Polish citizenship by descent is undoubtedly the easiest way to obtain an EU passport, but not the only one. Suppose you have already done the Polish citizenship test or selected NO when asked about polish roots. You are sure you cannot obtain Polish citizenship by descent. In that case, there are still options for you. Are you curious about how to get a Polish passport? You could be either recognized as a Polish citizen or have the citizenship granted by the President of Poland.
Option One – Acknowledgement of Polish Citizenship
The first option is the legal procedure called an acknowledgement of Polish citizenship. With this method, you can be recognized as a Polish citizen after a continuous permanent stay in Poland. Your stay in the country has to be uninterrupted, but that doesn’t mean you are not allowed to leave at all. There are just some limitations. In some cases, it has to be at least four years. In others, seven years of living in Poland. Your stay has to be registered based on a permanent residence permit or a long-term EU resident permit when applying for citizenship. You would also have to have a regular income and legal title to the place you are staying at. There is also a language requirement – you have to pass the official Polish language exam (both written and oral).
With these conditions met, the application is placed to the Provincial Office, just like in the case of obtaining citizenship by descent method. You would need different documents confirming that the conditions described above are met. Suppose you live in Poland or would like to live here for some time. In that case, this opportunity to secure your Polish citizenship and EU passport is perfect for you.
Option two – Granting Polish citizenship
The other method is granting Polish citizenship. It comes from the Presidential privilege to give citizenship to anyone, guaranteed by the constitution of Poland. No conditions or requirements from other methods described have to be met. As many applicants wrote letters to the President asking for citizenship, it also became more formalized over time. The requests are filled in person or by mail, via the Provincial Office (if the foreigner lives legally in Poland) or the Consuls (living abroad). If you wish to attach the documents, not in Polish, they must be sworn translations.
The catch is waiting time. If refused, you cannot appeal the decision (but can retry later without any issues). Currently, the waiting time is about two years, and most applications are refused. In our experience, only 10% are accepted and mainly because of one’s contribution to Polish culture, science, economy, sport, etc. If you are proud of your achievements, working for the Polish NGOs in their country of living or have any other experience helping the Polish community abroad. In that case, this procedure might fit the purpose.
When it comes to other ways of acquiring Polish citizenship, the situation is also bright. You can include your minor children in both procedures we have described: acknowledgement of Polish citizenship and granting Polish citizenship by the President. The only limitation is that the other parent has to agree to it officially. You cannot get Polish citizenship for your child when your wife or husband doesn’t want to. But, once your application is accepted, you can start enjoying all the benefits with your kids.
Polish citizenship by marriage
What about the spouse? Is it possible to get Polish citizenship by marriage? According to the Polish citizenship law, being married to a Polish citizen is not a sufficient basis to obtain Polish Citizenship. Spouses of Polish citizens have the right to live in each EU country together with their Polish husband or wife with no special permits required. Usually, they also have free access to the local job market. If you already have or plan to get Polish citizenship and live in Poland, your spouse will benefit. Even if they can’t get the Polish passport straight away, it’s possible to have it in a 4-5 years perspective. For those who like looking to the future – the attractive options are just in front of you.