Each country independently determines the rules for acquiring and losing its citizenship. In Poland, the regulations are contained in the Polish Citizenship Act.
As a rule, Poland follows the law of blood, which means that Polish citizenship is acquired by a child born of Polish parents (when at least one parent has Polish citizenship), regardless of the place of birth, as well as a child adopted by a Polish citizen, if the full adoption took place before the child turned 16.
There is no land rule in Poland, which means that children of foreigners (when neither parent has Polish citizenship) born in Poland do not acquire Polish citizenship by operation of law. However, there is an exception to this rule – Polish citizenship is acquired by operation of law by a child born or found in Poland, both of whose parents are unknown or whose citizenship is unknown or they have no citizenship.
Polish citizenship can be obtained:
- By operation of law
- By granting Polish citizenship
- Through recognition as a Polish citizen
- By restoration of Polish citizenship
A Polish citizen who simultaneously has citizenship in another country has the same rights and obligations as a person who only has Polish citizenship.
Granting Polish citizenship to parents, recognising them as Polish citizens and granting a consent to renounce Polish citizenship covers a minor under their parental authority. If the indicated changes in citizenship affect only one of the parents, they cover the child if that parent has sole parental authority or if the other parent consents to the minor’s acquisition/loss of Polish citizenship. If the case involves a child who has reached the age of 16, then the minor’s consent to the acquisition/loss of Polish citizenship is required.
All declarations, applications, and documents submitted in matters of citizenship drawn up in a foreign language shall be submitted with a translation into Polish made or certified by a sworn translator or by a consul, unless an international agreement to which the Republic of Poland is a party provides otherwise.
Information current as of: .
The editorial staff of the portal makes every effort to ensure that the content presented complies with the law, is up-to-date (as of the date of publication, indicated on each subpage) and is useful to users. We note that the content published on the website is for informational purposes only and presents the essence of the issues raised in a general manner. They do not constitute advice or legal opinions in individual cases and should not be the sole basis for decisions on the resolution of specific legal problems. Individual legal advice should be sought from qualified professionals.