Procedures

Restoration of Polish citizenship

Polish citizenship is restored by the minister competent for internal affairs by way of a decision. A foreigner files an application for the restoration of Polish citizenship, which includes:

1. the details of a foreigner;
2. the address of residence;
3. a statement on the possession of the Polish citizenship in the past and information on the circumstances of losing it;
4. the address of the last place of residence on the territory of the Republic of Poland before the loss of the Polish citizenship;
5. the curriculum vitae

An application for the restoration of Polish citizenship shall be accompanied by:

1. the documents confirming identity and citizenship;
2. the documents confirming the change of name and surname, if such occurred;
3. the documents confirming the loss of the Polish citizenship;
4. a photograph of the person covered by the application

An application for the restoration of the Polish citizenship shall be made on a form.

If the application for the restoration of the Polish citizenship has been submitted while the proceedings for the grant of the Polish citizenship are being carried out in relation to the foreigner subject to the application, the proceedings for the restoration of the Polish citizenship shall be discontinued. If the application for the restoration of the Polish citizenship was made while the proceedings for recognition as a Polish citizen are pending in relation to the foreigner subject to the application, the proceedings for recognition as a Polish citizen shall be suspended until the end of the proceedings for the restoration of Polish citizenship.

An application for the restoration of Polish citizenship shall be submitted to the minister competent for internal affairs. A foreigner residing outside the territory of the Republic of Poland shall submit an application for the restoration of Polish citizenship via the consul competent for their place of residence. The Consul shall immediately submit to the minister competent for internal affairs the application for the restoration of the Polish citizenship together with the documents and information and documents relevant to the case.

Before issuing the decision, the minister competent for internal affairs shall apply to the Chief Police Commander, the Head of the Internal Security Agency, and, if necessary, other authorities, for information as to whether restoring the Polish citizenship poses a threat to the national defense or security of the state, or to the protection of security and public order, and whether the foreigner who submitted the application for the restoration of the Polish citizenship had not acted to the detriment of Poland, and especially its independence and sovereignty, or whether he had not participated in the acts of violation of human rights. Before issuing the decision, the minister competent for internal affairs may apply to the President of the Institute of National Remembrance - Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation for providing information on the contents of documents held about the person applying for the restoration of the Polish citizenship and sharing them. The above-mentioned authorities are obliged to provide written information within 30 days of receiving the inquiry. In particularly justified cases, this period may be extended to 3 months, of which the authority obliged to provide information shall notify the minister competent for internal affairs.

If, on the basis of documents attached to the application for the restoration of the Polish citizenship, the minister competent for internal affairs or consulate doubts that the foreigner does not have Polish citizenship, he shall submit the application to the voivode in order to conduct the proceedings regarding confirmation of the Polish citizenship. If in the course of the proceedings regarding confirmation of Polish citizenship that the foreigner possesses the Polish citizenship, the voivode issues a decision confirming the possession of the Polish citizenship, and the application for the restoration of the Polish citizenship is not suitable for further proceedings.