Poland
Polish citizenship by descent
Polish law has no generation limit. If your ancestor held Polish citizenship after 1920 and the line was not broken, you may already be Polish. We do the archive research and the pre-1951 analysis.
Open: no generation limit Last legally reviewed: October 2026
At a glance
- GenerationsNo limit
- Language testNone
- Government feeUSD 118 / GBP 88 / CAD 161 at consulates
- TimelineUp to around 2 years
How Polish citizenship by descent works
- Your ancestor must have been a Polish citizen after 31 January 1920, the date of Poland's first citizenship law.
- We check whether citizenship was lost before 19 January 1951, through naturalization abroad or foreign military service.
- A voivode (provincial governor) in Poland issues the confirmation. You can file through your Polish consulate, which forwards it, or in Poland through a representative with power of attorney.
- Your foreign birth and marriage records are transcribed into Polish registers so you can apply for a passport.
Documents you will need
- Your long-form birth certificate
- Birth and marriage records for each generation back to your Polish ancestor
- Your ancestor's US naturalization records, or proof there were none, to show when (or whether) citizenship was lost
- Your ancestor's Polish documents if available: birth record, passport, ID or military records
Polish authorities require translations by a Polish sworn translator (tłumacz przysięgły), done after the apostille.
Free, 2 minutes
Do you qualify for Polish citizenship?
A preliminary answer based on Polish nationality law. Your Eligibility Report confirms it.
Poland | Question 1 of 4
Who is your closest Polish ancestor?
There is no generation limit in Polish law.
Polish citizenship pricing
One fee for our work, agreed up front. Government fees, apostilles and translations are passed through at cost. Pay 40% at start, 40% at submission and 20% on approval.
Start here
Eligibility Report
A specialist reviews your family tree, checks which records exist and confirms your route, timeline and total cost in writing.
Archive & Eligibility Check
€390
You want certainty before committing. We locate the key records and analyze the 1920-1951 rules for your line.
Is this my route?Citizenship Confirmation
from €2,900
Full service: archive research in Poland and Ukraine, US naturalization records, analysis and filing in Warsaw.
Is this my route?Transcription & Passport
€450
Your citizenship is confirmed. We transcribe your birth and marriage records and prepare the passport application.
Is this my route?How we work
- 1
Check eligibility
Answer a few questions online. A specialist reviews your family tree and confirms your route in a written Eligibility Report.
- 2
We find the records
Our researchers search registers and archives in the old country and order your US, Australian, Canadian or UK records.
- 3
We build the file
Long-form certificates, apostilles in the right order, certified translations, name-spelling corrections and every form, checked twice.
- 4
Submit, track, celebrate
We submit, follow up with the authorities and update your case portal until your passport appointment.
Polish citizenship FAQ
Is there a generation limit?
No. You can claim through a great-grandparent or further back, as long as the ancestor held Polish citizenship after 1920 and it was never lost along the line.
My ancestor became American before 1951. Is that a problem?
Not always. Before 1951, naturalizing abroad often did not cause loss of Polish citizenship for men who were still liable for Polish military service. This is the analysis we specialize in.
Do I need to speak Polish?
No. A confirmation recognizes citizenship you already have, so there is no language test.
Do I have to travel to Poland?
No. The confirmation can be filed by a representative with power of attorney, and passports can be applied for at a Polish consulate.
Next step
Request your Polish Eligibility Report
A citizenship specialist replies within one business day with what we need and a payment link (€249, credited toward your package).
Ancestors from more than one country? Greek citizenship | Irish citizenship