Interesting factoid....

Children under 5 will only get a passport valid for 1 year, however, if they have never been issued a Polish Passport, the child will NOT need to obtain a Confirmation of Polish Citizenship if one of their parents has a valid Polish passport. If neither parent has a valid passport, and the child has never been issued a Polish Passport, then the child will need to obtain a Confirmation of Polish Citizenship.

Children 5 and over will get a passport valid for 5 years, however, if they have never been issued a Polish passport they will need to obtain a Confirmation of Polish Citizenship if they have never had Polish Passport. Note that children over 5 cannot simply use their parent's passport as proof of citizenship.

Why is this important? I recently have had many conversations with several Polish expat friends who have newborns. Poland recently changed the passport laws such that a child under 5 will only get a passport with a validity of 1 year. Many folks consider this a waste of their time and money, since the child has access to the passport from the country where they were born. They plan to wait until the child is at least 5 to get a passport with a validity of 5 years.

My argument is that its easier to get the first passport when the child is under 5, and go through the hassle and spend about $50. Later when the child turns 5+, you can easily use the expired 1-year passport during the application for the 5 year passport. This is MUCH easier than applying for Confirmation of Polish Citizenship for the child.

 

I am new here and been reading and reading. It's all good inforamtion but a lot!.

1. I had originally considered applying through the polish consulate in toronto (i'm in no rush) but i am rethinking this based on the language barrier and just so many unknowns. My situation is that my mother is a polish citizen. She came to canada in 1970 with a polish passport. When applying for canadian citizenship she sent her polish passport to the canadian government and they destroy these after 2 years. So it is long gone. I am requesting my mothers canadian citizenship file in hopes that somewhere in the application will be a passport #. Is this going to be helpful to the polish authorities? Or do they just want to see a copy of it. All i have is my mothers polish birth certificate and her father's polish death certificate. I mean my long form birth certiificate shows her citizenship as polish - but it's a canadian document

2. I have been in touch with ck law office in poland and awaiting response from piotrowski as many of you say great things about him. But ck law office wants the originals of polish documents. As with many of you i'm sure i have no way of replacing these documents. Canada doesn't participate in this apostille so that doesn't work. Does anyone know if i take these documents to the polish consululate in toronto can they certify a copy and then i can use those to send to the lawyer?

3. For those of you that used a lawyer either ck or piotrowski did you have to provide your canadian passport as proof of canadian citizenship? I have to say i'm not comfortable mailing my passport. I think it would be better to do everything through the consulate here if that is the case.

Curiousgeorge- i like your response and your thinking about getting a passport for a child under 5. I think i'm going to try and do that for my daughter.

Thanks all!

 

re: canadian passport
I took my Canadian passport to the consulate and had a legalized copy made of the first 2 pages. You pay about $51 for the privilege. This applies pretty much to all original docs you don't want to part with

Sounds like you're from Toronto as well?
I'm in Poland right now (stuck with flight closures) but I would be happy to contact you personally once I return and we could ciscuss your matter at length.

BTW...happy news I literally just got my confirmation of citizenship (on Saturday). Rather unexpectantly at that. It had a special meaning to get it here while in Poland.

I can't say enough good things about Piotrowski. Due to volcano airport closures, I missed our original meeting scheduled for Friday. He came into the office on SATURDAY (during a huge national ceremony for Kaczynski, which made navigating the city core very challenging). He handed me my documents and I (rather sheepishly) confided that I did not have the funds to pay him at the moment and began handing back the documents. He insisted I take the docs(without payment!!) and told me to wire the funds when I got back to Canada. How is that for trust?? He is a wonderful person and I have nothing but the highest regard and respect for him. I would recommend his services to everyone.

 

*

 

Hi all!


This board has been very helpful! Thanks to all the kind people on here.

I was wondering if i could get some advice on what you think my chances are of getting citizenship in poland and a passport?

Here is the case: my mother's side is polish (both parents) for as long as we can tell. My grandparents were taken i believe in 1939 from kuznica to work in a labour camp in hamburg.

In 1942, my mom was born in that camp. She and her family came to the usa in 1951 and in 1961 she became a us citizen. I have my grandmother's birth certificate from poland. I also have all naturalisation papers. I am trying to get more as we speak.

Am i eligible? Any responses would be helpful. This is a very important matter to me and my family so i am willing to pay a lawyer. Again, i thank you for your help.

Skrupaausskrupaaus
newbie

 

Hello all! Newbie here!

I've read all 4 threads (whew!) and i have another question.

Both of my grandfather's parents came to the us in 1914 (both were born in galicia in what became the state of poland in 1918). They had my grandfather in 1920 and my mother was born in 1951. My great-grandfather never intended to stay her here (was escaping pogroms in austria-poland since he had a newborn son born in 1913). However, before he could move them back, he passed away in 1926.

Now, from everything i've read, even though they were born in what become poland, they weren't considered polish but since they didn't have american citizenship either, what were they? Were they stateless?

My great-grandfather's parents, however, never left and became polish citizens (still trying to dig up that dusty record). So, if his father became a citizen in 1918, did it automatically transfer to my great-grandfather although he was in the us at that point?

Has anyone else tried this defence to gain confirmation?

Thanks everyone!

 

tanzanite, I too had documents I did not wish to part with and had the local Polish consulate legalize photocopies. I would suggest you call ahead before going as my local consulate wanted me to have an appointment.

 

quick question about traveling to Poland.
My citizenship has been confirmed but my birth has not yet been transcribed in Poland , nor have I applied for a Polish passport yet obviously ... and that takes several months, unless one applies for both temporary and permanent pp.
So is it a problem to travel to Poland in the meantime on my non-Polish pp? I never had problems before though of course back then there was no proof that I was Polish.
Oh and I wouldn't travel to Poland directly but to a Schengen country first and then by land to Poland, so except for checking into hotels there would be no reason for anyone to see my passport.

 

Don't sweat it, particularly if entering Europe through a Schengen country....enjoy your trip.
I went through passport control in Munich and then flew on to Warsaw. Officials in Warsaw don't even ask to see documents.
Are you planning to register your birth directly with the USC yourself?? It is very easy and cost only 50 zl. Only complication is that someone has to pick it up directly for you in one month's time.
regards,

 

Hey Siuniab, quick question:
Do you know if it's possible to register birth and/or apply for pesel before confirmation of citizenship? In the interest of time, I mean? I'm going to need my passport as soon as possible when my confirmation comes through.
Cheers...
And Marron,
I agree, don't sweat it. They're really very relaxed about it, especially on land crossings. That's the beauty of Schengen...

 

I registered my birth with USC last summer, got confirmation of citizenship very recently.
I believe you can also apply for a PESEL number without your confirm, but you may need your birth to be registered already (not entirely sure).

 

Thanks. Though I have a Polish surname I speak Polish so poorly that no one will even suspect I'm Polish
I had Piotr. register my BC instead of doing it myself. It's being done right now ...

 

For former Charsky clients ...
I ended up paying Piotrowski to finish the job, but for any of you who started out using Charsky, Eranium has been sending out emails offering to complete the job. Just thought I'd share what I got :

Eranium continues polish citizenship cases of former Charky clients



Dear Sir or Madam,



We are writing to inform you that the advocate Mr. David Leibovitz, the Manager of the Charsky’s Estate which includes the law office of I. Charsky & Co., Attorneys (“Charsky”), has successfully entered into an agreement with Eranium, a subsidiary of the international law firm Salans. The agreement has been approved by the Family Court of Ramat Gan.

Salans, one of the largest international law firms in Poland employing 750 lawyers worldwide and more than 100 in its Warsaw office, formed Eranium exclusively for the purpose of serving former Charsky clients. More information about Eranium and Salans can be found on our websites www.eranium.eu and www.salans.com respectively.

Eranium has undertaken the task of reviewing cases of all former Charsky clients. Should you wish that Eranium continue managing the process of your citizenship confirmation application, we would be delighted to do so. Eranium renders a professional service in the most ethical and expedient manner possible. Most importantly, should you decide to engage Eranium, you will not incur any additional expenses other than those which would be payable in accordance with your existing Agreement with Charsky. All payments that you have already made will be considered paid in full, albeit paid to Charsky and not to Eranium.

Unfortunately client files and documents we have found needed to be put in order. This was Eranium’s first priority and we have already successfully completed the audit process in Poland and Israel .

We sincerely encourage you to visit our website www.eranium.eu where you can access the information we have gathered about your case and view your source documents we have found so far. Please contact us to obtain your user id and your password.

Should you choose to engage Eranium kindly provide us with the new signed agreement with Eranium accompanied with a power of attorney. These two documents, which you will find attached to this letter, should be filled in, signed and sent to our Tel-Aviv office by either emailing scanned copies to contact@eranium.eu, faxing them to +972 3 510 80 90 or mailing them to Industry House, 29 Hamered St., Tel-Aviv 61502, Israel. If you have received any letters from Polish administrative authorities and/or from any other persons and/or lawyers etc. in regards to your case, kindly deliver them to us along with the new agreement and power of attorney so that we can take the appropriate action immediately.

Please also be advised that you have an option to decline Eranium’s offer to process your case. In such circumstances, kindly contact the Manager of the Estate directly by letter to his P.O.B. 1249, Bnei-Brak in order to arrange the safe transfer of your documents.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us by email at contact@eranium.eu or by phone at +972 3 510 20 30.

 

Hi, I was thinking about this possibility... I just got my confirmation last month. (took less than 6 months!) Which USC did you contact? Warsow? What documents did you have to send?
I'm having a hard time with my consulate... ;-) So if i could do it myself i wuold.

 

All "foreign" registrations are directed to the USC office in Warsaw.
I handled the matter in person.
I had my long form birth certificate translated by a "tlumacz przesiegly" in PL (worked out to be about 100 zl)
I filled out the application form at the USC office, with the help of the clerk.
I paid 50 zl per registered document.
I needed to designate someone to pick up said documents in 30 days time.
Although you could possibly do this by mail, I'm not sure how you would handle payment or delivery?
I know my lawyer (piotrowski) said he could handle this for me. I remember him quoting me a figure of about 50 euro (he would take care of translation costs).

 

Thanks siunab, that's extremely helpful.
I've got a friend doing the filing and overseeing the translating in Warsaw for me. I haven't been there yet but plan on going in a couple weeks when all the translations are done.
I've gathered together every single document I thought they could conceivably ask for, just because I don't want any long hold ups because of one missing doc I didn't think I'd need.
Will do the birth registration and the Pesel if possible then...

 

BC should be pretty straight forward...
USC is located at Plac Andersa (there is a metro stop there, but tram is easier)
Upon entry, go to kiosk to get a ticket...punch in "T"
This will put you in the queue for room 10.
Your number will be called in due course (didn't take long).
If your docs check out, you will fill out application form and sign.
Pretty easy.
Then you are asked to go next door (room 11) to pay 50 zl (cash only) per document.
The docs (3 originals) will be ready in 30 days time. You must designate someone for pick up.
Important: Do the documents only relate to you?? If not you will need a power of attorney to act for other individuals.
Children's docs: if relevant, you will need written authorization, witnessed by the consulate or other notary, of the other parent's agreement for transciption of children into USC books. I was refused the first time round, because of this omission on my part.
Good luck

 

Fantastically useful! Thanks.

 

I think ill be more patient with my consulate ;-)

 

Hello, i'm new here and i've been lurking in these threads for some time, as they have so much useful info!

I believe i have a pretty straightforward case to confirm my polish citizenship (mother born in poland as a polish citizen, came to usa in '76) and i have her old passport and marriage record that has been registered in poland. However, i am seeing mixed opinions on how to submit documents.

I know i have to have my us long-form birth certificate apostilled and translated, but i am confused about the certified copy of the passport. I've seen some posts here saying that people were able to take their non-polish passports to the consulate and have a certified copy made, but the chicago consulate specifically says that they do not certify foreign documents. So can i show up and have them certify a copy, or must i make a copy of my us passport, get it notarized and then apostilled, translated, and finally take it to the consulate?

Thanks in advance for any clarification you can provide! [edit: sorry, i don't know why this de-capitalized all but the first letter of each sentence when i submitted!]