Countries around the world regulate how citizenship is acquired based on two main legal principles: jus sanguinis (citizenship by descent, based on a parent’s nationality) and jus soli (citizenship by birth, based on place of birth). In the United States, a person born on U.S. soil generally acquires U.S. citizenship at birth, regardless of their parents’ nationality. Poland, however, follows the principle of jus sanguinis. This means that a child born in Poland to parents who are not Polish citizens does not automatically become a Polish citizen. So what does this mean for individuals born in the United States to a Polish family? Such individuals are U.S. citizens by birth, and they may also be eligible to apply for Polish citizenship by descent, provided they meet the legal requirements. If they choose not to document their status, they remain undocumented Polish citizens under Polish law.

Two historical dates are especially important when determining eligibility for Polish citizenship.

Poland did not exist as an independent country between 1795 and 1918, having been partitioned among neighboring powers. As a result, Polish citizenship could not exist before 1918. When reviewing ancestry, Polish authorities must determine whether an ancestor was considered a Polish citizen after Poland regained independence in 1918.

Before 1951, Polish law generally did not allow dual citizenship. As a result, many individuals lost Polish citizenship if they voluntarily acquired another nationality, such as U.S. citizenship. Legal changes after 1951 made it possible to retain Polish citizenship alongside another nationality.

As a result, the timing of emigration, naturalization, and the birth of descendants often determines eligibility today.

You can check the link below to help determine whether you may be eligible to apply for Polish citizenship by descent:

https://sites.google.com/view/polishgenealogygroup/internet-tools/citizenship

The process generally consists of two main stages. In most cases, claiming Polish citizenship involves preparing formal applications along with supporting documents, such as birth and marriage records, and theirsworn Polish translations. These documents are filed with two separate authorities in Poland:

Mazowiecki Urząd Wojewódzki in Warsaw -this office issues a formal decision confirming that you are a Polish citizen, based on proof that at least one of your parents was a Polish citizen at the time of your birth. Urząd Stanu Cywilnego (USC – Office of Civil Registration) - this is where your birth and, if applicable, your marriage are registered in Poland, and where Polish birth and marriage certificates are issued. Marriage registration ensures that your marital status is consistent in both the United States and Poland and is required if you changed your last name due to marriage.

Once you have received the citizenship confirmation decision and your Polish civil records, you may apply for a Polish passport at a Polish consulate.

In Poland, minors are individuals under the age of 18. Parents may apply for a Polish passport for a minor child provided that:

- both parents hold valid Polish passports (if both are Polish citizens), or

- the Polish parent holds a valid Polish passport and the non-Polish parent presents valid identification.

Additionally, if a child was born to one Polish parent and one non-Polish parent before August 15, 2012, the child must go through the confirmation of Polish citizenship process.