What granting means
The President of the Republic of Poland may grant Polish citizenship to a foreigner (Art. 18 of the Act on Polish Citizenship). The Act does not set conditions such as length of residence or language - the decision belongs to the President.
In cases of granting, the Code of Administrative Procedure and the rules on administrative courts do not apply (Art. 10 para. 1). The Act therefore provides neither an appeal nor a deadline for examining the application.
How to apply
- You submit the application through a voivode or consul, in person or by post with an officially certified signature (Art. 21 para. 1).
- The application contains, among other things, your data, information on ancestors with Polish citizenship, sources of income, professional achievements, social activity, knowledge of Polish and a justification (Art. 20 para. 1).
- You attach documents confirming this information and photographs (Art. 20 para. 4). Documents in a foreign language - with a sworn translation or one certified by a consul (Art. 12).
- You have 30 days from the summons to remove defects; otherwise the application will be left unexamined (Art. 21 para. 2).
Fee
The stamp duty for the voivode accepting the application is 1 669 PLN. A Pole's Card holder applying through a consul does not pay consular fees for its acceptance (Art. 5a of the Pole's Card Act).
What happens next
The voivode or consul forwards the application with their opinion through the minister of the interior to the President (Art. 21 para. 3). The President grants citizenship or refuses in the form of a decision (postanowienie) (Art. 25). You acquire citizenship on the day the decision on granting is issued (Art. 26).
Note: submitting an application for granting discontinues pending proceedings for recognition as a Polish citizen (Art. 23). If you meet the conditions for recognition, first see recognition as a Polish citizen.