Three initiatives are moving through the Polish system in 2026, and each of them tightens the route to a passport: the presidential bill from Karol Nawrocki, a bill filed by PiS members of parliament, and proposals from the interior ministry (MSWiA). They share a direction - raise the minimum period of uninterrupted residence from three years to ten, add exams, and add an oath.
The essential point as of mid-2026: none of these changes is in force. The 2009 Citizenship Act applies in its existing wording. That is a window, and it is not open indefinitely.
What applies right now
Two routes to a Polish passport, fundamentally different in nature.
Recognition as a Polish citizen (uznanie za obywatela polskiego) is a decision of the wojewoda (regional governor) taken in administrative proceedings against defined criteria. Meet them and the decision must be positive; a refusal can be appealed.
Grant of citizenship by the President (nadanie obywatelstwa) is a discretionary act. There are no statutory criteria, no deadline and no appeal. The application goes through a wojewoda or a consul.
The recognition criteria as they stand:
| Basis | Required residence | Additional conditions |
|---|---|---|
| General rule | 3 years uninterrupted on a permanent residence card, EU long-term resident status or permanent right of residence | B1 certificate, stable income, legal title to housing |
| Marriage to a Polish citizen | 2 years of permanent residence + 3 years of marriage | B1, income |
| Refugee status, statelessness | 2 years of permanent residence | B1, income |
| Children born in Poland, young adults | shortened periods | case by case |
The three years are counted not from arrival in Poland but from the date you obtained the permanent residence card or EU long-term resident status. This is the single most common miscalculation: someone has lived in the country for nine years but collected the permanent card last year, so two more years remain.
The stamp duty for recognition is PLN 219. A state certificate of Polish at B1 level from the State Commission is mandatory - we covered the exam in detail.
What the reform would change
Three initiatives, different authors, similar logic.
The presidential bill. The minimum uninterrupted residence for recognition rises to ten years instead of three, with a requirement of continuous residence on Polish territory throughout and a stable source of income.
The PiS bill. The same figure - ten years of uninterrupted residence.
The MSWiA proposals. The emphasis is integration and security: two exams - one in Polish, one on the history, culture and constitutional system of Poland - plus an act of loyalty sworn on acquiring citizenship. The language requirement would move beyond B1 towards fluency.
Which version becomes law, and in what wording, cannot be predicted. That all three point the same way is itself the signal.
The practical takeaway: count your dates now
We give clients the same advice, and it is arithmetic rather than alarm.
If you are less than a year away from three years of permanent residence, assemble the file early: B1 certificate, income documents, title to housing. The B1 exam runs in sessions a few times a year and registration closes months ahead. Waiting for the date and only then hunting for a session costs half a year.
If you still hold a temporary residence card, citizenship is not the immediate task - the indefinite status is, because that is where the clock starts. Two routes: a permanent residence card based on ties to Poland, and EU long-term resident status based on residence history and income. The second is underrated and often more accessible.
With Polish ancestry the path is shorter - we cover it in the article on permanent residence through Polish origin.
A separate word on transitional provisions. None of the bills currently guarantees that cases filed before entry into force will be judged under the old rules. Polish legislative practice usually protects pending proceedings, but treating that as certain would be careless. A filed and accepted case is in a stronger position than an unfiled one either way.
What actually stalls cases in 2026
From our recognition practice, by frequency:
- Breaks in residence. "Uninterrupted" means no absences beyond the statutory limits. A six-month contract abroad resets the count.
- No B1 certificate. Courses, language school letters and internal tests are not accepted - only the State Commission certificate.
- Undocumented income. The wojewoda reads tax returns, not bank inflows. Informal income does not exist in the file.
- No legal title to housing. A lease in someone else's name or a verbal arrangement will not do. This usually surfaces alongside a missing registration - we complete zameldowanie in one to two days.
- Discrepancies in civil status records. One transliteration of the surname on the birth certificate, another in the passport. The fix is transcription into the Polish civil registry - how that works.
What we do
- Calculating your filing date from the history of cards, decisions and absences. Free of charge.
- B1 preparation - choosing the nearest session, registration, working through the exam format.
- Assembling the file - income, housing, civil records, translations, transcriptions.
- Filing and running the case before the wojewoda, including responses to formal requests.
- Refusals - appeal to the MSWiA and then to the administrative court. Where recognition is not available, a petition to the President.
Timelines, pricing and workflow sit on the service page.
Frequently asked questions
Must I renounce my current citizenship? No. Poland permits multiple citizenship. Your country of origin may take a different view, and some states require renunciation.
How long does a recognition case take? Formally up to two months with extensions. Realistically 6-12 months in 2026 in the larger voivodeships, once formal requests are counted.
Can I apply as soon as I receive the permanent residence card? No. Three years of holding that status are required, or two years of permanent residence plus three years of marriage to a Polish citizen.
If the reform passes, will my filed application be reassessed? That depends on transitional provisions that do not yet exist. Which is why we advise against waiting.
Does the Karta Polaka grant citizenship? Not directly. It grants the right to a permanent residence card, and the three-year clock starts from there - see our piece on the Karta Polaka.
What if I cannot pass B1? Only a Polish school leaving certificate or a Polish university diploma with Polish as the language of instruction substitutes for the certificate. There is no third option.
The three-year rule still applies, and nobody knows for how long. If your dates have arrived or will arrive within the next year, assembling the file now beats doing it after a bill becomes law.
Send us the history of your cards and decisions - we will calculate your filing date free of charge and tell you what the file is missing.
This material is informational and reflects the law as at the date of publication. Consult a lawyer about your situation.