Poland plans to change the rules for obtaining citizenship: details

This is reported by the Polish publication RMF24.

What the Polish government offers

The Polish government explains that the current citizenship law was adopted in 2009, when the country was largely a country of emigration. The situation has changed since then: after Poland joined the European Union, and especially since 2014, the number of foreigners in the country has increased significantly. In particular, many Ukrainians arrived in Poland because of the war.

The increase in migration was also influenced by simplified procedures for employment, work permits, and permanent residence. This applied, in particular, to people of Polish origin and holders of the “Poles’ Card”.

The government believes that the increase in the number of foreigners has led to an increase in the number of applications for citizenship, so the legislation needs to be updated.

First of all, they propose to extend the minimum period of legal residence in Poland required to apply for citizenship. However, the specific length of the new period has not yet been determined.

In addition, applicants will need to:

• • submit a declaration of allegiance to the Republic of Poland;

• • take a test on your knowledge of Poland;

• • confirm knowledge of the Polish language at level B2 instead of the current B1;

• • prove that their main life center and tax residence are located in Poland;

• • confirm the availability of minimum income, sources of support and ownership of housing.

When can citizenship be denied?

The draft law provides for a mandatory refusal to grant Polish citizenship if circumstances indicate a threat to state security or public order.

Grounds for refusal include a final conviction, certain administrative penalties and fines, and the submission of false information or forged documents during the citizenship application process.

The changes will also affect the restoration of Polish citizenship. The government proposes to abolish the simplified procedure for its restoration.

Separately, the bill provides for the possibility of canceling a decision on recognition or restoration of citizenship at any time, even many years after its adoption. This would apply to cases where it is found that a person obtained citizenship through fraud – for example, by submitting forged documents, providing false information, or concealing important circumstances.

The adoption of the draft law by the Polish Council of Ministers is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026. At the moment, we are talking about a government proposal, not the current rules.

It was previously reported that about 100,000 Ukrainians living and working in the United States under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program will be able to continue to remain in the country under protection. The US government has confirmed that their status will not end on October 19, as previously expected.

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