What is this
The Pole’s Card is a document confirming the foreigner’s membership to the Polish nation.
The Pole’s card was established by the Act of 7 September 2007 on the Polish Card (Journal of Laws from 2007 No. 180, item 1280)
… “implementing the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland in the field of providing assistance to Poles living abroad in maintaining their relations with the national cultural heritage,
fulfilling a moral obligation towards Poles in the East who, due to the changing fate of our Homeland, lost their Polish citizenship,
meeting the expectations of those who have never been Polish citizens before, but because of their sense of national identity, want to obtain confirmation of belonging to the Polish Nation,
in order to strengthen the ties connecting Poles in the East with the Motherland and supporting their efforts to preserve the Polish language and to cultivate the national tradition “…
Pole’s card
The Pole’s card can be issued to a person who has the citizenship of one of the countries of the former USSR or has the status of a stateless person in one of these countries.
Conditions:
- shows their connection with the Polish nation and state by basic knowledge of the Polish language, which the given alien sees as their mother tongue, and by knowledge of Polish traditions and customs.
- in the presence of the Polish consul or voivode, or an employee designated by any of them, makes a written declaration on belonging to the Polish nation.
- demonstrates that at least one parent or grandparent, or two great-grandparents, are or were of Polish nationality, or were Polish citizens, or presents a certificate from an authorized organization of Poles living abroad in the country of the alien’s residence confirming active involvement of the foreigner in question in activities promoting the Polish language and culture or otherwise assisting the Polish national minority for the period of at least 3 last years.
- declares that neither the alien him- or her-self, nor their ascendants have repatriated themselves or have been repatriated from the territory of the Republic of Poland or the Polish People’s Republic, on the basis of repatriation agreements concluded in the years 1944-1957 by the Republic of Poland or the Polish People’s Republic with the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics onto the territory of one of the countries that were party to these agreements.
The Pole’s Card may also be granted to a person whose Polish descent has been validly certified in accordance with the provisions of the Act of 9 November 2000 on Repatriation.
After obtaining the Polish Card, its holder who intends to settle in Poland may apply for a permanent residence permit.