I had my documents translated and notarized by a US Public attorney / Certified Polish Translator. Then I got an apostille for these documents, and sent:
1) A photocopy of the original document in English
2) The Polish translation
3) The Apostille

Everything was fine. I used this guy, he was great, but I'm sure there are others:
Jerzy Kowerdan
http://polishenglishservice.com/



This time for my youngest son I used this place, but I just submitted the application in Warsaw, so I don't know if there wil be any issues:
http://www.annamikeagency.com/

 

Some times it depends on which person is processing your application. I know someone who had to certify the translations at the consulate and someone who didn't. You must have been lucky.

 

Curious, when did you do your application? Was it pre- or post-EU? I think they may have become a little more strict since the entered the EU.

 

Post EU.

 

Interesting...well, I'll see if my next try work. I can do the translations but mail, but not the passport. Let you all know in a about a month or so what happens...

 

That is very true. They don't seem to adhere to any standards.

 

Loss of Polish Citizenship

This blog has spoken a lot of confirming Polish citizenship...but no one has asked anything about losing Polish citizenship?
If you have confirmed Polish citizenship, is there any way it can be taken away from someone? Can the decision makers change their minds?

This is food for thought...

 

Re: Loss of Polish Citizenship

No, there is no way it can be taken away unless you are found to have obtained it fraudulently, or you expressly want to renounce it, and EVEN if you want to renounce it, it will not be taken away without the approval of the President of Poland, and if they refuse the revocation of your citizenship you can apply to a court of law to have a review on their decision.

This signifies that, according to the current legislation, it is impossible to lose Polish citizenship against your will, and it's extremely difficult to lose it even with YOUR will.

 

Re: Loss of Polish Citizenship

What of one were to commit treason?

 

Re: Loss of Polish Citizenship

You are right, however I think this article was later amended. If you were granted Polish Citizenship as being naturalized then it's easier to lose it if you commit a crime specially treason. Probably it would be more difficult to lose it if as a consequence you would become stateless.

 

Re: Loss of citizenship

"was sentenced abroad for an offense defined as a common crime under Polish law" Law of 1962.

So the law of 1962 would prevent someone like Martha Stewart from confirming her Polish citizenship? She was convicted of a crime and served time for it and her grandparents are Polish?

 

Re: Loss of citizenship

I don't really know which crimes are disqualifying under Polish Law, but I find strange that a person who was Polish by birth and not Polish by naturalization could so easily lose her citizenship, specially when she already served time for her crime. I'm not professional in this matters. You may want to ask a Lawyer about this to clarify the situation.

 

Sorry I haven't been around here for a while, been distracted by exams and papers.

Anyway, I recently got back extended responses from two of the attorneys I had contacted.

Krzysztof Banek replied today and said that I “lost” my Polish citizenship and cannot apply for the certificate, and said the only way I would be able to get one would be applying directly to the Polish president, but obviously that is far from guaranteed. I'm not sure what he means by me having "lost" my citizenship, unless it's just mistranslation on his part.


Lukasz Piotrowski, by contrast, said success was not guaranteed but quoted a step by step proposal for an attempt. First he would confirm the citizenship of my great-grandparents and grandfather, for 1400 Euros. If successful he would then move onto confirming my mother's citizenship for 500 Euro, and after that mine for another 500 Euros. The fees are all-inclusive, and furthermore Piotrowski said he would ask for half the payment in advance for the particular step he's on, with the other half being contingent on success. So basically the cost of a failed attempt would be a minimum of 700 Euros (~$950), with the cost of total success 2400 Euros (~$3000).

So Piotrowski's offer is something to work off of, though both the effective 700 Euro minimum fee and the 2400 total fee is pretty substantial, given the present state of the economy and the fact that, at this point (still in college), there's no guarantee I'd make much use of European citizenship. At the very least, it's hard to justify right now while I am taking on college debt, though at the same time I'm not sure whether I could easily “put it off” for several more years, since some people here have made it sound like Poland is already making it harder to gain citizenship through descent.

And, after all of that, Piotrowski isn't guaranteeing success anyway. 2400 Euro for citizenship is steep enough, but paying 700 Euro for a failed attempt would be even harder to accept.

 

Here is the decision you need to weigh. Is it worth 700Euro for you to do the research on you own? Do you have time for this? Do you know where to go? Are you fluent in Polish? Do you have someone in Poland who is willing to do the leg work for you?

In a complex case like yours, I think its well worth the 700 Euros. At 10 Euros per hour that's only 70 hours. Basically, 2 full time work weeks for a non-professional if you paid another person to do the legwork for you.

My friend in Poland must have spent over 20 hours over the span of 6 weeks, driving around, mailing stuff, and filling out applications, and that was AFTER I told him what do, and where to go.

70 hours seems like the bare minimum in a case like yours just for the imt spent waiting in line, and driving around asking questions, and I much prefer to have a professional handle it than my friend, who he himself learned about the process as he was doing it.

Pay the 700 Euros, and get your answer from a pro.

 

700 seems like a big number, but, after curious's nice breakdown, it's actually quite reasonable.

Also, but putting it off now, you are further hurting your odds. At any time, they could change the law again to make it even more difficult to confirm citizenship. They are already overwhelmed with the amount of applicants since joining the EU, and from what I understand, the general concensus is a resentment among Poles of these "newly" Polish people. I understand both sides. Point being, it could be now or never...

 

I'm in total agreement with curiousgeorge. As an American attorney I think that price is reasonable, to say the least, especially if he's going to charge only half for a negative result at each stage. Lots of leg work, lets of beauracracy. In the grand scheme of things $3000 US isn't that much to avail yourself of all the rights and duties of Polish citizenship.

 

700 is not too much money if you think of all the benefits and freedom that gives you an European Passport. Although it may not be guaranteed nor is guaranteed that in the future they may change the law making it impossible. At least now you have a chance...Tomorrow it might be too late.

 

Polish Law

Does anyone think Poland will change current immigration law???

Is there any talk in Warsaw right now about changing the laws
for immigration?

I know for people born outside Canada to a Canadian parent, you have
up till your 28th birthday to claim Canadian citizenship or it's lost
forever.

Mark in Montreal

 

I agree, hurry up. I have already heard from friends in Poland that discussions have been brewing to include laws that require a language and history/political test (similar to the US naturalization exam), even for people like us who are confirming thier citizenship.

 

Perhaps immigration laws will be tougher but nationality laws were last written in 1967 and everything I have read points toward reforming 1920 and 1951 laws to let people who lost citizenship under them to regain them. There has also been steps taken for Jewish people in Israel and acknowledgement of former Polish citizens that were excelled to the easter USSR. Under jus sanguinis I find it hard to believe there would be tests because under right of blood you gain your citizenship through birth.

I have read that they have not yet updated the 1920, 1951, 1967 nationality laws because there was no need. The laws are very broadly defined so they can admit and restrict who they want.

I have also read that the Polish government is not against recognizing foreign Poles because many of them went to/are in good countries and now hold very good education.