The Pole’s Card is a document confirming the foreigner’s belonging to the Polish nation.

The Pole’s Card is issued to a person who:

  • demonstrates that he/she belongs to the Polish nation through at least basic knowledge of the Polish language, which is considered to be his/her mother tongue, and the knowledge and cultivation of Polish traditions and customs;
  • submits a written declaration of belonging to the Polish Nation;
  • proves that he/she is of Polish nationality or had Polish citizenship, or at least one of her parents or grandparents or two great-grandparents were of Polish nationality or had Polish citizenship;
  • on the day of submitting the application for a Pole’s Card, he has the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Estonia, Georgia, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine or Republic of Uzbekistan or has stateless status in one of these states.

 

When can a child get the Pole’s Card?

A child is granted the Pole’s Card at the request of the parents, when both of them have the Pole’s Card or had it before getting of the permanent residence. If only one of the parents has or had the Card, the other parent, in the presence of the Polish consul or voivode, must agree for the issue of the Pole’s Card to the child. If the other parent does not have parental responsibility, he or she does not have to agree.

The Pole’s Card is also granted to a minor who proves that at least one of the parents or grandparents or two great-grandparents of his/her dead parent were of Polish nationality or had Polish citizenship. In this case, the application on behalf of the minor is submitted by an alive parent or legal representative.

 

How long is the Pole’s Card valid?

The Pole’s Card is valid for 10 years from the date it was granted. At the latest 3 months before the expiry date of the Pole’s Card, you must apply for an extension for another 10 years.

The Pole’s card issued to a minor is valid for 10 years, but not longer than until the day of his or her age of majority.

 

What to do if the Pole’s Card is lost or damaged?

If the Pole’s card is lost or damaged, the consul or voivode who issued the Pole’s Card, at the request of the holder, issues a duplicate of the Pole’s Card.

 

How to use the Pole’s Card?

In order to take advantage of the rights guaranteed by the Pole’s Card, it must be presented with a valid identity document.

 

What rights does the Pole’s Card give?

The holder of the Pole’s Card has the right to:

  • be released from the obligation to have a work permit and to undertake and conduct business activities on the same principles as Polish citizens;
  • carry out study, doctoral study and other forms of education, as well as participate in research and development works;
  • use of emergency healthcare services;
  • have 37% discounts for journeys in Poland in passenger, high-speed and express trains, on the basis of single tickets;
  • have free admission to selected state museums in Poland;
  • have assistance of a consul in a situation where life or safety is at risk, within his competence, with the usage and respect for customs and international law,
  • be released from consular fees for: acceptance and processing of an application for a national visa in order to use the rights which are resulted of the possession of the Pole’s Card; accepting and preparing an application for granting Polish citizenship;
  • to receive a cash benefit for partial maintenance in Poland in the case of submitting an application for permanent residence. The cash benefit is granted for a period of up to 9 months;
  • to have a priority in applying for financial aid, used to support Poles abroad.

 

Adults applying for the Pole’s Card must submit:

  • completed application for the Pole’s Card,
  • an identity document with a photo and a copy,
  • documents confirming the Polish nationality of the applicant or his / her ascendants (mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, great grandmother, great grandfather) and any documents confirming kinship with the persons whom the applicant refers to, together with copies, or a certificate from an authorized Polish or Polish community organization confirming the applicant’s active involvement in activities for the benefit of the Polish language and culture or the Polish national minority,
  • possibly a document confirming the knowledge of the Polish language with a copy.

 

Documents that confirm the knowledge of the language can be school or study graduation certificate in Poland or a school graduation certificate abroad, where studies were conducted in  Polish language.

If you do not have any of the above-mentioned documents, the knowledge of the language will be estimated by the consul. The interview with the consul, conducted in Polish, will concern, in particular, Polish traditions and customs.

 

Parents applying for the Pole’s Card to minors submit:

  • completed application for the Pole’s Card,
  • birth certificate of a minor with a copy,
  • parents’ identity documents with copies,
  • Pole’s cards of parents or Pole’s card of one of the parents with copy/copies.

 

Charges:

The submission of the application and the entire procedure related to the obtaining of the Pole’s Card are free of charge and no fees are charged at any of its stage.