Polish origin - basic informationPrint
WHO IS A PERSON OF POLISH ORIGIN?
A person of Polish origin is a person declaring Polish nationality and meeting all the following conditions:
1. At least one of their parents or grandparents or two great-grandparents were of Polish nationality;
2. The person demonstrates its connection with Polishness, in particular by cultivating Polish language, Polish traditions and customs.
The condition set out in point 1 is deemed to be fulfilled if at least one of the parents or grandparents or two great-grandparents of the applicant have confirmed their belonging to the Polish Nation by fostering Polish traditions and customs.
HOW CAN YOU LEGALIZE A STAY OF A FOREIGNER OF POLISH ORIGIN?
Foreigners of Polish origin may legalize their stay in Poland by:
1. Applying for the Pole's Card on the basis of Polish origin;
2. Applying for a permanent residence permit on the basis of Polish origin;
3. Applying for a permanent residence permit on the basis of a valid Pole's Card.
The Pole's Card does not mean granting Polish citizenship to a foreigner, granting the right to settle in Poland, or the right to cross Polish borders without a visa. On the basis of the Pole's Card, a foreigner may obtain a long-term residence visa free of charge, entitling to multiple crossings of the Polish border.
You can read about the procedure of applying for the Pole’s Card on the basis of Polish origin here: http://www.migrant.info.pl/karta_polaka.html
A person whose Polish origin has been confirmed may settle in Poland permanently - this means that such a person may apply for a permanent residence permit. When applying for a permanent residence permit on the basis of Polish origin, the person should additionally present documents confirming Polish origin. You can read about such documents below. In order to verify Polish origin, a foreigner may be called for an interview at the Voivodship Office, where during the interview the representative of the Office may ask them various questions to confirm the relationship of the foreigner with Polishness. More information about conducting such an interview is available below.
WHICH DOCUMENTS CONFIRM POLISH ORIGIN?
Documents and proofs confirming Polish origin:
- Polish identity documents;
- civil status records or copies of them;
- baptism records;
- school reports;
- documents confirming the relationship with Polishness;
- documents confirming completion of military service in Polish military formations;
- documents confirming the fact of deportation or imprisonment with an entry informing about Polish origin;
- documents on the rehabilitation of a deported person with an entry on the Polish origin of the person;
- foreign identity cards with information about the Polish nationality of the holder;
- a certificate of a Polish community organization confirming active involvement in activities for the benefit of the Polish language and culture or the Polish national minority;
- a final decision on Polish origin issued in accordance with the provisions of the act on repatriation etc.
WHERE CAN DOCUMENTS CONFIRMING A PERSON'S POLISH ORIGIN BE OBTAINED?
Documents confirming Polish origin can be obtained, among others, in the following archives:
1) Central Archives of Historical Records in Warsaw
Warsaw, 7 Długa Street
Central office: 22 831 54 91 or 22 635 45 32 (33)
e-mail: sekretariat@agad.gov.pl
http://www.agad.archiwa.gov.pl
2) State Archives in Białystok
Białystok, 4 Rynek Kościuszki,
telephone number: +48 85 743 56 03
sekretariat_ap@bialystok.ap.gov.pl
3) Archives of the Registry Office in Lodz
(stores civil status records reconstructed in court proceedings in 1947-1952)
Aleja Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego 100, Lodz,
telephone number: +42 638 53 03
4) Church Archives.
List of the Church Archives is available here: www.agad.archiwa.gov.pl
Documents confirming Polish origin can also be obtained in the relevant archives or state institutions in the foreigner's country of origin.
Preparation for a visit, be it in the state or church archives, should begin with gathering all available information and documents. All copies, extracts and photocopies in your possession are important - even if they are damaged, hard to read or even incomprehensible. With the help of an archivist, you can try to recover them and get information from them that will help you start your search. The list of various sources enabling genealogical research is available on http://www.archiwa.gov.pl/ in the chapter "Genealogy" (the website is available in Polish and English).
