Polish citizenship: the requirements — through the voivode or the President
Published 28 October 2026
A foreigner becomes a Polish citizen in one of two ways. The voivode recognises you as a citizen if you meet the conditions in Article 30 of the Act: 1 to 10 years on a permanent residence permit (depending on the route) and Polish confirmed by a state certificate at B1 or above. The President can grant citizenship to anyone — the Act sets no conditions.
In short
- Recognition by the voivode: the usual route is 3 years of uninterrupted residence on a permanent residence permit, an EU long-term resident permit or a right of permanent residence, a stable income and a legal title to your home. Fee: 1000 zł.
- Polish on every recognition route: a state certificate at B1 or above, a certificate from a school in Poland, or from a school abroad taught in Polish. A telc certificate and a post-secondary school certificate do not count.
- There is no test of knowledge about Poland today. A bill in the Sejm (print 1888) proposes one, together with C1 — as of 28.10.2026, not passed.
What are the two ways to citizenship?
| What | Recognition (voivode) | Grant (President) |
|---|---|---|
| Conditions | listed in Art. 30: years of permanent residence, income, housing, Polish | the Act sets none |
| Polish | a state certificate at B1 or above, or a school certificate | the application states your knowledge of Polish |
| Where to apply | the voivode for where you live | through a voivode or a consul |
| Decided by | the voivode's decision | the President's order |
| Stamp duty | 1000 zł | 1669 zł for the voivode accepting the application |
The Act sets the President neither conditions nor a deadline. Recognition by the voivode is an ordinary administrative case: if you meet the conditions of Article 30 and are no threat to the state's security (Art. 31), the voivode recognises you as a citizen.
How many years do you need to live in Poland?
Years of residence each route to recognition requires
- permanent residence + income and housing3 years
- married to a citizen for 3 years2 years
- refugee status2 years
- 10 years' legal residence + income and housing10 years
- Karta Polaka or Polish descent1 year
Every route also needs a state certificate at B1 or above, or a school certificate (Art. 30(2)).
What counts is years of uninterrupted residence on one of three titles: a permanent residence permit, an EU long-term resident permit or a right of permanent residence. A temporary residence permit or temporary protection is none of them — except on the 10-year route, where all legal residence counts, though you still need the permanent permit on the day you apply.
- 3 years — the usual route; plus a stable, regular income and a legal title to your home.
- 2 years — if you have been married to a Polish citizen for at least 3 years, or have no citizenship at all.
- 2 years — on a permanent permit granted because of refugee status granted in Poland.
- 1 year — on a permanent permit granted because of Polish descent or the Karta Polaka (see Karta Polaka).
What Polish do you need?
On every recognition route an adult needs one of three documents (Art. 30(2)): the official confirmation of Polish at B1 or above, that is a state exam certificate; a certificate from a school in Poland; or one from a school abroad taught in Polish. A post-secondary school certificate is not enough (Art. 30(2a)). The Act does not name the telc certificate — it does not count for citizenship, though it does for other purposes.
Which exam to sit, when and with what documents: the certificate for citizenship page. What the exam itself looks like: the state B1 exam — five parts and a pass mark in each.
Is there a citizenship test?
No. Today the only exam on the way to citizenship is the Polish exam. A test of knowledge about Poland — a "Państwowy Egzamin Obywatelski" on the constitution, civic rights, history and culture — is proposed by a members' bill, print 1888. The same bill raises the Polish requirement to C1 and lengthens the usual route to 10 years.
As of 28.10.2026: there are three amending bills in the Sejm (prints 1273, 1759 and 1888). The first two change only the usual route, from 3 to 10 years; none of the three has passed. The President's bill (1759) provides that cases opened before a change are finished under the old rules.
Where to start
By counting your years on the right residence title, and with the certificate — the one condition that depends on your work rather than the calendar. The state exam is held a few times a year and the certificate follows the results; the whole cycle with dates: exam dates.