If you have Polish ancestry, you may be able to apply for Polish citizenship by descent. This will officially recognize your heritage and roots, as well as grant you legal status as a Polish citizen and the benefits that come with it.
In this article, we will explore the key steps in applying, where the significant expenses lie. No two cases are the same, but this will give you a general understanding of the cost of Polish citizenship applications and what to expect.
We will also answer some common questions regarding Polish citizen status for your family members, the associated costs, and if you can also apply for Polish passports as well.
The process for Polish citizenship by descent
In short, we can determine the cost of Polish citizenship applications by understanding the steps in the process:
- Confirming your eligibility: This is a simple step to ensure you meet the basic criteria for Polish citizenship by descent. You can take our free quiz to quickly achieve this.
- Finding necessary documents: You will need official documents confirming your blood relations up to your original Polish ancestor, including every direct relation in between.
- Applying for Polish citizenship: Once you have your documents, you can fill out the relevant application form, pay the associated fee and wait for confirmation.
These last two steps make up the primary cost of Polish citizenship applications. Other than this, you can consider additional support and help. This is an extra expense, but it certainly helps save your time and provide a stress-free approach to managing governmental procedures.
In regards to this last part, it’s important to note that your Polish citizenship application must be in Polish. Whilst you do not need to pass a Polish language test to receive citizenship, this part is unavoidable. For this reason, we recommend expert help to ensure your application is as successful as possible.
Birth and marriage certificates
For every ancestor required, you will need to show birth records, confirming their relation to you. Marriage certificates are also often necessary, especially when someone changes their name.
Divorce and death certificates
While not strictly necessary, divorce and death records can also prove useful. They show when someone may have changed their name following a divorce, or simply provide more information to help your application.
ID
Where possible, official identification, such as passports or other state-issued ID, can also help in the process. These can help show foreign citizenship and otherwise fill in the gaps between the previous documents.
You will, of course, also need to provide your own valid identification.
Documentation Costs
There are many costs associated with documents, which can often vary depending on the specific nature of your case.
These include:
- Finding missing documents: In some instances, it may become necessary to
Contact Polish government bodies to obtain documents from local records. You may have to pay administrative fees. - Sworn translations: If the documents are not originally in either English or Polish, they must be translated. You will need a sworn translator, which is a specialist certified and recognized by the Polish government. Finding such a person, arranging to meet with them and getting the translation is a process in its own right, and translating each document can be a complicated process.
Thankfully, many documents will not need to be translated. For instance, if your Polish ancestor was born in the country, then they have a Polish birth certificate that is already valid.
However, larger costs may stem from simply finding the documents confirming your lineage. In these cases, there may be additional administrative fees, alongside additional translation.
For these reasons, we offer our services to aid you. We understand the legal procedures here in Poland so, from speaking with local bodies to uncover records on your behalf, to aiding in sworn translations, we streamline the process and manage many of the more challenging aspects. Because we provide an all-in-one service to cover all your needs in this area, we remove the hurdles and headaches that this part of the process can cause.
Application Fee
Finally, there is a specific application cost for Polish citizenship. The Polish government sets this fee at around 360 EUR, as of the time of writing, with local consulates accepting this payment in local currencies.
Finally, there is the actual application for Polish citizenship itself. For the best results, expert help will be necessary and who you choose to help you will determine a great deal. The application needs to be done in Polish, with full documentation and correct information.
If you’ve got experts helping you with gathering records, our advice is to use their support here, too. That’s why we offer a comprehensive service, as collecting documents on your behalf means we already know many of the important details necessary for a successful application.
Possible additional costs
The costs we have described are based around one Polish citizenship application, yet we understand that this is often part of a wider goal. To that end, we’ve gathered some additional information on other costs and services that are frequently connected to Polish citizenship by descent.
Other family members
The cost of Polish citizenship is determined per person so, if you have siblings or children that are also eligible, they also need to apply. This means an additional application fee of 360 EUR.
On the other hand, you can save money in other areas if you plan ahead. For example, the same documents will serve multiple applications. In addition to streamlining your sworn translations, we also offer a family discount with this in mind.
Polish citizenship confirmation
When you successfully apply for Polish citizenship, you will receive official confirmation of your new status. However, if you lose this or need it again, this is not free. It costs around 89 USD or 70 GBP, as of writing, and is applied for through your local consulate.
Applying for a Polish passport
Once you have your Polish citizenship confirmed, you are also able to apply for a Polish passport. This has its own application process and, more importantly, its own fees. As of writing, applying for a Polish passport through your consulate office costs around 122 USD or 96 GBP.
Please note that applying for a Polish passport requires a citizenship certificate, as well as sworn Polish translations of your birth certificate. If you do not have these from your Polish citizenship application, these are additional costs that will need to be considered when requesting a Polish passport.
Finding your Polish consulate
To apply for Polish citizenship, you will need to contact your consulate. This information is readily available online, but here are some of the most common. Note that most countries are split into more than one consular region, so you will need the respective office for your place of residence.
- United States of America: There are five consulates, located in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York and Washington.
- Canada: There are four consulates, located in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver.
- United Kingdom: There are four consulates, located in Belfast, Edinburgh, London and Manchester. Note that Welsh citizens should apply through the Manchester consulate.
- Australia: There are two consulates in Australia, one serving the Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory, and one serving the rest of the country in Sydney.
- Argentina: There is one consulate, located within the Polish embassy in Buenos Aires.
- South Africa: There is one consulate, located within the Polish embassy in Pretoria.
Are you by any chance of Polish origin? Find out if you are eligible for EU citizenship by taking the test below: