How do I know if I qualify for Polish citizenship?
This infographic serves as a quick guide to see if you are entitled to Polish Citizenship. It is important to consult us about each case whether the guide determines whether you qualify or not in order to determine your eligibility with certainty.
Below I am going to explain each point of the infographic.
- If you do not have a Polish ancestor then you do not qualify for Polish citizenship by descent. Simple.
- If your family emigrated before 1920 then they left before Poland enacted the first Polish citizenship law, therefore they were not Poles and Polish citizenship does not apply to you. They probably traveled with a Russian, Austro-Hungarian, or German passport.
- If your ancestor was a woman, it is important to know if she was married or not. If you got married you may have lost your Polish citizenship. It depends a lot on what the nationality of the husband was. Ask us about your particular case.
- If she was married she could not transmit Polish citizenship to her children before 1951 since it was transmitted only through the father. It is necessary that the child be born after this year for the Polish bloodline to continue.
- If he did not marry then we must check whether the father recognized the son or not. This must be analyzed with the child's birth certificate. If it is determined that the father recognized the child, it is possible that citizenship will not be transmitted through the mother's side. These are cases that must be analyzed carefully, consult us about your particular case.
- If she was married and her child was born after 1951 then Polish citizenship could already be transmitted through the maternal line and the chain of Polish blood continued.
- If the woman was naturalized before 1951 then she loses Polish citizenship. Your offspring also lose it unless your child is already of age when this happens.
- If your ancestor was a man, you also have to see if he was naturalized or not. If you don't naturalize, there is no problem.
- If you were naturalized before 1951, you must request military records. If you naturalized after 1951, you do not need to present additional documentation.
- If your ancestor was born before 1901 and naturalized before 1951, it is necessary to analyze whether he lost Polish citizenship, this will depend on his date of birth.
- If you had adult children before you lost Polish citizenship then you can continue the Polish blood line.
- If any man was in the army before 1951 he loses Polish citizenship and the Polish bloodline is cut.
- If your ancestors lived in another country before 1951 and before arriving in Argentina, the procedure becomes more complex. It must be proven that they were not naturalized in that country and that they did not join the army in that country. Consult us about your case.
This guide covers most of the most common cases. It is important to consult us about your individual case to confirm your eligibility with certainty. In the meantime you can complete the Polish citizenship evaluation HERE and get in touch to analyze the feasibility of obtaining your Polish citizenship.
In order to obtain Polish citizenship, it is important to prove that your ancestor was indeed a Polish citizen through original Polish documentation.
- If you do not have any of the Polish documents mentioned in the original then it is essential to search the relevant records, which today can be found in Poland, Russia, Belarus, Lithuania, and Ukraine. Contact us to carry out the exhaustive search to proceed with obtaining your Polish citizenship.
- Presenting a passport issued in Poland is sufficient proof to prove that your ancestor was Polish.
- Presenting the Polish military booklet is also sufficient.
- Submitting a voting record is also sufficient.
- If you have a passport issued by a Polish consulate outside Poland, you may need to present additional documentation. If you have a Polish birth certificate, it is also possible that the Polish government will require additional documentation to determine if your ancestor was indeed a Polish citizen. If you have this type of Polish documents or others that are not mentioned in the infographic, you can contact us to analyze it.
The first step in obtaining Polish citizenship is to complete the Polish citizenship assessment TOAC to determine your eligibility.
