According to Polish law, a person born in Poland and their descendants are entitled to a Polish citizenship and a polish passport, as long as they didn’t lose/ didn’t give up their citizenship when leaving Poland. The bureaucracy around the process is, at times, complicated, and might end up confusing and draining the person wishing to gain said citizenship. With our teams assistance, we will ensure that the process goes as smoothly as possible.
Who is entitled to Polish citizenship?
According to the (Polish) Citizenship Law of August 15, 2012, those born in Poland and their descendants are entitled to receive a Polish citizenship certificate and a Polish passport, provided that according to the provisions of the law in effect when they left Poland, they did not lose their citizenship and/or did not renounce it .
Who can apply for a citizenship certificate?
- Born in Poland
- Descendants of deceased Polish natives
- Those born in Israel whose parents have already received the citizenship certificate
- People born in Poland who have lost their citizenship may ask the Minister of the Interior to grant them Polish citizenship again. The grant is personal and given only to those born in Poland and does not entitle the descendants to citizenship.
Polish passport – general comments:
- Birth and/or marriage certificate from Poland (our office will look for the certificate and issue it if the applicant does not have it)
- In the case where a native of Poland left Poland as a minor, the documents detailed below must also be produced for the parent with whom the applicant immigrated to Israel.
- Those who immigrated to Israel before 19/01/1951 while being a minor can submit an application only on the condition that their father did not serve in the IDF until 19/01/1951.
- A man (over the age of 18) who immigrated to Israel before January 19, 1951, can apply for citizenship only on the condition that he did not serve in the IDF until that date.
The list of certificates and/or details needed regarding the applicant
- Birth certificate from Poland
- Marriage certificate (from Poland or elsewhere)
- Name change certificate (family or private) – in case a name change is made – issued at the Ministry of the Interior
- A certificate proving Israeli citizenship – it must be ordered from the Ministry of the Interior, the certificate is given upon payment of a fee of 75 NIS.
- A certificate attesting to military service in the IDF – relevant for men who left the borders of Poland before 01/19/1951
- Registration extract from the population registry (Ministry of the Interior)
- Photocopy of a valid Israeli passport (if there is an extension, also take a photo of the extension page)
- passport picture
General Comments:
- In accordance with the new citizenship law (in Poland) that entered into force on 08/15/2012, the right of deceased Polish-native descendants to request Polish citizenship is limited to two generations (grandchildren of Polish immigrants). You must simultaneously submit an application for confirmation of the citizenship of the parent and/or parent of the deceased parent and of the applicant himself.
- Birth and/or marriage certificate from Poland (our office will look for the certificate and issue it if the applicant does not have it)
- In the case where a native of Poland left Poland as a minor, the documents detailed below must also be produced for the parent with whom the applicant immigrated to Israel.
- A man (over the age of 18) who immigrated to Israel before January 19, 1951, can apply for citizenship only on the condition that he did not serve in the IDF until that date.
A. List of certificates and/or details regarding the deceased parent
- Birth certificate from Poland
- Marriage certificate
- Name change certificate – in case the deceased parent changed his/her name (family or private)
- Certificate of Israeli citizenship – it must be ordered from the Ministry of the Interior (a fee of NIS 75)
- A certificate attesting to military service in the IDF – relevant for men who left the borders of Poland before 01/19/1951
B. The list of certificates and / or details about the applicant himself
- Birth certificate, in which the maiden name of the mother appears – 2 original copies (Ministry of the Interior)
- Registration extract from the population registry (Ministry of the Interior)
- Rabbinical marriage certificate (please issue a certified copy – not a photocopy). In the case of those who have been married more than once, all the marriage certificates.
- Certificate of Israeli citizenship – it must be ordered from the Ministry of the Interior (a fee of NIS 75)
- Name change certificate – if a surname and/or personal name change was made that was not due to marriage (Ministry of the Interior)
- Photocopy of a valid Israeli passport – take a photo of the validity extension page if there is one
- Passport photo
Below is the list of documents
- Confirmation of father’s / mother’s Polish citizenship
- Birth certificate – in which the maiden name of the mother appears – (issued by the Ministry of the Interior)
- Registration extract from the population registry (issued at the Ministry of the Interior)
- Marriage certificate (issued in the rabbinate, please issue a certified copy and not a photocopy). In the case of those who have been married more than once, all the marriage certificates.
- Certificate of Israeli citizenship – (issued at the Ministry of the Interior, a fee of NIS 75)
- Name change certificate – if a name change was made that was not due to marriage (issued at the Ministry of the Interior)
- Marriage certificate of the parents (from Poland or Israel as appropriate)
- Photocopy of a valid Israeli passport – take a photo of an extension of validity if there is one
- passport picture