

Remember that the rights you gain as a holder of Polish citizenship extend to your family members even though they are not fully-fledged citizens of Poland.

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Read also: Passports under Polish law

]]> Why should I confirm my Polish citizenship, become a Polish citizen and obtain a Polish passport? https://fivetoeurope.com/2023/01/26/why-should-i-confirm-my-polish-citizenship-become-a-polish-citizen-and-obtain-a-polish-passport/ Thu, 26 Jan 2023 11:17:51 +0000 https://fivetoeurope.com/?p=994310

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.

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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.

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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.

parents with their children walking in forest

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

]]> Brexit and British citizens of Polish descent https://fivetoeurope.com/2023/01/19/brexit-and-british-citizens-of-polish-descent/ Thu, 19 Jan 2023 10:00:00 +0000 https://fivetoeurope.com/?p=989063

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 that Poland became a communist country and 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.

Initially, a large Polish community cantered around near military camps, where military personnel had been stationed during the war. Later on, once they felt more comfortable and used to British civil life, they spread out across the country.

Great Britain offered shelter and a new home to Polish families and Polish soldiers fighting during the war under the British Command. After a couple of years of living in the UK, most of them took British citizenship by naturalization but that did not cause loss of Polish citizenship. Polish citizenship, unless renounced intentionally, was kept by them and passed to their descendants, children and grandchildren, who now can go through the process of Polish citizenship confirmation and get a Polish passport. 

British citizens with Polish descent living in the UK

Nowadays, lots of descendants of Polish soldiers, military personnel, and war refugees live in the UK. They are grandchildren or great-grandchildren of Polish war heroes, who can obtain Polish citizenship after their Polish ancestors and this way guarantee themselves free access to the European Union.

There are several archives and institutions in the UK which keep records about Polish soldiers and pilots such as The Ministry of The Defence. They often have books of soldiers, confirming military service history, details such as date and place of birth, family members details. Records confirming military service in the Polish Resettlement Corps often confirm Polish citizenship of your ancestor and are a great source of additional information in case additional research is needed in Poland. If you have them already, you can send them to us at contact@fivetoeurope.com for a review. After seeing them, we will be able to confirm if you are eligible for Polish citizenship by descent and advice what else (if anything) will be needed in addition to support your Polish citizenship claim.

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 an 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, Polish citizenship will also be helpful. With a Polish passport you can reside anywhere within the European Union and buy property which has much less formalities. You can hold dual citizenship, British and Polish citizenship and depending on the situation, you can use whichever passport is more convenient.

A Polish passport will allow you to stay in the European Union for more than 90 days without a need for you to leave the Schengen zone. If you would like to spend your retirement in one of the European Union countries, it is worth considering applying for your Polish citizenship confirmation and getting a Polish passport as a result of it. 

Process of confirming Polish citizenship for a British citizen with Polish ancestry – what do you need to know?

Contact us for a free consultation of your situation, and we will closely check your case and your Polish ancestor’s details. We will analyse your family immigration history 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 oriented towards Polish citizenship confirmation.

How to get in touch with Polish Citizenship Experts:

 Get 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

]]> Passports under Polish law https://fivetoeurope.com/2022/07/28/passports-under-polish-law/ Thu, 28 Jul 2022 09:22:57 +0000 https://fivetoeurope.com/?p=993847

The Polish passport is an official document authorizing the crossing of borders and residence abroad and certifying Polish citizenship, as well as the identity of the person indicated in it in terms of the data the document contains.

Such a concept was introduced by the Law of July 13, 2006 on Passport Documents. Accordingly, we can distinguish three features of the Polish passport.

First, it constitutes proof of the identity of the person to whom it applies. Therefore, a Polish passport can be categorized as an official document, on the basis of which it is possible to establish certain elements of identity.

Second, the passport is proof of the existence of a knot of Polish citizenship.

Third, the passport is a certificate of the right of the country that issued it to exercise diplomatic protection over the holder of such a document.

Polish passport document – issuance and validity

The Law on Passport Documents formulates the right of every Polish citizen to get a Polish passport, while at the same time allowing for the possibility of deprivation or restriction of this right, but only in the cases provided by the law.

The Polish passport document is an official document. It is drawn up in the form described and constitutes evidence of what is officially stated therein.

In the current state of the law, four types of passport documents can be distinguished: passport, temporary passport, diplomatic passport, and service passport of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The passport is the most common of the passport documents provided by the law. It is valid for 10 years from the date of its issuance, while a passport issued to a minor under the age of 13 is valid for only 5 years.

A special passport document is a temporary passport. It has a significantly reduced validity period compared to a passport. It is valid for the period indicated therein, but no longer than 12 months from the date of issue. Temporary passport is issued in cases specified by law.

As a rule, passports and temporary passports in Poland are issued by the Voivode, and abroad by the Consul. As a rule, a fee is charged for the issuance of a Polish passport and a temporary passport.

Those entitled to receive a diplomatic passport include the President of the Republic of Poland, the Speaker and Deputy Speakers of the Sejm, the Speaker and Deputy Speakers of the Senate, the President and Deputy Presidents of the Council of Ministers, ministers, secretaries, and undersecretaries of state, deputies and senators, members of the European Parliament elected in Poland, the President, Deputy President and judges of the Constitutional Tribunal and others.

Family members of most of the above-mentioned eligible persons are also eligible to receive diplomatic passports. As a rule, a diplomatic passport can be used only in the performance of professional duties.

Polish passport documents are in the form of a booklet. Their form is regulated in detail in the Decree of the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration of 16.08.2010 on Passport Documents.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the restoration of independence, Polish passports with a personalization page with a revised design and made of rigid polycarbonate, measuring 85×125 and 0.8 mm thick, were introduced in November 2018. On the photo of the holder was added, in the form of a wave, the PESEL number. In addition, a thumbnail of the photo, RFID chip, and biometric passport symbol were placed. The date of birth and PESEL number on the photo are made in relief print. 

At the bottom of the passport page with personal data, the owner’s data is repeated in computer-readable form, which speeds up processing at border points. This record consists of two lines of 44 characters each printed in OCR-B typeface. In addition, the data is supplemented with a check digit for each digital field and a check digit at the end covering most of the data from the previous fields. The surname and first name in this record do not contain Polish diacritics and are not included in the calculation of the final check digit.

It should be mentioned that the issuance of a passport document to a minor requires the written consent of both parents, unless by court decision one of the parents has been deprived of parental authority or this authority has been limited. If the positions of the parents are incompatible or it is impossible to obtain the consent of one of them, the consent for the issuance of a Polish passport is replaced by a family court ruling.

]]> Polish Armed Forces in the East. Anders Army and how it impacted Polish citizens https://fivetoeurope.com/2022/03/01/anders-army/ Tue, 01 Mar 2022 16:07:00 +0000 https://fivetoeurope.com/?p=988914

You could say that the difference between citizenship and nationality is an invention of philosophers. It caused an extremely important political dispute in 1941, impacting the fate of many Poles, who after the outbreak of World War II were sent to prisoner-of-war camps in the east.

How did General Anders Army save Polish POWs?

General Anders Army had a chance to save tens of thousands of Polish citizens with the consent of the USSR, which was just invaded by Germany. However, the USSR authorities tried to limit the recruitment to the Anders Army only to people holding Polish citizenship, depriving the Poles of Ukrainian, Byelorussian, and Jewish nationality of their salvation.

The General Anders Army’s conscription committees disregarded the Soviet authorities and accepted Polish citizens regardless of their nationality. Many families were rescued by these actions and the Anders Army also took care of Polish women and children, including orphans.

Tens of thousands of people walked the so-called Trail of Hope, through Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Egypt, and Italy to fight shoulder-to-shoulder with Allied forces.

Eventually many Polish soldiers ended up in the United Kingdom where they settled down, had families, and lived all over the UK. Maybe your father or grandfather was one of them?

If you are still not sure of the origin of your ancestors and do not know whether you have a chance to apply for Polish citizenship, please contact us. We will help you with the necessary formalities so you can enjoy having your Polish passport.

]]> On the trail of refugee camps to Great Britain https://fivetoeurope.com/2022/01/27/on-the-trail-of-refugee-camps-to-uk/ Thu, 27 Jan 2022 22:33:00 +0000 https://fivetoeurope.com/?p=989347

On the trail of refugee camps to Great Britain

During World War II, several hundred thousand Poles were deported into far away Russian territory. Russia occupied the eastern part of Poland and imprisoned many people. After the Sikorski-Majski Agreement was signed in July 1941, many Polish citizens were released from the camps in Siberia and Kazakhstan. Poles began their journey towards the places where the Polish Army was formed under the command of General Wladyslaw Anders. 

Evacuation of Polish refugees to Iran

Polish citizens were evacuated to Iran in 1942. The main route led through Turkmenistan to the camp in Iran, and further on to camps in Tehran. In total, more than 116 000 people arrived in Iran, including about 40 000 civilians. Among the evacuees were nearly 18 000 children.

Poles could not stay in Iran for long. The Polish government could only count on the help of the British in finding shelter for the Polish citizens. The British government agreed to evacuate the Polish population from Iran and created a plan for the location of settlements for Polish refugees across UK territories. Polish civils were transported by the sea to transit camps in British India and from there to India, Africa, Mexico, and New Zealand. 

Journey of Polish refugees to Africa

The largest group of people went from Iran to Africa. The first transport of 1400 Polish refugees from Russia reached the port of Tanga in August 1942. 

The second shipment arrived at the port of Mombasa in September. The next groups that arrived were directed to Tengeru, Kondoa, Ifunda, and Kidugala. At the end of 1944, there were a total of 13,364 people holding Polish citizenship  in three countries of East Africa. 

Polish settlements and living conditions in Africa

The largest Polish settlement in Tengeru had 947 houses. The housing estate in Kondoa had 20 clay barracks. The Poles living in the Ifunga housing estate had the best housing conditions – 780 people lived in 100 brick houses. About 800 Poles lived in the settlement in Kidugala. Each such housing estate was managed by a commandant. The camp director assisted him in carrying out his duties. Additional functions were appointed in the field of education, pastoral care, health care, culture, and work. Residents formed the so-called council of residents. Polish citizens have become very well organized. They opened schools, conducted cultural and sports activities, ran their own farms and developed the Polish press.

Polish citizens in Africa after the World War II

Towards the end of the war, Eastern Poland was handed over to the regime of Soviet Russia and Stalin. For many Polish abroad this meant their return to Poland was impossible, or they did not want to go back as it was dominated by communist rule. Only approx. 20% of Polish refugees from Africa, decided to return. On August 1, 1946, the financial responsibility for the maintenance of Polish settlements was taken over by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and later by the International Refugees Organization. The maintenance costs of these estates were very high, therefore some of them were closed, leaving only the Polish estates in Tengeru and Koja. In November 1947, the action of the reunification of military families began, thanks to which about 9,500 people left for England. The remaining people decided to emigrate to the United States, Argentina, Canada, France, and Australia. Few remained in Africa. The estates in Koja and Tengeru ended their activity only in 1952.

]]> Poland’s borders after World War II https://fivetoeurope.com/2021/12/10/polands-border-after-world-war-ii/ Fri, 10 Dec 2021 08:34:00 +0000 https://fivetoeurope.com/?p=989691

The establishment of the borders of the Polish state after World War II and the consequent shape of the country can without much exaggeration be called an unprecedented event in the modern history of Europe. As a result of the agreements of the so-called Big Three in the summer of 1945, the territory of Poland was shifted by about one third to the west. Fixing the eastern border of the country on the so-called Curzon line meant leaving about 48% of interwar Poland behind. In return, the western territories bordering on the Neisse and the Oder were incorporated into Poland, as well as the Free City of Gdańsk and the western coastal cities reaching as far as Świnoujście. Minor adjustments to the borders still took place at the beginning of the 1950s, however, in the end Poland reduced its territory by 70,000 square kilometres, i.e. by around 20% compared to its area in the interwar period.

Consequences of a border change – what you should know?​

The consequences of this shift in the borders can be considered on many levels: economic, political, and above all, social. The forced migrations affected millions of people: at least 9 million people of German nationality were displaced from their homes in Poland and Czechoslovakia, around 3 million people decided to repatriate from the eastern territories, which, until a few years ago, had been part of the Second Polish Republic. Consequently, it was the people from the borderlands who settled in the abandoned German houses. For example, Poles from Lwów, among others, arrived in Breslau, now called Wrocław, which belonged to Germany until 1945, and brought not only their possessions with them but also a university, a mayor, and a national museum. In turn, the German homes of Warmia and Mazury were forcibly settled by the Poles from south-eastern Poland, mainly of Ukrainian and Lemko nationality.Polish Citizenship application – why do legal changes matter?

What is important in the context of these events, are the accompanying political decisions, which were reflected in the legal sphere: in international agreements (conventions), normative acts of state bodies, and individual administrative decisions, which had to regulate the citizenship status of these millions of people on the move. The knowledge of the complex legal context of the post-war years, including the specificity of the documents produced basen on the legal regulations in force at that time, is essential for the search and determination of citizenship of people who emigrated from Poland during the Second World War.

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