If you and your family are of Polish descent, you may be able to gain Polish citizenship by descent. This process not only recognizes your Polish roots and cultural heritage, it also gains you a number of key, life-changing benefits.
What’s more, many of these benefits apply to your entire family, although there are some distinct differences between benefits for Polish citizens and those that do not have direct Polish citizenship by descent, such as your wife or husband.
In this guide, we will explore how the added benefit of a Polish nationality can improve your life options, how having dual citizenship can benefit your family members and how to get started with gaining Polish citizenship and even a Polish passport.
Who qualifies for Polish citizenship?
Polish citizenship can be granted in numerous ways, outside of being born in Poland as a Polish citizen directly. There are regulations for obtaining Polish citizenship through naturalization or through marriage to a Polish citizen, both of which require the applicant in question to live in Poland and speak Polish.
However, Polish citizenship by descent has much less stringent requirements. it does not require you to speak Polish or live in the country. The requirements are that you have a recognized descendent born in Poland, who lived there for sometime after November 11th, 1918, and never renounced or lost their own Polish citizenship.
If such a person exists in your ancestry, then Poland supports Polish citizenship for descendents of that person. This is the most suitable way to obtain Polish citizenship, and we’ll be referring to this process throughout.
Obtaining Polish citizenship for children
If you are applicable for Polish citizenship, then so too are any direct descendents. They can apply through the same process, often using many of the same documents. Because of this, it’s best to apply for Polish citizenship all at once, to streamline the process.
Obtaining Polish citizenship for your wife or husband
Generally, Polish citizenship is not available for legal spouses, unless they also have one or more Polish ancestors meeting the aforementioned requirements. As we’ll explain in this guide, however, they can still benefit from your status as a Polish citizen.
Freedom of movement within the EU
If you acquire Polish citizenship, you also effectively have EU citizenship. This gives you the right to freedom of movement, which enables you to work, live and travel throughout EU countries. These rights only apply to citizens with passports – in this case Polish citizens with Polish passports – but other family members, such as your wife or husband, can also benefit from some of the same benefits, which we’ll explore here.
It’s also worth nothing that the Schengen area does not cover all of the EU. Within the Schengen, travel is generally easier, but there is no guarantee that you won’t be asked for ID. Countries also have the rights to temporarily erect border controls, if necessary. As such, a valid passport is highly recommended.
To travel
If your family wishes to travel to an EU country, everyone with a Polish passport is completely free to do so. Your children, as your dependents, automatically gain your right of access in these cases.
When it comes to your spouse, they still gain special privileges. As your married partner, they are able to stay with you for up to 90 days within the EU. This requires a visa, applied through your local consulate, depending on your country of origin. You can find a list of such countries here.
However, if your family is traveling to Poland, as a Polish citizen, then local rules set by Polish authorities supersede EU regulations. Fortunately, Poland’s rules for entry are very similar to those of the European Union.
For example: If you have a family, and you obtain Polish citizenship by descent, you are free to enter the EU to travel. Your children, so long as they are your dependents, can do the same, but descendents over 18 years old should have their own Polish citizenship confirmed. Your married partner, however, will need a valid passport to enter, and is free to enter for 90 days with you. If you are coming from somewhere like the United States, for example, then you have visa free access.
To live
In general, Polish citizens can live in any EU country they choose, similar to traveling, but each EU country has individual rights here. This includes the right to expel residents after six months if they have not gained employment in the country, as well as certain requirements to register official residence in the country. You can find more details about specific requirements here.
Similar to travel, this also applies to your children automatically. For your spouse, they can stay with you so long as you have sufficient income. In other words, if you are working, or earning a pension, then your wife or husband can live with you.
For example: As a Polish citizen, you decide to move to another country. If, after three months, you are working in the country, your partner can stay with you.
To work
If you and your children have citizenship status, then you have the right to work in an EU country. Your married partner, similarly, can work. Because he or she is not an EU citizen, they will typically need to register their residence in the country. This is a key requirement that will be asked for when seeking employment.
For example: You move to a new EU country with your family. You can apply for work as an EU citizen, while your partner needs to register in the country to obtain confirmation of their status.
Applying for a Polish passport
The most obvious benefit of Polish citizenship is that you can also apply for a Polish passport. As mentioned already, this document is necessary when traveling in the EU, but also provides visa-free access to around 155 additional countries, as of writing.
If you are traveling outside of the EU, then all your family members will need passports. Your spouse can not travel under your Polish citizenship, and the exact requirements for entry will depend on the country in question.
Free Healthcare
When traveling, European citizens can get access to free healthcare from the country they are in. If you are registered and living in an EU country, then you can achieve this by applying for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which essentially covers your basic medical needs while abroad.
What about other family members?
In this guide, we’re specifically referring to your immediate family, but it’s important to note that other people in your family tree may also benefit. For example, if you have siblings, or even cousins, that are also descended from Polish ancestors, then they too can benefit. However, for the purposes of traveling, living and working in the EU, regulations only apply to immediate family members.
Therefore, when researching your family history, you can inform applicable relatives of these benefits. This can aid all of you in finding the required supporting documents, saving time with a sworn translator and other steps before being granted Polish citizenship and gaining dual citizenship.
How to obtain Polish citizenship for descendants
To gain these benefits, you first need to apply for citizenship by descent. This is the process of proving your connection to one or more Polish ancestors meeting the aforementioned requirements.
The Polish government considers all people who meet this criteria as Polish from birth, so this process is not a direct application. More so, it is providing the necessary documents to prove your Polish heritage and officially recognize your birthright.
To do this, you need to gather key documents, such as your birth certificate and those of your ancestors. You need all documents, such as birth and marriage certificates, to prove your blood relation. You will also need to translate documents into Polish, if they’re not originally in either Polish or English.
Once your citizenship is confirmed, you can then also apply for a Polish passport. Because both this and the previous citizenship application form have many required documents, it’s best to plan ahead. At Lexmotion, we can also support you in this process, and our family discounts ensure the best process for your entire family. This is important as you will have to make separate applications for your family members, so preparing in advance with us will keep costs to a minimum and cut unnecessary repetitive work.
Are you by any chance of Polish origin? Find out if you are eligible for EU citizenship by taking the test below: