Polish citizenship is a status that gives you access to national rights and privileges on the territory of the country, it is granted on the grounds listed in the local law “Ustawa o obywatelstwie polskim” from 02.04.2009. After obtaining a Polish passport you additionally become a citizen of the European Union, which provides freedom of movement around the world, official employment, simplified business and preferential education within the borders of the EU.

The passport of the Republic of Poland is your identity card as a citizen, which ranks 4th in the world power ranking. Its issuance is regulated by the national law “Ustawa o dokumentach paszportowych” of January 27, 2007. With this document you can travel without a visa to popular destinations in Europe, North America and Asia, as well as reside in any of the EU states on a permanent basis with access to general civil rights and opportunities.

In some EU countries, such as Romania, Bulgaria and Slovenia, you can obtain a passport under simplified programs. It gives you the same rights as a Polish document, including visa-free travel to more than 160 countries and the ability to immigrate anywhere in the EU. Sign up for a free legal consultation for more information.

How to obtain Polish citizenship

Polish law provides for several ways of obtaining citizenship, such as by birth and descent, by granting and restoring status. However, for most adult foreigners there are two options - naturalization (regular or accelerated) and repatriation. In the first case it is necessary to reside in the country for a long time with residence permit and permanent residence permit (usually from 7-8 years in total), to have a stable source of income and a registered place of residence. In the second case, you need to prove your origin, learn the national language and apply for a Pole card.

Article 31 of the law “Ustawa o obywatelstwie polskim” provides for the denial of citizenship to those who pose a threat to the defense, security of the state or public order. Applications are also denied if they fail to meet at least one of the conditions, such as submitting the wrong set of documents or concealing important information about oneself. Cooperation with lawyers, who perform most of the migration tasks themselves for a successful result, helps to prevent this from happening.

Obtaining Polish citizenship by naturalization

Naturalization is the standard way for most foreigners to obtain Polish citizenship. To do this, you have to:

1. Determine the purpose of immigration and obtaining a visa.
   You should compare the pros and cons of different ways to legally move to Poland, choose the best one for you, and then request permission to enter the republic. The application for a Polish visa is submitted to the diplomatic mission in the place of your residence.
2. Move in and apply for a temporary resident card.
   With the visa you arrive in the country, arrange residence permit and health insurance, prepare documents and apply to the Foreigners Service Center in your city. You have to apply in person for a Polish residence permit on the same basis as the entry visa, undergo fingerprinting, have your photo taken and pay the stamp duty.
3. Live with a residence permit for 4-5 years and apply for permanent residence status.
   The Polish residence permit is issued for a maximum of 36 months, and to extend it you must still have a reason to live in the Republic. Then you get a chance to apply for a Polish permanent residence permit or an EU long-term resident card. They are issued to those who have ethnic ties with the Polish people or have been living in the country for 4 years or more for economic purposes (work, business), are self-supporting and own or rent a home in Poland.
4. Reside in Poland for another 3 years and apply for citizenship.
   Naturalization in the general procedure is possible for those who have been living in Poland for at least 3 continuous years with a permanent residence permit or EU long-term resident card, who speak the national language at the B1 level, who demonstrate financial security and law-abiding behavior. The request must be submitted to the local voivode - in person or by mail.

For naturalization, you must first find a legal basis that will give you the right to move to Poland and subsequently apply for residency and citizenship. Below we tell you in detail about the most popular ones.

Work

Poland grants the right of residence to those who come here on a work contract of more than 3 months. Your salary must not be lower than the national minimum wage in your chosen profession. For immigration, you apply for a single residence and work permit. With it you can apply for permanent residence after 4 years of permanent residence in the country, and after another 36 months - to apply for citizenship. It is important all this time to maintain a stable and legal source of income, pay taxes and social contributions.

Business

Those who open a company in Poland or buy shares in an existing company have a chance to naturalize. Your activity must be economically beneficial to the country. For example, you create at least two full-time jobs for citizens of the country. Another option - you prove with documents (business plan) that you will be able to earn at least 12 times the average monthly salary before taxes in the national economy of the chosen voivodeship. It takes at least 8 years from the moment you move to the moment you apply for citizenship.

Study

You can move to Poland to study at a university, academy or other institution on a full-time basis. A student residence permit does not entitle you to naturalization or even permanent residence. In order to obtain citizenship, you will need to subsequently formalize residency on another basis. For example, after graduation, you register a company or get a job in your profession and then apply for a residence permit. Only 50% of the time you spend in the country as a student counts towards the period of residence for subsequent naturalization.

Marriage

Polish spouses are entitled to accelerated naturalization. You can apply for a permanent residence permit 2 years after moving to Poland, provided you have been legally married to a citizen for at least 36 months. You can obtain a passport after another 24 months if you have learned the national language and are able to support yourself. In total, naturalization through marriage takes from 4 years, depending on how long you have been married.

There are also other ways of obtaining Polish citizenship. For example, a passport in an accelerated procedure is issued for refugees, in the usual way - through reunification with relatives. However, in general, the migration policy of the republic is not aimed at attracting foreigners, and allows naturalization only to those who are in the country for economic reasons or because of ethnic/family ties with the locals.

Polish citizenship by repatriation

The Republic supports ethnic Poles who want to return to their homeland in every possible way. In particular, they can move and immediately obtain a local residence permit, and after 12 months they can apply for citizenship.

To start the procedure, you apply for a Pole card - a document that is issued by origin. You need to prove that your family up to and including your great-grandparents were or are citizens of the country, even if they lost their legal status against their will (e.g., as a result of deportation). You also demonstrate integration into society, including knowledge of the national language and culture.

With a Pole card, you apply for a national visa free of charge, and when you arrive in the country, you apply for permanent residence at the Center for Foreigners. You can apply for citizenship after one year if your Polish language level is B1 or higher. There are no requirements for financial security and availability of housing in the country for repatriates.

In other EU countries, repatriates are granted citizenship immediately, without having to move and reside in the country beforehand. You can analyze your chances of participating in one of the simplified EU passport programs with the help of international law specialists.

Advantages of living and working in Poland

The Republic of Poland ranks 37th out of 167 countries studied in The Legatum Prosperity Index. The strengths of the republic include low levels of corruption and crime, loyal conditions for entrepreneurs, developed health care and education systems. The GDP level is regularly growing here and the cost of living is rising, which has a good effect on the incomes of the residents. The country also has a well-developed infrastructure, including established transportation links with all of Europe, and a high index of purchasing power of the population.

Work in Poland

Foreigners need a special permit to work in Poland. The country has enough vacancies in various sectors, including due to the regular outflow of residents, who respond to better-paid positions in Western European countries. The minimum wage in the country is 4,300 PLN in 2024, i.e., about 990 EUR before taxes. The average income of the population, according to statistics, is at the level of 1875 EUR. Specialists with narrow qualifications - doctors, lawyers, managers, engineers, company managers - earn the most.

Polish language

Poland is a mono-ethnic state in which more than 95% of the population speaks the national language. Polish is one of the 24 official languages of the European Union. To naturalize in the republic, you need to learn the national language at least at an average conversational level (B1 according to CERF classification). You should start learning it even before moving to Poland: although locals mostly speak English as an international language, they are not very willing to switch to it in communication.

Individual selection of immigration program

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To ensure a secure move to Poland, it is worth enlisting the support of international law specialists. Specialized lawyers help with finding the best immigration program based on your request. Specialist support at every stage ensures maximum calmness, minimal involvement in the immigration process and confidence in a successful outcome. You can sign up for a free legal consultation today to move and obtain second citizenship in Europe as soon as possible.

About the author

Diana Weber

Lawyer of international law

Diane Weber is an international law specialist with 10 years of legal practice experience. Her portfolio includes successful stories of citizenship in different European Union countries under simplified procedures. Diana provides detailed advice and helps many people to achieve their immigration goals in a short period of time, including resolving visa issues, assisting in obtaining residence permits and citizenship in the EU countries. In her blog, Diana Weber enjoys providing readers with detailed information about the features of most popular programs for obtaining a second passport.