From the moment Poland joined the European Union, the country has become very interesting for foreigners who come not only for tourism purposes, but also tend to move abroad for permanent residence. The main features of Poland include the rapid economic growth, as well as attractive social policy. Every year, tens of thousands of people come from both Russia and neighboring countries.
The rich cultural heritage of Poland, as well as the amazing nature made the country one of the largest centers for tourist recreation. And the attractive conditions for entering local educational institutions and the quality of the training itself played a huge role in attracting students. It is also worth considering that in Poland the level of development of industrial production and agriculture is constantly increasing.
Conditions for obtaining Polish citizenship
Can I get Polish citizenship? Currently, obtaining a passport in Poland will not be a big problem, you just need to fulfill a certain kind of conditions for obtaining citizenship. Special privileges have been introduced for Russian residents - since 1999, Russian citizens have the right to dual citizenship in Poland.
You can count on obtaining a passport and citizenship subject to knowledge of the language at a level above the average, the availability of a stable source of income sufficient to provide for their own needs and minor children, if any, of a demanded profession and registration. No need to buy real estate, as required in some other countries to obtain citizenship. Also, do not forget that anyone who wants to become a citizen of Poland will be checked for a criminal record by sending a request to the internal organs of the country where it comes from. It will be necessary to fill out a full package of documents.
Benefits of obtaining Polish citizenship
Along with obtaining a passport and citizenship, a foreigner has many opportunities and advantages of the European Union, the most important of which are:
- a person who has received Polish citizenship has the right to move throughout the European Union without hindrance and without the need for clearance permits, which is very convenient;
- a Polish citizen is given the opportunity without any problems to obtain citizenship in any country in Europe, to legally find a job, to acquire real estate;
- if you have a Polish passport, you can obtain permission to enter countries such as the United States of America and Canada in a lightweight and expedited form;
- a lawful resident of a country has the right to study at any institution of higher education, both in Poland itself and in the countries of the European Union;
- a student-citizen of the European Union can study for free and receive a scholarship that is not available for foreigners studying in Poland;
- you can count on a system of benefits for obtaining a loan that a student will spend on their own education;
- You can open personal and business accounts in European banks and freely take loans;
- it is much easier to get a job with a Polish passport, as all legal conditions of employment will be met (a Polish employer cannot hire a foreigner if there are worthy candidates for the position from among citizens);
- Having obtained citizenship, one can take part in elections, local and central authorities of the country;
- dual citizenship is allowed while maintaining citizenship of Poland.
Who is eligible for priority citizenship of Poland
Virtually everyone can obtain Polish citizenship, but there are several options for citizenship when a passport is issued to a resident in the first place. Of course, it is necessary that the applicant have in his hands a full package of documents and certificates confirming that the person is of Polish origin or roots in Poland.
A child, one of whose parents is not a citizen of Poland, will not be assigned the status of a citizen of Poland without the notarized consent of the second parent who has the citizenship of that power.
Polish citizenship for Russians with roots in the country is even easier to obtain. There are a number of cases when citizenship is issued under the so-called repatriation law, which provides for the assignment of this status to those who have roots in Poland, close or distant relatives - Poles. Of course, all the facts will need to be documented. If everything is in order with the papers, then upon arrival at the place of residence, a person can count on obtaining his RP passport.
If a resident of another country has legalized a marriage with a Polish citizen, then two years later you can send documents requesting a temporary residence permit. Three years later, it is possible to translate into reality a desire for permanent residence in this state.
How can I get Polish citizenship to immigrants and citizens of Russia
There are several ways to become a lawful citizen of Poland, which are provided for by law. How to get Polish citizenship to a Russian citizen? The grounds for obtaining citizenship include:
- fact of origin (birth in Poland);
- natural naturalization, which includes family reunion, marriage to a Pole or a Polish woman,
- business immigration and employment;
- refugee protection program (you should not count on such a method of obtaining citizenship - Poland is reluctant to issue refugee status);
- repatriation;
- the fact of restoration of belonging to the Polish people;
- special services to Poland.
I would like to note that the acquisition of real estate in Poland does not give special privileges for permanent residence and residence permit.
Documents required to obtain citizenship
The list of required documents that are submitted with the application for citizenship may vary depending on the basis of this request.
The basic package of documents includes:
- valid passport;
- birth certificate;
- passport;
- documented grounds for staying in Poland;
- certificate of no criminal record;
- autobiography;
- tax certificates from Poland on the absence of arrears on budget payments;
- a contract of sale of housing, an apartment rental contract;
- a certificate with the result of passing a medical commission in a Polish medical institution;
- a document confirming the financial security of the candidate for citizenship (income must have legal status and provide for the future citizen and his family without the need for petition for additional social support of the Polish state);
- four passport photos;
- written explanation of primary citizenship (intention to renounce or leave it).
All the above documents must be translated into Polish and notarized.
Polish passport for money
Polish citizenship for Russians (as, indeed, for citizens of other countries) is categorically impossible to acquire for money. Moreover, it is punishable by law. You can only get a Pole card. This will provide a quick passport.
Language test
To obtain Polish citizenship, you must know the language of this country. For testing, special tests are used that reveal the level of knowledge and how much a person is aware of the laws and traditions of the state, whether he is ready to comply with them after acquiring citizenship.
Such a test is also taken upon obtaining a permanent place of residence, for studying at a higher educational institution (it is not always required, a student can take a Polish language course at the university instead of a test), getting a job that is directly related to communication. The exam takes place both orally and in writing. You can take the test at any time before applying for citizenship.
There is a so-called test for integration into society, which includes the ability to recite the Polish anthem, an oral story about the symbols of the state, knowledge of the names of senior officials. Also, the candidate must know the main provisions of the Constitution of the state, have an idea of the basic Polish laws, be aware of the culture of the Polish people and adopt it. There is no need for minors to undergo a test - this is not provided for by the legislation of the country.
The procedure for obtaining Polish citizenship
Documents are submitted to the municipality (if the candidate lives in the country permanently) at the place of residence. In each such instance there is a representative office of the migration office. The period during which the application is considered can be called very short, since the application is submitted immediately to the president, bypassing other instances. The decision is usually made within one year. The minimum period is considered to be three months from the date of submission of documents to the appropriate organization. But in practice, there were cases that a decision was made only after a three-year period. There is a stamp duty for petitioning (this is determined by the Polish citizenship law), which amounts to 219 zlotys.
In what cases can a refusal be given?
A person who wishes to obtain Polish citizenship may be refused if:
- there are problems with the law;
- incomplete package of documents provided;
- revealed an insufficient level of financial security, which will require additional social assistance;
- there is not enough time for legal residence in the country;
- the information provided is not true.
The decision cannot be appealed, since it is taken by the president himself, that is, at the highest level. Most often, the reason for the negative decision is not indicated, since the president is not obliged to explain it. But if a specific reason is nevertheless indicated, then it is worth eliminating it and trying happiness again.
In practice, the number of failures is minimized. Failures occur in very rare cases, which significantly differs for the better from the number of negative decisions made in matters of citizenship in countries such as, for example, the Czech Republic.