Do you have Polish roots?
No Yes

Get a Polish passport by descent

Check if you qualify with this 5-minute eligibility test
Do you have at least one Polish ancestor?
No Yes

Some of our over 1650 success stories Some of our over 1650 success stories

Who can get a Polish passport?

You qualify if you are in any of these situations:

  • One of your ancestors emigrated from Poland as a Polish citizen. In this case, most probably you are a Polish citizen from the moment of birth — which gives you access to a passport by descent.
  • You’ve been a legal Polish resident with a stable income for a continuous period of at least 3 years
  • You’ve been a legal Polish resident for a continuous period of at least 2 years while being married to a Polish citizen for at least 3 years
  • You’ve been a legal Polish resident for a continuous period of at least 2 years as a refugee
  • You’ve been a legal Polish resident for a continuous period of at least 1 year, granted by your Polish origins or the Polish Card (Karta Polska)
  • You’re under 18 and one of your parents is a Polish citizen — which also qualifies as citizenship by descent.

In every case, you need to successfully confirm your Polish citizenship before being able to apply for a Polish passport.

Does Poland allow dual citizenship?

Polish government and authorities allow you to hold multiple passports, but they will only recognize your Polish citizenship. It means that you’ll have to enter the country using a Polish passport, and you’ll fall under the same rights, obligations as any other Polish citizen.

Although dual citizenship is accepted in Poland, you should check the rules in your current homeland. Countries that allow multiple passports include: USA, UK, Australia, Canada, South Africa, Israel, Argentina, Brasil, Chile and more.

How to get a Polish passport by descent?

You neither have to live and work in Poland, be married to a Polish nor pass the (level B1) language test.

STEP 1

The main requirement is that you’ll have to prove your Polish origins first. Search and collect the necessary documents, like your ancestors' expired Polish ID’s or passports, birth certificates, their marriage or baptism certificates, a change of name certificate etc. If you don’t have these documents you might have to search the national, church or military archives for any missing documents.

STEP 2

Hire a sworn translator to translate any foreign documents into Polish and verify their authenticity. Register your vital records in the right Polish institutions. Fill out the application forms and bring them along with the documents to the proper provincial governor in Poland. Pay the stamp duty and all other fees on time.

STEP 3

Unless Polish authorities contact you regarding any mistakes, confusion or missing documents, just wait and be patient. Once your heritage is confirmed and you get your Polish Citizenship Certificate, you’ll be able to exchange it for your passport.

Sounds time-consuming or intimidating?

Hire Lexmotion to do it for you remotely. Our 5-star teams (as seen in Google Reviews) of experienced genealogists, lawyers and specialists are here to help you go smoothly through the citizenship application process. You don’t have to speak Polish or come to Poland, as everything will be handled for you.

Try our free eligibility test

How to get Polish citizenship without Polish origins

If you’ve already done our eligibility test and you’re sure you cannot claim Polish citizenship by descent — which is hands down the easiest path to the passport — consider these options.

Option 1: An acknowledgement of Polish citizenship

You can be recognized as a Polish citizen after a continuous stay in Poland. Obviously, you’re allowed to leave the country for holidays or business trips — you just have to watch the restrictions.

If you’ve been married to a Polish citizen for at least 3 years, you’ll have to live in the country for at least 2 years to consider this option. You could also be a legal refugee, staying in Poland for at least 2 years. In other cases, you’ll have to live and work in Poland for at least 3 years, while being able to prove a regular income and legal title to the place you are staying in.

At the moment of applying for citizenship, you have to hold either a permanent residence permit or a long-term EU resident permit. The part that’s a deal-breaker to many: you’ll have to pass the official Polish language exam, in written and oral forms.

Option 2: Presidential privilege to grant citizenship

Although in this case, you don’t have to meet any other conditions or requirements (regular income, permanent residency etc.), it’s very rare to be granted citizenship by the President of Poland. Only about 10% of applications are accepted and mainly on the basis of significant contribution to Polish culture, science, economy or sport. If you have a proven record of achievements in our outside of Poland, working individually, with Polish NGOs or communities — this path might be for you.

You’ll have to submit a special request letter to the President of Poland. It’s filled in person or by mail, via a Provincial Office if you already live in Poland — or via a Consul if you live abroad. If you wish to attach the documents that are not in Polish, they have to be sworn translations. The waiting time is usually about 2 years and, as mentioned earlier, there’s a 90% chance of being refused.

Why Lexmotion

Since receiving her law degree, Małgorzata Magierska (née Nowotyńska) has perceived innovation in law firms both as a mindset and an urgent need. She started challenging the status quo wherever she worked not only by simplifying the processes, but also by humanizing them — making sure each client felt heard and taken care of.

Fascinated by the complexities of the citizenship law, she decided to co-found and lead Lexmotion. Today, over a decade later, Małgorzata and her team proudly enrich their client’s life and career opportunities by connecting them to their second passport and EU citizenship. And they do it exactly the way they’ve always wanted: with both expertise and a human approach.

Meet the rest of the Team.

What to expect

Transparent costs

Check out our clear pricing and get a personalized offer as we get to know your case. Not only there are no hidden fees — you can also save money with our family discount.

Results first

The payments are divided into installments — and the final one is due only if we successfully confirm your Polish citizenship. Which, with our 99.2% success rate, is rather likely.

Outsourced red tape

Outsourced red tape

You won’t have to travel, speak Polish or queue in the governmental institutions. Everything will be handled for you remotely by our experienced Team on the ground.

One-stop solution

Lexmotion is your end-to-end service for becoming an EU citizen. From missing documents to registering your vital records — our Team will take care of everything.

Start your process with Lexmotion today

Lexmotion Law Firm of Attorney at Law Małgorzata (Nowotyńska) Magierska

Plac Lasoty 3/1B
30-539 Krakow, Poland

Number of entry in the list
of legal advisors KR-2507
VAT NR: 675-13-17-344
REGON: 123136490

Phone: +48 12 261 16 08
Email: welcome@lexmotion.eu