Polish citizenship, confirmation of Polish citizenship

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Polish citizenship Act 1920


Act on Polish State’s citizenship, January 20, 1920

(came into force on 31 January, 1920)

Dziennik Ustaw - rok 1920, nr 7, poz. 44

(Journal of Laws, 1920 year, No 7, item 44)


Art. 1. A Polish citizen cannot be a citizen of another country at the same time.

Art. 2. At the moment of declaration of this act, the right to Polish citizenship serves every person, without distinction of sex, age, religion and nationality, who:

1) is settled on the territory of The Polish State, as far as it is not entitled to another country’ citizenship. Regarded as a settled in The Polish State, is any person that:

a) is enrolled or is entitled to be enrolled to books of permanent population of former Kingdom of Poland;

b) is entitled to homely surrounding in one of communes on the territory of The Polish State, which have made up a part of The Austrian State or The Hungarian State;

c) had, before January 15, 1908 on grounds of German citizenship, a permanent residence on territory of The Polish State, which formerly has been a part of The Prussian State;

d) was enrolled to urban or rural commune or to one of state organizations on lands of former Empire of Russia which are now parts of The Polish State;

2) was born on the territory of The Polish State, as far as it is not entitled to another country’ citizenship;

3) is entitled to Polish citizenship based upon an international treaty.

Art. 2a. Polish citizenship serves, besides, to a person who has a place of residence and is entitled to homely surrounding in one of communes on the territory of recovered lands of The Cieszynski Slask, which have made up a part of Republic of Czechoslovakia, if the person (or its father, or in case of illegitimate child, it's mother) is permanent resident of it since 1 of November 1918, and if the person have not qualified for it on grounds of public office.

Art. 3. Citizens of other countries who are of Polish descent and their progeny will be recognized as citizens of The Polish State, if they submit proofs of Polish provenance with a declaration they wish to be Polish citizens, and they resign from the citizenship of another country to the relevant Polish authority after returning to The Polish State.

Poles by descent who 1 of October 1938 have had a place of residence on area of recovered lands of The Cieszynski Slask, will be treated on an equal footing with those Poles who have returned to The Polish State.

Art. 4. Polish citizenship is acquired by:

1) birth;

2) entitlement, recognition, adoption;

3) marriage;

4) grant;

5) reception of public post or reception of military service in The Polish State, as far as there are no opposing reservations.

Art. 5. Legitimate children acquire by birth their father´s citizenship. Illegitimate children acquire by birth their mother´s citizenship. Unknown parents´ children who were born or found on The Polish State´s territory will be recognized as Polish citizens, as far as their other citizenship will be not revealed.

Art. 6. By entitlement, recognition or adoption a child who is not 18 years old yet acquires citizenship of its father or mother, relatively of another person who recognizes or adopts it.

Art. 7. A woman who is a foreigner acquires Polish citizenship by marriage with a Polish citizen.

Art. 8. Granting of citizenship can happen on request of a person who wants to obtain it if the person proves:

1) that he led an impeccable way of life;

2) that he resides permanently not less than 10 years in The Polish State;

3) that he has a livelihood or earnings for himself and his family;

4) that he speaks Polish;

Substituting for minors and other persons who have legal incapacity, their legal guardians apply for granting them Polish citizenship.

Art. 9. In exceptional cases that deserve special consideration Polish citizenship can be granted for persons who do not meet individual conditions that are mentioned in article 8. especially on former Russian Empire´s area that is a part of The Polish State. However Polish citizenship can be granted in no case for persons who have been penalized by Polish courts for an offense that entails a restriction of rights, until the restriction goes on, and also for persons who are in state of insolvency.

Art. 10. A citizen of The Polish State who lost her Polish citizenship by marriage with a foreigner will recapture it, if in an administrative office , she makes a statement of her place of residence after cessation of her marriage, and her settlement in Poland.

Art. 11. Loss of citizenship happens by:

1) obtaining another country´s citizenship;

2) taking a public office or entering the service in a foreign country’ army without Polish government’s permission.

Persons who are obligated to active military service can obtain a foreign citizenship in no other way than after obtaining an obligation release from Ministry of Military Affairs, otherwise, in view of The Polish State, they will be still considered Polish citizens.

Art. 12. The Minister of the Interior determines granting and getting back Polish citizenship after receiving opinion of the community, where the given person lives in, and proper administrative office.

Art. 13. Granting and loss of Polish citizenship, if no other disposition of Minister of Interior was reserved, concerns a wife of a man who is granted or loses Polish citizenship, and also his children who are younger than 18 years old.

Art. 14. The act comes into force on the day of it's declaration.

Art. 15. Execution of the present act is commended to the Minister of the Interior.




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The only source of law in Republic of Poland, on base of “Declaring Normative Records And Some Other Legal Records Act” of june 20, 2000 (Dz.U. 2000 r. Nr 62, poz. 718), are acts of law published by Journal of Law (Dziennik Ustaw) and Polish Monitor (Monitor Polski). CK and Partnes Law Office isn’t responsible for any consequences caused by operations undertaken on the base of unofficial translations publicated on CK and Partners Law Office websites.