Holding a British passport. Married a Polish woman. Applying for Polish passport?

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Apr 14, 11, 07:35 #1

I need some advice. I currently hold a British passport but have been married to my Polish wife for three years and I'm thinking of trying to apply for a Polish passport.

As I understand because of three years of marriage I am now eligible to apply, is that correct?

I have also been living in Poland for two years but the only official documentation I have is my Pobytu Obywatela (A blue residency card for E.U citizens)

What's the process I need to follow?

Thanks for the advice but I need to arm myself with some information before I go head first into Polish administration and paperwork :/

Cheers!

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Apr 14, 11, 08:10 #2

Since you are a EU citizen and live in Poland legally, what would be the added value of obtaining Polish citizenship?
I have been offered already twice by the people at Długa 5 to go for a Polish passport, but I do not see the neccessity of it.
As EU citizen you have all the rights (and obligations) as Polish citizens have.
What you cannot do is vote in national and presidential elections, and I think there are some limits still on buying agricultural land (I could be wrong here, perhaps somebody else can correct it).
But for the rest?
Interesting to hear you have a blue residence card..I have a salmon-pink one. First time I hear about blue cards for EU citizens.

If you want to go ahead with it, I think you need to have a permanent residency in Poland and have to live here (meldunek) continuously for the last 5 years.

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Edited by: al111 Apr 14, 11, 10:22 #3

slick578:I currently hold a British passport Just as a matter of interest were u born in the UK??
If it is really necessary that u need Polish Citizenship the first thing you have to do is apply for permanent residence. You have been married to a Pole for over 3years and you have lived in the country continuously for more than 2years so you are eligible. Just make sure u have never been outside the country for more than six months continuously in 1 year. Make sure you have at least a job or a business and have been paying taxes to the government for all that time. Taxes are very important here in Polska. Then of coz the big question will be why you need Polish Citizenship, that they ask to everyone who applies you will also be required to write a Biography of yourself and translate it into Polish. I'm sure you'll get lots of help from others on here but if you're in doubt you can always contact the office of foreigners in your Voivodship Office. Good Luck and please update us on how it goes.

agugu6210Threads: 3 Posts: 23 Joined: Mar 26, 10 ♂	Apr 20, 11, 16:25 #4
The new law that took effect from April 14th 2011 is that you have to be able to speak and write in polish and a sort of examination will be conducted...then and only then you can have Polish citizenship....all the best

sobieskiThreads: 82 Posts: 1,143 Joined: Jun 1, 08 ♂	Apr 20, 11, 22:08 #5
al111: to write a Biography of yourself and translate it into Polish That is true. I have a friend who also applied for it and he had to write something called "CV of your life".

delphiandomineThreads: 42 Posts: 9,954 Joined: Nov 25, 08 ♂ [Suspended]	Apr 20, 11, 22:41 #6
agugu6210: The new law that took effect from April 14th 2011 is that you have to be able to speak and write in polish and a sort of examination will be conducted...then and only then you can have Polish citizenship....all the best Really? I haven't heard anything about this - source?

HarryThreads: 62 Posts: 8,508 Joined: May 2, 07 ♂ [Suspended]	Apr 20, 11, 22:57 #7
delphiandomine: Really? I haven't heard anything about this - source? Me neither. And the drafts I saw of that law said nothing about it.

delphiandomineThreads: 42 Posts: 9,954 Joined: Nov 25, 08 ♂ [Suspended]	Apr 20, 11, 23:05 #8
Harry: Me neither. And the drafts I saw of that law said nothing about it. I've had a look - not a thing mentioned about it. More's the pity, really. I guess the racist Polish Americans would scream blue murder if they were FORCED TO LEARN POLISH in order to get the EU passport that they desperately crave.

sobieskiThreads: 82 Posts: 1,143 Joined: Jun 1, 08 ♂	Apr 21, 11, 09:10 #9
delphiandomine: More's the pity, really Mind you, to me it is logical that in order to obtain a Polish passport you need to speak Polish. The thing is of course that a bureacrate in a bad mood can decide your Polish is not up to it..and there you go...

al111Threads: 34 Posts: 106 Joined: Sep 2, 09 ♂	Apr 21, 11, 10:07 #10
agugu6210: The new law that took effect from April 14th 2011 Is there anyone who has a link to this new law??

al111Threads: 34 Posts: 106 Joined: Sep 2, 09 ♂	Apr 21, 11, 10:50 #11
agugu6210: The new law that took effect from April 14th 2011 When you come on here and post something like this you should have a proof man. I have called the Voivodship office in Poznan and they have said there is nothing like that on the drafts of 14 April 2011.If u do have the proof(a link) please share it with us i'm sure it would benefit many..

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Apr 21, 11, 11:17 #12

sobieski:

Mind you, to me it is logical that in order to obtain a Polish passport you need to speak Polish.
The thing is of course that a bureacrate in a bad mood can decide your Polish is not up to it..and there you go...

Probably there should be compulsory exams first - or even better, compulsory courses.

Heck, the only reason why there isn't a compulsory language requirement is because of Israeli and American "Poles" who only discovered their nationality when an EU passport was on offer.

♂

Edited by: Leopejo Apr 21, 11, 11:44 #13

On the Certyfikat Polski website it mentions a few other cases, though nothing in relation with citizenship:

* Employers may require a B1 certificate in jobs where the language is needed (health care, nurses, etc.).
* For a job in Civil Service a B2 certificate is required.
* B1 or B2 may be required by Universities, at least to avoid preparatory courses.
* A licence for "real estate business activity" is granted only with the submission of the C2 certificate.

(see: certyfikatpolski.pl )

But yes, in case knowledge of the language became a requirement, the certification exam would be the way to go. At the moment exams at B1, B2 and C2 levels are offered.

sobieskiThreads: 82 Posts: 1,143 Joined: Jun 1, 08 ♂	Apr 21, 11, 20:09 #14
There is one weird thing however in the whole procedure...My friend had to hand over his original (foreign) birth certificate and got issued with another (Polish) one... Still I do not understand the motivation of the OP to go through all these troubles. I simply do not see any incentive for a EU citizen to become Polish? Or do I miss something here, apart from voting restrictions?

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