Detailed step-by-step procedure of applying for the confirmation of the possession of Polish citizenship by descent and obtaining a European Polish passport
Step-By-Step Procedure of Confirming Polish Citizenship and Obtaining a Polish European Passport
The procedure of confirming Polish citizenship and obtaining a Polish European passport is quite complex, but we have divided the process into stages below. Stages 1, 2, and 6 are the most important to understand.
Firstly, it is necessary to check whether Polish law provides that a person applying to confirm of Polish citizenship qualifies for its acquisition. In most cases, it is enough to respond to some simple questions, but in some cases it is necessary to carry out a detailed and thorough analysis. Please complete our short ELIGIBILITY CHECK FORM to initially check your qualifications.
2. ARCHIVAL SEARCH: The second most important step is the possession of relevant Polish documents - meaning issued by Polish authorities in Poland after 1920.
The most important issue in all cases for the confirmation of Polish citizenship are Polish documents. Pursuant to the POLISH CITIZENSHIP ACT OF 2011, an application not supported by Polish documents will not be even accepted for processing. This new Polish citizenship law almost completely transfers the burden of proof to the applicant. Read more here: ARCHIVES SEARCH.
After we confirm your eligibility and the possession of relevant Polish documents, we will prepare a step-by-step detailed guide to show you what to expect in terms of timing, costs and procedures.
All foreign documents should be translated into Polish and certified by a Polish Sworn Translator. We translate documents in all languages here in Poland. Documents can be translated by your own translator, but then they must be certified by the Polish Consul. It is much faster, of better quality, and less expensive if the translations are done by us in Poland.
The official 11-page application effective in 2011 should be filed in Polish. We provide this APPLICATION translated into English. Once the application is filed, it must be processed by a Head of Province relevant to the last place of residence in Poland. Direct contact with an inspector who handles the case at the Provincial Office ensures that we are able to closely follow the course of the entire procedure. We are proud of our long-standing excellent relationships, particularly with the MASOVIAN VOIVODA'S OFFICE IN WARSAW and the DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGNERS AT THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS. We can contact them directly to obtain any necessary explanations and advice about specific matters.
To file an application for a Polish European passport after confirming your Polish citizenship, it is necessary to attach the your Polish birth and marriage certificates. In the event that you were born and/or got married outside of Poland, you must submit translated foreign certificates to the Polish Civil Registry Office and obtain Polish vital records. This procedure is called transcription and usually poses no problems or difficulties. It takes 3-4 weeks to process.
Applicants who after emigration officially changed their name(s) in a foreign country must go through the official name change procedure again in Poland. First, however, you need a PESEL number. The name change procedure is not difficult and takes about 2 months to process.
Each Polish citizen and permanent resident in Poland has a Polish Resident Identification Number PESEL. This number is required to receive a Polish passport, a Polish ID, or to open a bank account and perform other acts-in-law essential for Polish citizens. We prepare all documents necessary for the PESEL when submitting a Polish passport application to the consulate in your country of residence. Polish consulate websites sometimes claim that before filing the passport application, you must obtain a PESEL number. In practice, the PESEL is granted via a consulate when the passport application is filed.
10. PASSPORT: A Polish European passport is the ultimate goal of every applicant. We will send you what we call a 'Passport File,' which is perfectly prepared to submit to any Polish Consulate.
The entire process ends with preparing and filing an application for a Polish European passport and attaching all the aforementioned documents. You must personally submit the passport application to the nearest Polish consulate in your country of residence. To file the application, you must make an appointment via the OFFICIAL WEBSITE. If you fail to do so, the consulate may not accept the application. Please review a detailed step-by-step guide here: POLISH EU PASSPORT.
For over 20 years of dealing with Polish citizenship cases, we have developed a very efficient system. Most of the above stages are performed by us concurrently in order to save time and to be sure that upon confirming Polish citizenship, all other documents and applications are also ready. Cases are usually handled within 12 - 36 months but sometimes may take even longer. The overall timing depends on many different factors.