Polish citizenship by descent · for British families
If a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was a Polish citizen, you may be one too. There is no application to become Polish. Poland confirms the citizenship you inherited, as long as the line was never broken. Nine short questions show where your family stands.
Poland's first citizenship law. Children took their father's citizenship, and becoming a citizen of another country ended it.
A new law. Becoming British without Polish permission no longer ended Polish citizenship.
A child with one Polish parent became Polish at birth, unless the parents chose otherwise within three months.
Under the Act of 2 April 2009, a voivode in Poland confirms the citizenship you already hold.
Pick the closest relative who was born in Poland or held a Polish passport.
The next step is the documents that prove each link.
Next step: a full assessment. Send your summary and we check each link against the law that applied at the time, then tell you which documents to order.
Or copy the summary and send it to hello@polishrootspassport.com. I reply within 2 working days. The first answer is free; a written eligibility report costs £150.
A voivode in Poland confirms you are Polish. You can apply through a Polish consulate in the UK, or a representative can file directly with the voivode in Warsaw.
Fee via a UK consulate: £88 · filed directly in Poland: 277 złYour British birth certificate is copied into the Polish civil register, which gives you a Polish birth certificate.
Fee via a UK consulate: £53With a Polish birth certificate you receive a PESEL, the Polish national identification number.
You apply for a Polish passport at a consulate and keep your British one. Both countries allow dual citizenship.
Fees as published in September 2026; check the current table before paying. The Warsaw office that handles most British files usually takes 1–2 years from application to decision.