Lithuanian Dual Citizenship
Lithuanian Consular Service – Migration Department of the Lithuanian Ministry of the Interior
Migration Law Center – Information on the various options by which to obtain Lithuanian citizenship
Polish Dual Citizenship
Citizenship Flow Chart – Sequence of Yes/No question to assist in determining the possible option for citizenship
Polish Ministry – Official page of the Ministry of the Interior regarding citizenship
The sections below briefly describe the various options by which Polish citizenship can be attained. It is the first two options that apply to most individuals whose ancestors emigrated in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Granting of Citizenship by the President of Poland
The President of Poland has the right to grant citizenship to any person who petitions for it; however, it is a rare occurrence. A person must provide a compelling case that their actions have benefitted Poland in some form. Recipients are usually business people, educators, scientists, artists, authors, athletes, etc.
Basic Process:
No formal requirements for citizenship
Application procedure via Voivode or Polish consulate
Polish Citizenship by Descent
A person can obtain Polish citizenship if their parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was a citizen. It will be necessary to prove that the ancestor(s) were legal citizens of Poland, meaning they needed to be citizens when Poland existed as a country.
Basic Requirements:
Direct ancestry from a Polish parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent
Ancestor must have held Polish citizenship after 1920 and never renounced citizenship or indirectly severed their citizenship through certain actions before 1951
Ancestor must not have directly renounced citizenship and taken other citizenship
Ancestor must not have served for a foreign military before 1951, unless for the Allied forces in WWII
Ancestor must not have served in a foreign public office before 1951, unless given consent by Polish government
Polish Citizenship by Marriage Residence or Recognition
Citizenship might be granted for long-term residency in Poland. This applies particularly to persons who are in Poland to operate a businesses they own, married a Polish citizen, or are a refugee from another country.
Basic Requirements:
Continuous and legal residence for 3 to 10 years, depending on status
Knowledge of Polish language (B1 level proficiency required)
Determined to not be a risk to the security and public order of Poland
Depending on your situation, you’ll also need: 3 years under a permanent residence permit, stable income, and own or pay rent for housing
By marriage: 3 years of marriage to a Polish citizen and 2 continuous years of residence as a permanent resident
Refugee status: 2 years as a refugee
2 years as a permanent resident and you have no state
2 years as a permanent resident and you are repatriating
Lived in Poland for 8 years, have had permanent resident status for any length of time, have stable income, and own or rent housing
Polish Citizenship by Birth or Adoption
If due to work, education, political exile or other circumstance and at least one parent held Polish citizen, the child immediately holds Polish citizenship. Also, if under the age of 16 when adopted by Polish citizens, the child gains Polish citizenship.
Basic Requirements:
Born with at least one parent as a Polish citizen, no matter where you were born
Born in Poland with parents who are stateless or of unknown status
Adopted by Polish citizens before the age 16 of
Restoration of Polish Citizenship
Politics during the Soviet period, discrimination against Jews, changes in borders after WWII, public employment or military service outside of Poland and other factors cased many Poles to involuntarily lose their citizenship. and other causes, many lost their Polish citizenship. Because of these involuntary reasons for lost citizenship, a path to regain citizenship was established.
Requirements:
Must have lost Polish citizenship before January 1, 1999
Cannot have served Axis powers or acted against Poland during WWII
Application through the Ministry of Internal Affairs