Ways of acquiring Polish citizenship - Ministry of the Interior and Administration

The issues related to the acquisition and loss of Polish citizenship are governed by the Polish Citizenship Act of April 2, 2009 (Journal of Laws of 2012, item 161).

As of 15 May, 2012, the provisions of Chapter 5 of the Polish Citizenship Act of 2 April, 2009 (Journal of Laws of 2012, item 161) came into force, governing the procedure in the cases of Polish citizenship restoration, along with the implementing rules set forth in the Ordinance of the Minister of Interior, issued in agreement with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, of 8 May, 2012, on the specimen application form for restoration of Polish citizenship and a photograph to be enclosed to the application (Journal of Laws of 2012, item 501).

The loss of Polish citizenship is governed by Article 34 section 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland. In the Constitution, it is provided that a Polish citizen shall not lose Polish citizenship except by renunciation thereof. According to Article 46 of the Act, a Polish citizen loses Polish citizenship at his/her request, after the President of the Republic of Poland has granted consent to renounce his/her Polish citizenship.

Under Article 55 Section 1 of the Act, a decision on the confirmation of Polish citizenship or its loss shall be issued to the interested party or to an entity with a proven legal interest or obliged to receive the decision, by a Voivode competent for the place of residence or the last place of residence on the territory of the Republic of Poland of the interested party; should this ground be lacking, the decision is issued by the Masovian Voivode. A decision by a Voivode may be appealed to the Minister of Interior.