Poland is part of the EU and has one of the world's best passports.
More than 9 million Americans have Polish ancestry, with a large concentration of them in the Chicago area.
Polish citizenship by ancestry is very open. But not all ethnic Poles could claim Polish citizenship; those whose ancestors left before the independence in 1918 would have had to be able to trace their address in local registries.
Your ancestor could have also lost their Polish citizenship if they became a citizen of another country before 1951. If your ancestors are still alive, they can apply for restoration of citizenship in order for you to apply.
Capital city
Warshaw
Visa free countries
179
Total area
312,696 km²
Languages
Polish
Currency
Złoty (PLN)
Population
38,179,800
Time zone
UTC+1 (CET)
Passport with
visa-free travel to 179 countries
Process
completed in
1 - 2 years
Freedom of movement in
the EU
No
residency requirement
Applicants may be eligible to one of the following:
Your ancestor was born in Poland (or one of the former territories) and
resided there after 1920; or
Left Poland before 1920, but your ancestors' residential address can be
found in the Polish, Prussian, Russian or Austro-Hungarian registers; and
Didn't lose their Polish citizenship
until the day of your birth.
Take a free eligibility test today! Your eligibility for ancestry-based citizenship will be determined within 48 hours by the internal genealogy team at Global RCG.
Enjoy our articles related to Poland
Week 1
Verify eligibility and onboarding with Global RCG.
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Week 2
Book an appointment at the Polish consulate
near you
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Week 3
We help you collect all the relevant documents
and fill the forms
Month 3
Go to your consulate appointment with
your documents and forms
Month 16
Receive your Polish
citizenship certificate
