Polish citizenship confirmation in 2026: the descent route is untouched — but three numbers changed
As of 2026-06-10 · informational, not legal advice
Yes — the descent-confirmation route (potwierdzenie posiadania obywatelstwa polskiego) is open and untouched by Poland's citizenship crackdown. All three 2025–2026 reform tracks target residence-based naturalization, not descent: the presidential bill extending recognition residence from 3 to 10 years (druk 1759) has sat in committee since November 4, 2025; the PiS deputies' bill was rejected outright on January 9, 2026; and the government's 8-year/four-pillar plan had not even reached the Sejm as of June 10, 2026. What most outdated guides get wrong are the numbers: since August 1, 2025 the stamp duty for the confirmation decision is PLN 277 (up from PLN 58 — and payable even if the decision is negative); since December 9, 2025 the consular handling fee is EUR 100 (up from EUR 80); and authorities now face a 6-month statutory deadline instead of the general administrative timelines.
Key facts
| Legal basis (unchanged) | Arts. 55–57 of the Act of April 2, 2009 on Polish Citizenship: the voivode decides; people who never lived in Poland file with the Mazovian Voivode (Warsaw); applicants abroad file via their consul, who forwards the file |
|---|---|
| What the application must show | Your data and your ascendants' up to the second degree (parents, grandparents) plus the facts establishing the citizenship chain — with documents attached unless obtaining them meets obstacles difficult to overcome (Art. 56) |
| Stamp duty | PLN 277 for the confirmation decision — applications received on/after August 1, 2025 (Dz.U. 2025 poz. 921); earlier filings keep the old PLN 58; the duty is owed regardless of the outcome |
| Consular fee | EUR 100 for accepting and processing the application via a consulate with delivery of the decision (tariff item 2.03; raised from EUR 80 by the MFA regulation in force December 9, 2025) |
| New statutory clock | Citizenship cases (other than presidential grants) must be handled within 6 months of receipt — in force August 1, 2025, applying also to then-pending proceedings |
| The reform wave does NOT touch descent | Presidential bill druk 1759 (3→10 years residence for recognition): in committee since Nov 4, 2025. PiS bill druk 1888: rejected at first reading Jan 9, 2026. Government 8-year/4-pillar plan: announced Oct 10, 2025, no Sejm bill as of June 10, 2026. All three concern Art. 30 naturalization — not Arts. 55–57 confirmation |
| Why demand surged | Mazovian-office intake (press-reported figures attributed to the office): 2,506 applications in 2021 → 9,173 in 2024, with Israeli applicants the largest group after October 2023 |
Likely still eligible
- Descendants who can document an unbroken chain from a Polish citizen (typically via the 1920 → 1951 → 1962 act sequence) — the substantive descent rules are unchanged
- Applicants who never lived in Poland — file with the Mazovian Voivode, via the consulate of your country of residence
- Files already pending before August 1, 2025 — they keep the old PLN 58 stamp duty
Newly restricted
- Lines broken before the next generation's birth by a loss event under the historical acts (e.g. certain foreign naturalizations or service under the 1920 act) — the chain must be unbroken at each birth; this analysis is case-specific
- Nobody new was cut off by the 2025–2026 reforms — they target residence-based naturalization, not descent confirmation
Frequently asked
- Did Poland's new citizenship law kill the grandparent route?
- No such law exists for descent. The presidential bill (druk 1759) extends the residence requirement for naturalization-by-recognition from 3 to 10 years and has been in committee since November 4, 2025; the PiS bill was rejected on January 9, 2026; the government plan wasn't yet a bill as of June 10, 2026. None of the three touches Arts. 55–57 descent confirmation.
- How much does confirmation cost now?
- PLN 277 stamp duty for the decision (applications received from August 1, 2025 — payable even on a refusal), plus EUR 100 consular handling if you file through a consulate (rate in force December 9, 2025). Sworn translations of foreign documents are a separate real cost.
- How long does it take?
- Since August 1, 2025 the law gives authorities 6 months from receipt for citizenship cases other than presidential grants — including confirmation files, and including proceedings already pending on that date. Practical backlogs at the Mazovian office aren't officially published; treat the 6 months as the statutory clock, not a promise.
- Can I apply from abroad?
- Yes — you file via the Polish consul competent for your place of residence, who forwards the application to the voivode (the Mazovian Voivode if you never lived in Poland). The application form is in Polish and foreign documents need sworn translation.
- Which historical laws decide whether my chain is unbroken?
- Citizenship at each birth is judged under the act in force at the time: the 1920 act (in force Jan 31, 1920 – Jan 19, 1951), the 1951 act (to Aug 21, 1962), then the 1962 act (to Aug 15, 2012), now the 2009 act. Loss events under those acts are case-specific — that's the part worth professional analysis.
Related routes
Compiled from primary legal and official sources (below) — not legal advice. Citizenship law and fees change and turn on your exact documents; confirm with the competent authority or a licensed professional before acting. Verified as of 2026-06-10.
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