Polish citizenship is usually the final stop of a long legalization journey. There is no shortcut: no amount of money spent on a company registration buys you a Polish passport. Below we lay out the two real legal routes, plus repatriation, and the exact fees and conditions that apply in 2026.

Two paths: “nadanie” and “uznanie”

The Act of April 2, 2009 on Polish Citizenship (consolidated text, Journal of Laws 2012, item 161) provides several ways to acquire Polish citizenship: by birth, through repatriation, through “nadanie obywatelstwa polskiego” (grant by the President) and through “uznanie za obywatela polskiego” (recognition, decided by a voivode). These are fundamentally different procedures with different logic.

Owning a company in Poland does not, by itself, give you any guaranteed grounds for citizenship. This is still one of the most common myths sold to prospective immigrants: a company is a tool for running a business and legalizing your stay, not a fast track to a passport.

Nadanie: grant of citizenship by the President

The first route is a fully discretionary decision of the President of Poland. The law sets no mandatory conditions: no residence period, no income test, no language requirement. The President may grant citizenship to any foreign national considered a suitable case (typically for outstanding merit, sporting achievements, contributions to culture, and similar reasons).

Three features are worth knowing:

  • the application is filed through a consulate (if you live abroad) or through a voivodeship office (if you already live in Poland);
  • the President’s decision has no statutory deadline and cannot be appealed;
  • the consular fee for filing abroad is around USD 529; there is no separate stamp duty for the presidential decision itself.

If a recognition (uznanie) or restoration procedure is already pending when you file for a presidential grant, that other procedure is automatically discontinued.

Uznanie: recognition as a citizen (the main route)

This is the structured, rule-based procedure used by the vast majority of immigrants. The decision is made by the voivode for your place of residence under Article 30 of the Citizenship Act (in the version in force since August 1, 2025).

The standard variant requires all of the following, met at the same time:

  • at least 3 years of continuous, legal residence in Poland on the basis of an EU long-term resident permit or a permanent residence permit (pobyt stały);
  • a stable and regular income sufficient to support yourself (and your family), evidenced by an employment contract, tax returns, and certificates confirming no arrears;
  • a legal title to housing in Poland (ownership, lease, or loan-for-use agreement);
  • a certificate confirming Polish language proficiency at level B1 or higher.

There are several shorter variants of the same “uznanie” procedure:

  • 2 years of residence on permanent/EU long-term status + 3 years of marriage to a Polish citizen;
  • 2 years: for stateless persons and refugees with permanent residence;
  • 1 year: if permanent residence was granted on the basis of Polish origin or a Pole’s Card (Karta Polaka);
  • 10 years: a “safety-net” route for long-term residents who don’t fit any of the other categories.

Continuity of residence is assessed under Article 195(4) of the Act on Foreigners: short trips don’t break the count, but you should be ready to document your travel history. Minor children are recognized together with a parent without having to meet the income, housing or language conditions themselves.

The voivode has 6 months to issue a decision. If refused, you have 14 days to appeal to the Minister of Internal Affairs, and 30 more days to file a complaint with an administrative court.

Repatriation as a separate path

Repatriation is governed by a separate Act on Repatriation of November 9, 2000, and is reserved for people of Polish origin who were deported or exiled under Soviet rule from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, the Asian part of Russia and several other former Soviet republics. Unlike the two routes above, citizenship here is acquired automatically, by operation of law, the moment you cross the Polish border on a national repatriation visa: no separate administrative decision is needed.

To get that visa, you must prove Polish origin (at least one parent or two grandparents were Polish, plus a demonstrated connection to Polish culture and traditions), the fact of deportation/exile on national grounds, and arranged settlement conditions in Poland (housing plus at least 12 months of secured income or a job offer).

The B1 Polish language requirement

The language requirement hasn’t changed: you need a certificate from the State Commission for Certification of Proficiency in Polish as a Foreign Language (certyfikatpolski.pl) at level B1 or higher, or a diploma from a school/university where instruction was conducted in Polish. Minors are exempt. The certificate typically costs around EUR 150-180, depending on the exam center, and exam center fees can change over time.

Do you have to give up your other citizenship?

No. Neither recognition (uznanie), nor a presidential grant (nadanie), nor repatriation requires renouncing your existing citizenship. Poland allows multiple citizenship: Article 34(2) of the Constitution explicitly guarantees that a Polish citizen cannot lose Polish citizenship except by their own request to renounce it. The current Citizenship Act contains no exception obliging a new citizen to give up another passport: we found no confirmed situation under current Polish law where renunciation is mandatory. The reverse scenario (a foreign country requiring you to renounce Polish citizenship when you naturalize there) is governed exclusively by that other country’s law: Poland has no influence over it.

Documents, timelines and fees

For the “uznanie” procedure, you’ll typically need:

  • an application on the official form (available from the relevant voivodeship office);
  • a photo, a copy of your residence card, and a copy of your travel document;
  • a Polish birth certificate (original or an extract from the civil registry office, valid for 3 months): if the original was never registered (“umiejscowiony”) in the Polish civil records, you’ll need to do that first;
  • a copy of the decision granting your EU long-term resident or permanent residence status;
  • proof of payment of the stamp duty.

The stamp duty for a recognition decision has been PLN 1,000 since August 1, 2025 (previously PLN 219: that older figure is now completely out of date). There is a separate PLN 17 fee for a power of attorney, if the application is filed by a representative who is not a close family member. For comparison: filing for a presidential grant through a consulate costs around USD 529, and renouncing Polish citizenship costs PLN 1,669 in Poland or EUR 360 through a consulate.

FAQ

Can I hold Polish citizenship alongside my home country’s citizenship?
Yes, as long as your home country’s law allows it. Poland itself imposes no restriction.

Does owning a company speed up the citizenship process?
No. A company can give you grounds to legalize your stay (a visa, a residence card), but it does not shorten the required 3/5/10-year periods, nor does it replace any of the Article 30 conditions.

Bibliography and Legal Basis

  • Act of April 2, 2009 on Polish Citizenship (consolidated text, Journal of Laws 2012, item 161), Art. 30 (uznanie) and the chapter on nadanie.
  • Act of November 9, 2000 on Repatriation.
  • Constitution of the Republic of Poland, Art. 34.

Want to figure out which path to citizenship actually fits your situation? Book a free consultation with our team.

Author: MojaFirma team.

*This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every situation depends on the specific documents and individual circumstances. If something about your own situation isn’t quite clear, feel free to book a free consultation with our team.*