Auranik

MINOR CHILD, POLISH OR EU PARENT

A child joining a Polish or EU citizen parent

A child of a Polish citizen is usually Polish by birth and needs documents, not a permit. A child of another EU citizen uses the EU family-member card.

Auranik provides administrative information, document-preparation tools and consulting support. We are not a government authority and do not make decisions on residence, work permits or visas.

Question 1

Who is your relative in Poland?

Question 2

How are you related to them?

Your route

You are probably a Polish citizen, not a foreigner

A child of a Polish citizen acquires Polish citizenship by birth, wherever they are born. A Polish citizen does not need a residence permit. What you need is proof of citizenship and Polish documents.

  • A child acquires Polish citizenship by birth if at least one parent is a Polish citizen, wherever the child is born. Such a child does not need a residence permit; the practical steps are registering (transcribing) a foreign birth certificate in the Polish civil register, then applying for a Polish ID document, which also gives the child a PESEL number.
  • For a child born before 15 August 2012 to one Polish and one foreign parent, a decision confirming Polish citizenship may be needed first, because the earlier law let parents choose a foreign citizenship for the child. The voivode decides (the Mazowiecki voivode if the child never lived in Poland); from abroad the application goes through a Polish consul.

Steps

  1. 1Check when you were born. If before 15 August 2012 and one parent was not Polish, apply first for a decision confirming Polish citizenship (from abroad, through a Polish consul).
  2. 2Register (transcribe) the foreign birth certificate in a Polish civil registry office (USC), in person, through a proxy or through a consul. You need the original and a sworn translation; some countries also need an apostille.
  3. 3Apply for a Polish passport or ID card. The PESEL number is assigned in that process.
  4. 4Once you hold Polish documents, you live and work in Poland as a citizen: no residence card or work permit.

This applies only if your parent was a Polish citizen when you were born. Citizenship questions can be complex (for example after a parent gave up Polish citizenship), so confirm with a consul or the voivode.

Check if a foreign certificate needs an apostille Read: PESEL in Poland, who needs it and how to get it

Official source

Ustawa z 2 kwietnia 2009 r. o obywatelstwie polskim, Art. 14

Art. 14 - Nabycie obywatelstwa polskiego przez urodzenie

Verified:
6 November 2026
Status:
Verified
View official source

Official source

Powroty.gov.pl (Polish government returnee portal)

Obywatelstwo dziecka urodzonego za granicą przed rokiem 2012

Verified:
6 November 2026
Status:
Verified
View official source

Not sure your case fits? Auranik can check your documents. We are not a law firm and cannot guarantee a decision.