Citizenship & Long-Term Status
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Karta stałego pobytu, EU long-term resident status, naturalization, dual citizenship, and children born in Poland.
Karta stałego pobytu: the permanent residence cardThe permanent residence permit is granted for defined cases — Polish roots, Karta Polaka, or long marriage to a Polish citizen — and gives an indefinite right to stay and work.
EU long-term resident permit: the 5-year routeAfter 5 years of continuous legal stay, most foreigners qualify for EU long-term resident status — the standard permanent track when you have no Polish family ties.
Becoming a citizen: uznanie za obywatela and the B1 examMost settled foreigners naturalize via 'uznanie za obywatela polskiego' — typically 3 years on a permanent permit with stable income, housing, and certified Polish at B1.
Dual citizenship: what Poland acceptsPoland does not force you to renounce your original citizenship — but on Polish soil the state treats you exclusively as a Polish citizen.
Citizenship for children born in PolandPoland follows ius sanguinis: birth on Polish soil alone does not confer citizenship — a child is Polish if at least one parent is a Polish citizen.