Not just the duration of residence: Poland strengthens all criteria for obtaining citizenship.

Changes in the conditions for obtaining Polish citizenship

The parliamentary opposition and the government of Poland have decided to tighten the conditions for obtaining Polish citizenship, requiring a minimum of ten years of continuous residence in the country. According to information from Yavp.pl, there are two pathways for foreigners to acquire citizenship. The first is through the 'uznanie za obywatela polskiego' procedure, which involves submitting documents to the voivode. The second is the granting of citizenship by the president of the country, a procedure that is not limited by requirements, allowing some foreigners to obtain citizenship without residing in Poland.

The idea of raising the requirements for obtaining citizenship arose in response to the growing immigration, particularly from Ukraine. The government's plans include increasing the minimum period of continuous residence in Poland from three to ten years. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration will begin work on the new conditions for granting citizenship after the presidential elections in May. It is proposed to set a fee for reviewing applications for citizenship through the president at the level of 1669 zlotys, and 1000 zlotys through the voivode.