The applicant's obligation

In the application you must present documents and other evidence that you meet the conditions for the Pole's Card (Art. 13 para. 2 of the Pole's Card Act). You also attach a copy of a valid identity document (Art. 14). The application is made on the form from the regulation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Dz.U. 2016 poz. 1382).

Which documents can be evidence

The Act lists examples of documents (Art. 13 para. 3):

  • Polish identity documents,
  • civil status records or copies of them, baptism certificates, school certificates or other documents confirming a connection with Polishness,
  • documents on service in Polish military formations,
  • documents on deportation or imprisonment with an entry on Polish origin and documents on the rehabilitation of a deported person with such an entry,
  • foreign identity documents with information on Polish nationality,
  • a certificate from a Polish or Polonia organisation on active involvement in work for the Polish language and culture,
  • a final decision establishing Polish origin issued under the Repatriation Act,
  • the Pole's Card of a parent or one of the grandparents.

The certificate can only be issued by an organisation on the list announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Monitor Polski (Art. 13 para. 4).

Documents on knowledge of the language

You can show your knowledge of Polish with a certificate of proficiency in Polish, a certificate of completion of a school or studies in Poland or a certificate from a school abroad with Polish as the language of instruction (Art. 13 para. 7). If you do not have such a document, the consul or voivode will assess your Polish during an interview - see the Pole's Card interview.

Costs

Accepting and examining the application and issuing the decision are free of charge, including consular fees (Art. 12 para. 3). Costs of obtaining documents from archives and of their translations may be on your side - we do not provide translations.

The consul or voivode may grant the card to a person with special merit for Poland without these documents (Art. 13 para. 6).