It is no secret that Poland is a country that is promising for employment and permanent residence. That is why many citizens of Russia have a question about how to become a citizen of Poland. We consider in the article the possible legal ways of acquiring citizenship of a given country, as well as the features of obtaining it.
About citizenship
Citizenship determines the affiliation of a particular person to a particular state. It should be noted that the status of a citizen of Poland, like any other country, guarantees a certain list of not only rights, but also obligations for a person.
When considering questions on how to obtain Polish citizenship, it is necessary to understand that this status provides a number of advantages for its holders. In particular, a citizen of the country in question, having a Polish passport, has the right to move freely within the territorial borders of the EU countries without obtaining a special permit - a visa. If you want to apply for citizenship of any EU country, a Polish citizen has the opportunity to do this without hindrance. Citizens have the right to draw up bank accounts in state and private banks of the country, and can also legally get a job in Poland and get education at universities.
It should be noted that in order to obtain citizenship of the state in question, it is not necessary to renounce the previous one, since the legislation of the country allows for dual citizenship.
How to get Polish citizenship?
Polish law provides for certain conditions for obtaining citizenship of the country - they are called the means of acquisition. The acts of a regulatory nature of the state set forth a complete list of all such legal ways. One of them is natural origin. Citizenship by birth right can be granted for those children who were born in the territorial boundaries of Poland, or those who have at least one parent with Polish citizenship.
Citizenship can also be granted by naturalization of a natural nature. Vivid examples of such situations are family reunion, as well as legal marriage with a Polish citizen. Obtaining citizenship in this way is possible within the framework of participation in the refugee protection program, as well as after legal employment or immigration in the framework of doing business.
How to learn Polish citizenship? The legal ways of this procedure are its restoration and repatriation. In addition to all this, in some cases it may be granted as a privilege for services to a state of a particular scale.
Some Russians mistakenly believe that it is possible to acquire the full range of rights of a Polish citizen by acquiring real estate in the country. However, in reality this is not so, because on this basis a person has the right to obtain a residence permit (residence permit) in Poland or to obtain the right to permanent residence. It should be noted that those who are holders of Pole plastic cards have significant advantages in obtaining citizenship.
Let us further consider in more detail some of the features of obtaining citizenship in all of the above ways.
Citizenship by descent
The acquisition of a complex of duties and legal rights of a Polish citizen is possible by birth in the territory of the country in question or in a family where at least one of the parents already has the full range of duties and rights of a Polish citizen acquired on the grounds provided by law.
The orphan who was randomly discovered in the country has the right to obtain citizenship in the same way. However, in this situation another factor is also important - the lack of information regarding the parents of this child.
A child who is under 16 years of age, after carrying out the legal procedure for adoption by the Poles, also receives Polish citizenship.
Naturalization
It should be noted that since 2012, the procedure for acquiring citizenship through naturalization has been significantly simplified.
In order to acquire citizenship by naturalization, a person must necessarily make the actual crossing of the Polish border as a refugee or in any other status.
It should be understood that in order to obtain this status, you must first obtain a visa that allows you to cross the Polish border and stay on the territory of the state for a certain time. Which visa to Poland makes it possible to count on further obtaining citizenship? This is an ordinary Schengen visa type D, which has the status of long-term (national). After receiving it, while staying in Poland, it is necessary to contact specialized state bodies and, on its basis, draw up a document providing a residence permit in the country. With the presence of such, one should live in the territorial boundaries of the country for at least five years. After the specified period of residence with a residence permit in Poland, a person must apply to the state migration authorities to acquire the right to permanent residence in the country. In this status, three more years should be spent and only then, after a total of 8 years, a person can apply for Polish citizenship by naturalization.
Citizenship for refugees
It is known around the world that Poland is a country that takes an active part in the program to protect those who have refugee status. In fact, the country does provide certain quotas for people fleeing for certain reasons from the countries of the Middle East, Ukraine and Africa.
In accordance with the rules established by law, a person who crossed the border of the country in question in refugee status, and then was registered in accordance with the procedure established by law, is entitled to receive a Polish passport and, accordingly, citizenship after 2 years. During his stay in Poland, a refugee has the right to transport his close relatives to the country.
The legislation provides for some privilege in relation to this group of persons - in order to obtain appropriate citizenship they have the right not to undergo testing for knowledge of the state language.
Marriage
How to get Polish citizenship by marriage? It should be noted that the right to acquire a complex of duties and rights does not occur immediately after the procedure for concluding a family union, but only after the newlyweds have lived together for three years. In the process of cohabitation, the couple should engage in joint farming, manage common property, and also perform all those actions that are intended for the execution of the family union.
The legislator provides for some legal consequences of a fictitious marriage. In particular, they relate to the recognition of the invalidity of the transaction and the subsequent deportation of the lawbreaker outside the territorial border of Poland with a ban on entry for a certain period. Moreover, in some, especially malicious cases, both violators can be punished by restraint of liberty - for this they will be sent to a correctional institution.
In the event that within three years the marriage is dissolved, a person may forget about obtaining citizenship in this way.
Citizenship for returnees
Special attention should be paid to how exactly repatriates can obtain Polish citizenship. However, first of all, it is necessary to determine exactly who exactly is the repatriate. This group of people includes all citizens of other countries who have family ties in Poland.
To obtain citizenship in this way, people belonging to this category should contact the representative office of the diplomatic mission operating in the territory of the Russian Federation, during which not only to declare their intentions by submitting an application of the appropriate content, but also provide certain documents confirming Polish origin .
After all the data has been submitted to the representative office of the diplomatic mission, a specially assembled commission will examine the documents. Practice shows that this procedure takes a long time, in some cases it can drag on for three years. Upon conclusion of this procedure, a special visa is pasted into the person’s international passport, which allows not only to enter the territory of the state, but also obtain a passport of a Polish citizen.
Award for Special Merit
How to get a Polish passport and citizenship? A simplified procedure for this action can be provided for persons who have special merits to the state. A person who claims to receive the coveted status in this way must certainly make a tangible contribution to the development of the state or, for example, to protect the legitimate interests of the country at the international level. An example of such a merit can be taken prizes in the Olympic Games (in the Polish team).
About the Pole Map
This type of document gives a certain person the right to be called part of the Polish people, but not a citizen of the country. Some people are truly perplexed as to why it is necessary to receive a Pole card, and what privileges it gives.
If we talk about privileges, then the type of document under consideration gives a Russian citizen the right to apply for a multivisa, to conduct entrepreneurial activities within the country, as well as to use the right to receive free education. Moreover, holders of such a card have the opportunity to receive emergency medical care, to visit cultural institutions of the country for free, and also to get a job without paperwork providing permission to do so.
Holders of such a card are entitled to obtain permanent residence in Poland. After its acquisition, a person has the right to apply for citizenship.
How to get a Pole card
To receive the document in question, a person must contact the Consulate of Poland, located in Russia (the institution is located in Moscow and St. Petersburg). To provide it, you should make an appointment in advance, and then come at the appointed time with a full package of necessary documents. Among the required certificates and papers, it is necessary to present a certificate of the Polish origin of the person, and also show at least the basic level of knowledge of the national language.
After reviewing all the data provided, the consul decides to provide a card or to refuse to issue it. The validity of the issued plastic document is 10 years. After the specified period, the procedure should be repeated.
Documentation
How to move to Poland and obtain citizenship of this country? It should be noted that this issue worries many Russians. This is primarily due to the fact that many of them seek to find work in Poland, and this process, as you know, is significantly simplified for those who have the citizenship of the country in question. What documents are required to obtain the coveted citizenship? Consider their list below in more detail.
Firstly, the applicant for a set of obligations and rights stipulated by law is required to submit a written application for Polish citizenship with his own hand. To the design of this document put forward certain requirements. In particular, they consist in the completeness, truthfulness and accuracy of the presentation of all the required data. Writing a statement should be done in Polish in black or blue ink.
In addition to the application, the general package of documents should provide your autobiography, birth certificate, a valid Russian passport, as well as a passport, which must be valid at the time of filing. In addition, a prerequisite for obtaining the citizenship in question is the provision of an official document on the basis of which a person is legally staying in Poland (usually a visa).
Special attention should be paid to a certain package of certificates, which are also required to be presented to the diplomatic mission. Among the necessary documents are papers, the content of which confirms the absence of a criminal record, as well as debts for any financial obligations.
Before applying for citizenship, a person must undergo a medical examination at a state institution in Poland, about which you must provide an appropriate certificate. Moreover, all persons who express a desire to become citizens of the country are required to provide evidence of financial solvency (income statements, bank statements, etc.), as well as confirmation of the availability of real estate in the country.
In addition to the whole person, four high-quality photographs taken in accordance with the established requirements, as well as a written explanation of what fate befell the existing citizenship of another country (are there any intentions to refuse it) should be provided.
All documents submitted to the Embassy must be translated into Polish and notarized.