Most foreigners who come to Poland for permanent residence or employment start thinking about legalization of life in this country. Mostly people's choice falls on visas, residence cards and residence permits. However, many people do not even think and do not know that there are relatives from Poland in their family, which could easily help in obtaining a special status.
If you want to know more about what is a Pole's card, what are the conditions of its registration and in general how it is better than a regular card, be sure to read this article. We have prepared a lot of interesting and useful information for your legal move to Poland.
What is a Pole's card?
It is impossible not to agree that Polish law provides many excellent ways to legalize life in Poland, one of them is the document of the Pole's card. This document confirms the foreigner's belonging to the Polish nation. The government of the Republic of Poland provides the opportunity to return to their homeland to persons and their descendants who were subjected to deportation.
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In 2007, on September 7, 2007, the Act on the Pole's card was drafted and signed, which sets out all aspects of granting the Pole's card to foreigners. The Pole's card is issued at the consulate of the country of your current citizenship, if you reside there, or at a Polish diplomatic mission.
Persons entitled to receive a Pole's card
According to the law we wrote about above, a Pole's card can be granted to a person of any nationality who has proven the fact that there is one relative of Polish origin in the family up to the third generation. Also, it is allowed to have two relatives in the fourth generation. In simple terms, you can get a Pole's card if you have a Pole in your family:
Parent(s) of Polish descent;
Grandparent(s) of Polish descent;
Great-grandparents of Polish descent.
Prospects for legalization through the Pole's card
You may ask «what is the difference between a Pole's card and the well-known Polish residence card»? A foreigner gains many advantages and prospects by having a Pole’s card, namely:
Legal residence on the territory of the country;
Employment without permits or work visa (not all residence cards provide this opportunity);
Free medical care;
Entrepreneurial activity;
Free education in public schools and universities;
Scholarships for students, as well as a 30% discount on tuition at private universities in the country;
Discounts on the use of public transportation;
Possibility to obtain a permanent residence card under a simplified procedure after 6 months of continuous stay in Poland;
Possibility to apply for citizenship after 12 months of continuous stay in Poland.
In general, the Pole's card will grant you all the same rights as Polish citizens, with the exception of the right to vote and the possibility to hold managerial positions in public institutions. Moreover, the Pole's card provides for the possibility to apply for financial assistance for its holder.
Full list of requirements for the applicant
Many people think that just having relatives with Polish ancestry is enough and you can get a Pole's card immediately. But this is not the case, the process is a bit more difficult, because there are certain requirements for the applicant:
Polish language proficiency at the level B1 and above (the interview with the consul takes place exclusively in Polish, where your language level will be checked);
Knowledge of traditions, history of the Polish state and customs (at the interview you will be asked a few questions about events significant for Poles);
Lack of Polish citizenship or permanent residence in Poland.
IMPORTANT: if only one of the parents has or had a Pole's card, the other parent, in the presence of the Polish consul, must consent to the issuance of a Pole's card to the child.
Issuance of a Pole's card in 2024
To successfully apply for a Pole's card in 2024, you must complete the following steps:
→ Collecting documents. Prepare documents that prove that your relatives belong to the Polish nation. You should also take the birth certificate or passport of your relatives.
→ Filling out the application. Find and print the appropriate form at this link.
→ Interview with consul. If you plan to apply for a Pole's card for your child, both parents must be present at the interview with the consul.
If you encounter problems or difficulties in applying for the card, you can contact qualified specialists. The aksis migration agency will provide you with all the assistance and information you need to quickly obtain a Pole's card for you and your child.
