Poland · Citizenship by naturalisation
Polish Citizenship by Naturalisation and Recognition
OPEN AND UNCHANGED — the widely-reported move from 3 years to 10 years has NOT happened. Recognition as a Polish citizen still requires 3 years' continuous residence on a permanent residence permit plus a B1 Polish certificate. Three separate bills are in play; one has already been rejected.
The market has widely reported that Poland moved to a 10-year citizenship requirement. It did not. The PiS bill proposing 10 years, C1 language and a state exam was rejected by the Sejm on 9 January 2026 by 240-200. But the direction of travel is real and the government's own 8-year bill is the live risk — so the correct advice is urgency, not panic.
Qualifying routes
3 years continuous residence on a permanent residence permit plus B1 Polish. Karta Polaka and Polish-descent PR holders: 1 year.
The facts
- Total landed cost
- Administrative fees only
- Timeline
- 6–24 months — After the residence period is satisfied
- Physical presence
- 3 years continuous residence holding permanent residence
- Family
- each applicant qualifies separately; minor children may be included
- Permanent residency
- Permanent residence is the precondition
- Citizenship
- 3 years on PR (1 year for Karta Polaka holders)
- Language test
- B1 Polish certificate
- Dual citizenship
- Permitted
- Requirements
- 3 years continuous residence on a permanent residence permitB1 Polish certificatestable and regular income and legal title to housing
- THE LIVE RISK is the government (MSWiA) bill presented on 10 October 2025: 8 years total (3 temporary plus 5 permanent), a civics and history exam held twice yearly, mandatory Polish, a signed act of loyalty, and a requirement to hold Polish tax residence. It would also raise the Karta Polaka route from 1 year to 3. Not yet submitted to the Sejm as of mid-2026, but it carries the President's implicit buy-in — he was invited into the drafting to guarantee signature. This is the one to watch.
- The PiS bill (10 years, C1, state exam) was REJECTED at first reading on 9 January 2026, 240-200. Reports that Poland has moved to 10 years are wrong.
- A separate presidential bill proposing 3 to 10 years remains on the table; we could not confirm its precise procedural stage (prezydent.pl returned HTTP 403).
- Presidential discretionary grants of citizenship (Article 18, no residence requirement) have slowed to a trickle under Nawrocki. Treat the discretionary route as non-functional for planning.
- Citizenship by descent confirmation is untouched by all of this — it confirms existing status rather than granting new status.