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. The right response is urgency, not panic.
Qualifying routes
3 years continuous residence on a permanent residence permit, plus B1 Polish. Karta Polaka holders and Polish-descent PR holders need just 1 year.
The facts
- Total landed cost
- Administrative fees only
- Route type
- By residence
- Timeline
- 6–24 months (Available 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, or 1 year for Karta Polaka holders
- Language test
- B1 Polish certificate
- Dual citizenship
- Permitted
- Requirements
- 3 years of continuous residence on a permanent residence permitA B1 Polish language certificateA stable, regular income and legal title to housing
- The live risk is the government's own bill, put forward by MSWiA on 10 October 2025. It calls for 8 years total, made up of 3 years temporary residence plus 5 years 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 stretch the Karta Polaka route from 1 year to 3. It had not been submitted to the Sejm as of mid-2026, but it carries the President's implicit buy-in. He was brought into the drafting process specifically to guarantee his signature. This is the one to watch.
- The PiS bill, which called for 10 years, C1 Polish and a state exam, was rejected at first reading on 9 January 2026 by a vote of 240-200. Any report claiming Poland has moved to a 10 year requirement is wrong.
- A separate presidential bill proposing 3 to 10 years is still on the table. Exactly where it stands procedurally is unconfirmed, since prezydent.pl returns HTTP 403.
- Presidential discretionary grants of citizenship, made under Article 18 with no residence requirement, have slowed to a trickle under Nawrocki. For planning purposes, treat this route as non-functional.
- None of this touches citizenship by descent confirmation. That process confirms a status you already hold. It does not grant a new one.