Restoration of Polish citizenship
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).
Under the rules, a new, so far unknown in the Polish law, institution is created in the area of Polish citizenship acquisition: restoration of Polish citizenship. This institution will allow Polish foreigners who in the past used to have Polish citizenship but lost it, prior to 1 January 1999, pursuant to the indicated provisions of the Act of 20 January, 1920 on Polish State’s citizenship (Journal of Laws No. 7, item 44, as amended), of the Act of 8 January, 1951 on Polish citizenship (Journal of Laws No. 4, item 25) and the Act of 15 February 1962 on Polish citizenship (Journal of Laws of 2000, No. 28, item 353, as amended), to restore it, having fulfilled the conditions set forth in the Polish Citizenship Act. Polish citizenship shall be restored pursuant to an administrative decision by a competent Minister of Interior, issued on the motion of the interested party.
The application for restoration of Polish citizenship should be filed along with:
- documents confirming identity and citizenship;
- documents confirming change of name and surname, if applicable;
- documents confirming the loss of Polish citizenship;
- a photograph of a person stated in the application.
The applications, declarations and documents required in the cases governed by the Act, written in foreign languages, should be submitted along with their translations into Polish, translated or certified by a sworn translator or by a consul, unless provided otherwise in an international agreement which the Republic of Poland is bound by.
The application on restoration of Polish citizenship shall be submitted to the Minister of Interior, with the reservation that a foreigner residing outside the territory of the Republic of Poland shall submit an application on restoration of Polish citizenship through a consul competent for his/her place of residence.
The Minister shall issue a decision on restoration of Polish citizenship following an investigation procedure, governed by the rules of Administrative Code and of the Polish Citizenship Act. Each case shall be examined individually. Acquisition of Polish citizenship shall effect on the day when the decision on restoration of Polish citizenship has become final.
Specimen application form for restoration of Polish citizenship (in Polish)