Polaron’s Blog
Prof. Adamski – a fountain of useless knowledge
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About...
Prof. Adamski knows everything there is to know about EU passports, family research and PL citizenship.
Born and bread in Poland, he is old enough to remember General Jaruzelski and the First Secretary Gierek. He remembers the empty shelves at supermarkets and mile long queues in early 1980s. He has seen it all and understands how to deal with bureaucrats of all persuasions.
Prof. Adamski can hold your hand during the long months of waiting for your EU citizenship confirmation. He is that kind of a guy. Direct but caring and very, very clever. Beware of his sharp wit and barbed comments, delivered with icy precision. He does tell it like it is!
So. What are you waiting for? Ask Prof. Adamski now! If not, go back to where you came from: www.polaron.com.au.
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Recent Comments
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Hi im wondering if you can help me. I am trying to apply for Polish citizenship. I have a certified copy of both (NAATI) my grandfathers Australian Citizenship Act 1948 and his certificate of authority to remain in Australia. I also have his passport do i need to get a certified copy of his passport? Also I am going to get a certified copy of my birth certificate but not my passport or drivers licence would this be ok? or do i need a certified copy of my passport as well. I am also going to get a certified copy of my fathers birth certificate would this be enough proof of evidence along with the application letter and bios. If you could please help me to know what needs certifying and if im missing anything it would be great below is a list of thing i have
My Drivers licence
My Birthcertificate
My passport
Grandfathers bio
Grandfathers passport
Grandfathers evidence of citizenship Australian (certified)
Granfathers Certificate of authority to remain in Aus (certified)
Declaration (in Polish) what other than Australian citizenship(s) you hold (or held) 9.
Declaration (in Polish) whether you, your parents or grandparents ever renounced Polish citizenship
Grandfathers death certificate
Sheree – all original documents need to be notarised by a Notary Public and accompanied by an Apostille (JP certification is not sufficient for international purposes).
All vital records (birth and marriage certificates) need to be Apostilled in original form (copies are not accepted).
You will need to submit your father’s documents as well, so that his citizenship can be confirmed.
ou will need to have everything translated into Polish, including your grandfather’s death certificate.
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
http://www.polaron.com.au
Dear Professor,
My mother was born in poland in 1947 but is an Australian citizen.
Am I able to apply for Polish citizenship to obtain an EU passport?
Thank you.
Yes, she would be able to apply, provided she can confirm her Polish citizenship first. Given she left Poland after WW2 and was born there, she has a good chance but you would need to make sure that her citizenship has not been affected by events that took place after she’s left Poland. Are you able to provide me with a bit more information as to her movements post 1947?
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
Thanks for your response. My mother isn’t seeking Polish citizenship. I’m seeking Polish citizenship in view to attaining a EU p’port based on her place of birth. Her parents immigrated to Israel when she was 2. To my knowledge, all she has is a Polish birth certificate.
Many thanks.
My grandparents were born in poland moved to australia during ww2. They have now passed away. I have travelled to Poland & obtained my grandfathers birth certificate. we also obtained entry papers. marriage certificates. My father & i would like to apply together. is this possible through your company?
Yes, of course it is! Please contact Kasia on projects@polaron.com.au or 1300 88 55 61.
Happy to help.
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
Hello!! My name is Pavel, tell to me please, whether I can ask the Polish citizenship if the grandfather of my grandfather was the Pole, its surname Sokolovschii, and it was the architect. Has arrived to Moldova, has constructed here church and remained here to live. Thanks
Hi Pavel,
It all depends on the dates. When was your great-grandfather born in Poland? What year did he go to Moldova? Do you have any documents proving any of what you know?
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
dear Prof. Adamski,
We arrived in the mists of winter in 1966, I have a polish birth certificate, my parents renounced their polish passports and came over to australia as refuges, now my father fled poland during the nazi occupation over the border to russia as he was a liberal jew we have pictures of him in a polish army uniform , of course he married my catholic mother after the war hence i came along . we have a stronge family tie back in poland and i am eagerly wanting to go thru this adious process of obtaining a biometric polish passport. please advice me as to the steps to take. yours sincerely mira komaroska
Hello Mira,
If you were born in Poland, your journey towards confirming your Polish citizenship will be much shorter than most people’s, as they usually rely on their parents’ or grandparents’ heritage. Being born in Poland in itself is not proof of one’s citizenship so what you need tell me is what you mean by “my parents renounced their Polish passports”. Do you mean in Poland, or in Australia? Did they give up their passports, or their Polish citizenship? Being a minor, you would have been included on your mother’s passport. Do you still have it? I assume you have lived for some time in Poland, since you were born there. Do you have any documents, such as school certificates etc? Once I have a better picture of your family’s history, I will be in a better position to provide you with more information.
Please feel free to email me off this forum, at info@polaron.com.au.
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
Dear Prof. Adamski. I am wondering what the newest developments in the machine translation technology are. We have all tried the online translations that produce garbage and can only give you the gist of the meaning, at best. I notice google has google translation now. Google being google, it has to be good, right? Are translators heading for extintion?
Thanks
Andy
Hardly, Andy. What google has basically done, is collected one huge library of words and expressions. You would think that everything has been said on the internet at least once but human translators are going to be around for a while yet. Just think of the word “run”, for example. Can you think of the various ways it is used in English, depending on the context? So just imagine what happens when it is translated into another language.
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
Dear the professor,
So here is the situation:
I am an American citizen. My paternal grandparents were born in Poland (grandfather, deceased, born in Rypin in 1910, which I guess would be Congress Poland; grandmother, living, born in Gdynia in 1920-something). Grandparents emigrated to US in 1951 as “displaced persons,” though never became citizens. Father born in 1952 American citizen jus soli. There would not appear to be a break in Polishness.
I guess the first question is whether or not I have a chance of successfully applying to confirm citizenship. My father has never confirmed citizenship for Poland so he does not have a passport nor any citizen documents. Should he confirm his citizenship first? Does he have to?
A bigger issue is that due to the whole “DP” thing there is a want of paperwork and that which is available is almost useless (marriage certificates from outside Poland, the only legitymacja I have found so far is a POW ID card, etc). How difficult would it be for one to obtain proper paperwork (assuming of course all the “data” I have is correct; my grandparents were not fans of talking about the pre-emigration life)?
From what I understand this process is difficult enough having everything.
thank you for your time.
Dear Jeff,
Thank you for your enquiry. Technically speaking, you are a Polish citizen already, because of your ancestors. You just have to prove it (or confirm it). Easier said than done, of course, as you rightly point out.
The Polish citizenship law is quite liberal, which is a bit of a double edged sword in that the onus is on you to prove that nothing happened between the time your grandparents left Poland (and because your father was born after 1951 you can apply under your paternal OR maternal side) to affect your citizenship. The Polish government doesn’t really tell you what it is that you need to submit but, obviously, you would need to prove who you are and how you are related to your father and then show the link to one of your grandparents. As part of your application you would need to provide evidence of your ancestors’
“Polishness”, which would include things like their Polish passports, school certificates, ID cards, residential registration documents, army records, birth certificates etc. In the absence of those, the Polish authorities will accept International Refuge or Red Cross travel documents and other archival records, however documents issued by Polish authorities are preferred and more valuable.
In answer to your question whether your father would have to confirm his citizenship, the answer is yes, although he would not have to apply for a passport. You can lodge your application to include your father’s.
Interestingly, to confirm your citizenship you do not have to speak Polish, or prove that you are a person of good character (i.e. you may have a serious criminal conviction and still get your citizenship confirmed).
Your POW card is very valuable, too, Jeff, as it shows that your grandfather served in the Polish army, meaning that he would have to be a Polish citizen prior to being captured.
If I were you, I would start with the US archives, to see what they have on your grandfather. You may be surprised what you find and given your grandparents’ reluctance to talk about it, archives are usually a great source of information and documentation. You may have to apply under the Freedom of Information provisions. The next step would be to apply to the Polish archives, to see what, if anything, they have on your grandparents. Where you’d apply depends where they lived and what they did before the war. Were they at school? Did they work? What did their parents do? Did they have a registered business?
But in the first instance, I would actually speak to family members to see who’s got what. Every family has got a box of papers, photos and documents and an aunt or an uncle interested in famly history. Also, is there anyone left in Poland? Can they be contacted and asked to help?
You are right about this being tricky, it all depends on how committed you are to the process and how much you want the EU citizenship, and why.
For most people I have worked with, the confirmation of citizenship is part of a bigger picture, and a bit of a journey to discover your Polish roots. It is an enriching process, and one that helps you understand who you are.
I hope this has been of some assistance. Let me know if there is anything else you need to know.
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
Thank you for your reply, Mr. Professor.
I am going to have to look outside of the family for records as everyone claims to have nothing (on either side of my parentage, my mother was born outside of Poland following the war and moved to the US with her family as DPs. She obtained US citizenship in the late 1960s so I think that I could just as easily attempt to confirm through her, but she does not know the location of any of her parents documents and I do not know if her documents–her records all come from Germany–would be helpful to me.) Neither of my parents had their birth registered with Poland and surviving grandparents were not too fond of even speaking about the old world–refusing even to provide the names of their parents claiming that was not information that the family needed to know. Searching my very uncommon surname has shown me that it is unlikely that there is still living family members in Poland, though their might be. But I would have no idea who they are. The only real information I have are birth dates and likely cities of birth (coming from a marriage certificate which was not issued in Poland and a POW ID) of my grandparents. It is all made more confusing because I have no idea how to obtain vital records from Poland. I know nothing of the language and it seems that all requests need to be in Polish. Not that it matters as I cannot even read the information which is always only in Polish.
As this is a long process I am really trying to get everything together in the shortest amount of time and at the lowest cost. I want to find sufficient documentation to ensure an easy process, but even that is more difficult than I had anticipated as I have come to find that there are no passports or other relevant documents that would simplify this endeavour. I have found several services that provide legal aid in the process, but I am unsure as to how much information they would require. I am also not sure of the added costs of procuring such services.
Again, thank you for the reply.
The worst thing about this all is that I can find nothing on either side of my family (my mother–born in Germany to Polish parents and obtained US citizenship in late ’60s– has very basic documentation all from Germany and my father has nothing, besides the POW ID card of my grandfather and my grandparent’s marriage certificate, which comes from Germany.) Family members claim to have nothing and I am running out of sources. Times I thought I have found a hit have been wrong.
I have looked into services to provide legal aid on the internet, but the majority the sites have not been updated in a long time and none provide any information as to what is actually provided nor costs associated with the legal services. Currently it would appear that at least three individuals would be applying for the confirmation of citizenship. I can imagine that this would be quite costly. Then I am not sure if I would still need to obtain the documents (not speaking Polish I am not even sure to whom to make the inquiry). I cannot even find out if one can obtain vital records easily in Poland. I would make the trip if I was able to obtain documents that way.
As far as the application for the confirmation of citizenship goes, my brother and I could apply for a confirmation at the same time as one of my parents as I understand it. Does this cause the duration of the process to be lengthened? Am I looking at even longer to get a response if I apply with my parents?
I really do not want to give up on this, but I have been seeking out documents within my family for the better part of a year and coming up empty due to my family’s lack of desire to share history on one side and the problems of the people who would have such knowledge being deceased on the other.
Ultimately it seems to be very frustrating. If only my family had come from another place where it would be easier to obtain necessary information. Or even if I could find family in other places that would have information. My surname is quite rare and I come up empty. It is all the more frustrating because I know that it can still take up to a year to be processed. It seems like I am just wasting time that would be better spent elsewhere.
Thank you very much for your advice and assistance.
Professor,
I made some enquiries last year about confirming Polish Citizenship but have put it off for now partly because of the cost and time and with more pressing priorities at the moment. My query is perhaps more from my children’s perspective (I have two daughters) who are still very young but I would like them if they get the opportunity when they are older to perhaps study and work in Europe.
I am Australian born with Polish parents, my father moved here in the 1960’s and became a citizenship some time ago, my mother came to Australia in the early 1970’s after marrying my father and has kept her citizenship since, in fact her last passport was a Polish passport when we visited Poland in the 80’s (this has since lapsed) and both my brother and I travelled on this passport (We were both under 18) at the time.
After nearly 40 years in Australia Mum has finally decided to become an Australian citizen. Just wondering whether this will in turn make things more difficult for myself when confirming Polish citizenship and thus making it more difficult to pass this to my daughters.
Secondly, how difficult would it be for my daughters to apply for passports based on my wife’s ancestory (who is not Polish) she has a Maltese father who lived in the UK for ten years (but never became a citizen) he is now an Australian citizen and her maternal grandfather was from Yorkshire UK – we still have his passport from when he entered Australia in the 20’s or 30’s. He has since passed away.
Dear George,
Thank you for your post and let me reply to your queries in order:
1. Your mother acquiring her Australian citizenship will not affect her Polish citizenship in any way, however, the fact that her Polish passport has now lapsed means that she would not be able to simply renew it, should she choose to. She would, in fact, have to go through the process of confirming her Polish citizenship before a new passport can be issued. The new, biometric, passports contain security features and require fingerprints, in line with the newest EU regulations.
2. Given you were born after 1951 (I assume), you can apply for confirmation of your citizenship under your mother OR father (you only need one parent). Your children could easily be included in your application for confirmation of citizenship and would need their mother’s permission to register their birth certificates in Poland.
3. The fact that you used to be a holder of a Polish passport is very helpful and would not only speed things up in Poland in terms of how long it takes but it is also pretty much your key to success. You are very lucky that your mother had you travel to Poland on a Polish passport because this would make things much easier for you should you ever decide to apply for your confirmation.
4. UK ancestry visas are tricky as the UK government is making it more difficult to obtain. You have to be a citizen of a Commonwealth country and be able to prove that one of your grandparents was born in the UK prior to March 1922, you may be eligible to live and work in the UK for five years. To be eligible you must:
Be a citizen of a Commonwealth country
Be over 17 years of age
Have a grandparent who was born in the UK prior to 1922
Be able to work and intend seek employment in the UK for the duration of your visa
Be able to support yourself without relying on government funding
Ancestry visas are normally issued for 5 years. At the end of that period, if you have lived in the UK continuously, you may apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR). After spending 12 months on ILR, you may be eligible for UK citizenship.
Do let me know if there is anything I can assist with.
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
Thankyou Professor,
This is very useful information, ironically I remember complaining back then that I couldn’t have an Australian passport (because I was still a minor) how the world and times have changed.
Thanks Professor Adamski for providing all that information about Polish and British passports. It is very much appreciated. With a Polish grandfather on one side, and a Welsh one on the other, it looks like my kids won’t have any trouble obtaining EU passports. Must remind them to bring their Mum some nice French perfume on the way back
Kind regards
Cathy Litwin.
Hello
My ex-husband recently acquired Polish citizenship by virtue of the fact that his parents were both Polish nationals. This means that he can now obtain a Polish passport – does the same apply for our children?
Thanks and regards
Hello Catherine,
Yes, they should be able to. If your husband has already received his confirmation of Polish citizenship, and his Polish birth certificate, he can now proceed to apply for his Polish passport. As of 29th June 2009, Poland has introduced a new format of passports with biometric features (including a chip and fingerprints of the bearer) so the waiting time for a passport is now of up to 6 months. Your husband will have to travel to Sydney, assuming you live in Melbourne, to apply for his passport, or he can wait for the Sydney consulate representatives to visit Melbourne, which they do every couple of months, to attend a short face-to-face interview. If he wants to, he is able to apply for a 9 month interim passport, which is issued here in Australia and costs $22. The 10 year Polish passports are produced in Poland, and are brought over by personal couriers who travel to Poland four times a year to collect them, for security reasons, hence the delays.
Now, your children will have to have their birth certificates registered in Poland as well, and they too, have to go through the process of confirming their Polish citizenships but now that your husband has his, it is a mere formality, especially if they are under the age of 18. If you have male children, you should also apply for a certificate of army exemption (military service is still compulsory in Poland) through the consulate. Let me know if you need any more information on that.
Unfortunately, as a spouse you do not qualify for a Polish passport but you would get a spousal visa if you ever decided to live in Europe with your husband. Unless, of couse, you take the plounge and live in Poland, which, after 5 years, would make you eligible to become a Polish citizen.
Good luck and let us know if there is anything else you need ot know.
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
I just notice you say your ex-husband! Sorry, Catherine.
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
Thank you Prof. Adamski for your very comprehensive and informative reply. I’m sure my kids will take advantage of the possibility of obtaining a Polish passport. It would certainly facilitate travelling around Europe.
Would you happen to have any information about obtaining UK passports? I was born here, but my father was born in Wales, of Welsh and English parents.
Thanks again
Kind regards
Cathy Litwin.
Will look into it and let you know, Catherine. Ancestry visas used to be relatively easy to get in the UK but some changes were made in recent times. Many Australians took advantage of the fairly lax regulations in the past but the screws have been tightened. Interestingly, although Australia is still part of the Commonwealth and the Queen is our head of state, Australians do not qualify for any special treatment. Young people (under the age of 30) can apply for holiday making visas which are valid for 12 months out of every 2 years but other than that, Australians are not able to work in the UK.
Anyhow, I will provide more info shortly.
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
OK, the way it works is that if you are a citizen of a Commonwealth country and you can prove one of your grandparents was born in the UK prior to March 1922, you may be eligible to live and work in the UK for five years. This type of visa allows you to live, work and cross the borders without restrictions. This visa can only be applied from outside of UK. To be eligible you must:
Be a citizen of a Commonwealth country
Be over 17 years of age
Have a grandparent who was born in the UK prior to 1922
Be able to work and intend seek employment in the UK for the duration of your visa
Be able to support yourself without relying on government funding
Ancestry visas are normally issued for 5 years. At the end of that period, if you have lived in the UK continuously, you may apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR). After spending 12 months on ILR, you may be eligible for UK citizenship.
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
Hi, it’s me again, Prof. Adamski. I heard you on the radio on Tuesday! Well done.
Yes, Cath. I was interviewed on ABC, Life Matters. How nice of you to follow my illustrious career and media adventures.
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
My grandmother is a Polish Jew. That means I’m ellegible for citizenship, right? because of what the Nazis did, yeah?
how long does it take to get the EU passport?
I am going to Europe next month, is that enough time?
Dear andxious to travel,
You are likely to be eligible for confirmation of Polish citizenship but it depends on a number of factors. For example:
1. Is this your paternal or maternal grandmother?
2. What year was she born?
3. What year did she leave Poland?
4. On what documents?
5. Do you have any documents relating to her, such as passports, refuge travel documents, birth certificates etc?
and on and on and on it goes…
Average processing times vary, from 9-24 months. The Polish government looks at your grandmother’s life history and decideds if anything happened between the time she’s left Poland and now to affect her citizenship. As her descendent, you would only be eligible if her citizenship is not affected by army service, renounciation of citizenship etc.
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
Your
Hi prof. Adamski
I was just wondering how many native Australian languages are there?
What a great question, Marie! At the time of white settlement, it is said that about 300 Aboriginal languages were spoken in Australia. Only about 10% of those survived, and many of them are dying. Very sad to see that happening, Marie.
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
Hi,
a freind and i are having a debate and came across your site.
Can you please confirm what is the most commonly spoken language in the world?
Thanks.
Dear Oliver,
The most common language in the world is currently Mandarin, spoken in mainland China and a number of other countries.
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
do you guys translate websites?
if so how much does it cost and how do you do it?
Yes, we do, Stacey. First, we turn our typewriters on…
Just kidding. Translation of a website, often called localisation, is more than just a straight translation. Stay tuned, lesson no 1, 2 and 3 in how to prepare your text for website translation coming soon.
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
Hey there Prof. Adamski,
I work for a small community org’ out in Frankston. We are in the process of having our brochures translated from English into a few languages but we are struggeling to work out what languages are spoken in the area. Can you help?
Cheers
Craig
Frankston? Bogan and Australian. Oh, how politically incorrect of me! Blush.
But seriously. It depends who your target audience is. Is it young people, older people, recent migrants, more established communities? What are you trying to communicate?
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
Hi, can anyone tell me why Magister in Polish doesn’t get translated as a Master’s Degree into English? Isn’t that an equivalent degree? I am in the process of having my qualifications recognised but my translator tells me that he cannot translate it as Master’s. Help!
Cath
Educational certificate translations can be tricky if there is no direct equivalent in the other language. In Poland, and in many other countries, the school system isn’t quite compatible with Australia. When assessing your qualifications, Australian authorities tend to try and “fit” them into the local reality, and it does mean “under-assessment”. For example, the old Magister that you are refering to is usually assessed at Bachelor level, or Honours, if you are lucky. This is because a Master’s Degree is a post graduate degree in Australia, done following completion of a Bachelor Degree, wheareas in Poland, it wasn’t. Now that Poland’educational system has been reformed, things are more aligned, so your Licencjat is accepted at Bachelor level here. For the old Magister Degrees, you should ask your translator to provide you with a translator’s note explaining all this.
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
Great website, guys!
Speaking of weird English words… Vomitory?
A) Backstage area at a fashion show.
B) Dungeon at a boys’ boarding school.
C) Passageway leading to a set of seats in a theatre.
It’s C, of course. Who knew…
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
How about this? There is only one word in English that has five vowels in a row. That word is queueing.
Knightsbridge has six consonants in a row. Latchstring does, too.
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
In between Socrates and Nitzche, I’ve been reading crime novels. In John Sanford’s Hidden Pray, he uses the Russian word “gavno”. Translated literally, it means “s*it” in English, but, in the book, is used to mean “damn!”, “bloody hell!” or “s*it!”, as in “I can’t believe this is happening!”.
John’s linguistic advisors, whoever they may be, got it wrong. “Gavno”, as used by the books’ characters means “bulls*hit” so every time someone says “I can’t believe this is happening to me!”, they’re actually saying “This is bulls*it!”. No wonder they are killing each other all over the place!
Must let John know to use “блин” instead.
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
I found a language called Sundanese. Isn’t that the same as Sudanese?
Mememe
Nope. Sundanese is spoken by about 27 million people … in Indonesia.
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
Katelance, there is no language called Sudanese but what a great question! A version of Arabic, called Sudanese Arabic is the most common language of Sudan. Dinka and Nuer are the most popular languages in the south of Sudan, whereas in the north of the country, Nubian languages such as Meidob, Nobiin and Kenzi-Dongolawi are widely spoken, as well as Bedawi and Beja.
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
Kate, Kate, Kate… How silly of you. Why would you expect people to just speak English. That would be sooooo boring. And just think about words like coffee, tea, casserole, shampoo and potato. They came into English from somewhere, you know.
OK, ladies. It is easy but very short-sighted to say that everyone speaks English and if they don’t, they should. The world would be so much poorer for it, though, don’t you think? And the English language itself comes in many varieties.
Whilst it is a very common business and internet language (over 85% of internet traffic is in English), something like 5000 world languages are here to stay. True, many of them are dying or a on the verge of extintion but each language is unique, rich and beautiful in its own way. By the way, do you know where the words coffee, tea, casserole and potato come from?
Your truly
Prof. Adamski
Got you there, guys! You thought French, right? Na.
Coffee – Turkish
Potato – Spanish
Shampoo – Hindi
Casserole – Greek
Tea – Chinese
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
Hi prof. Adamski
I was just wondering what language they do speak in Sudan. I always thought there was a language called Sudanese. Also, why can’t everybody just learn to speak English???
Well, annamelba, you’d expect it to be hard because you are getting another country’s citizenship. Having a Polish mother doesn’t make you Polish automatically, if you have never lived in Poland. So of course the Polish government will want you to prove your ancestry before they give you that elusive piece of paper, the confirmation of your Polish citizenship! Why wouldn’t they? Every country does.
Having said that, I emphathise with you because the rules are difficult to understand and follow, even if you do speak the Polish language. Having worked with hundreds of people in your situation, all I can say is that IT IS WORTH IT IN THE END. You do get total freedom in Europe, in terms of travel, visas, work, studies etc.
What YOU need to do is to treat your Polish passport as a mini project, to which you have to commit. It will be expensive, frustrating and long, I can assure you of that.
The first thing is to gather all the documents in your family’s posession. Every family has an uncle or an aunty with a box of old documents. Grab them and make copies. Ask questions, make notes, write lists. And then you have to decide if you are going to this on your own, or through a company, like Polaron.
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
I was wondering about the Polish passports. My mum is Polish and I tried to go through the consulate to apply. It turned into a nightmare so I just left it. I went to UK, stayed there for 12 months, can’t go back for another 12 months. Why is this so hard???
Yep. Hard to believe but it’s cool to be Polish again. And here is an example of Ponglish for you:
empetrójka – MP3 player
sorki – sorry
czat – chat
kastomizacja – customisation
dezajner – designer
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
Dear Jeff,
Whether you can confirm your citizenship on your mother’s side largely depends on the year you were born. If one of your grandparents was in the Polish army, your case gains quite a bit of strenght, if it can be proven. Are you based in Australia, Jeff? If so, your first step should be the National Archives of Australia, which keeps EVERYTHING on EVERYBODY. You’d be surprised what you can find! If you are US-based, they also have pretty good archives so that should definitely be your starting point. The cost of document aquisition is relatively low in Poland, however, if you don’t speak the language, it can be tricky. This is why professional researchers charge top dollar for finding documents.
There are ways around it, and if you like, I can email you some forms that you can submit to the National Institue of Rememberence, who should have some details on your ancestors. Another good source of information are the local archives (for documents over 100 years old) of the town your family comes from and Civil Registry Office (for newer records). Please feel free to email me off the forum for the forms, info@polaron.com.au
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
OK, just a couple of pointers, Jeff, hopefully helpful:
1. You only have to confirm citizenship of ancestors that are still alive so, and you only need one, not both sides of family.
2. In your case, you would have to confirm your mother’s citizenship and your own, that is if you were born after 1951, otherwise your eligibility may be affected.
3. Families can be difficult and sometimes they have a very good reason (i.e. they may have done something they are not particularly proud of, or have gone through some very difficult times) so you need to be patient and diplomatic. Let them get used to the idea. This is very common and most families do come around. Have you actually explained to them why you are wanting to do this?
4. Whilst it may seem frustrating, just think of how much you are learning, about yourself, your family and your family’s history. I am not sure whether this is helfpul to you, but please see it as a bit of a jourrney, and take one step at a time. Because you see, at the end of the day it is not just about a piece of paper. I think you’ll find that by exploring your ancestry, you will discover your Polish roots and even if you find that you are not eligible, or that there is not enough documentation available to prove your citizenship, you will be richer for it. For example, the thing about Poland is that the buildings your grandparents grew up in are still likely to be there, depending where they come from. Have you considered going to Poland personally? I know there is a cost involved but this may be the best option for you, whereby you visit all the offices personally, and believe me, people are helpfull, once they see you are making an effort to re-connect. And wouldn’t it be great if you did find some family still living in Poland?
By the way, just to make you feel “better”, some applications take 3-4 years to complete. It all depends on your family circumstances!
Take care and keep in touch.
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski
Dear Aaron,
Let me explain how it all works in a bit more detail:
1. Your mother’s Polish citizenship would have to be confirmed before yours can be. Poland’s citizenship laws means that you have to prove your ancestry, by submitting documents referring to your ancestors originating from Poland, in this case your mother, as well as vital records confirming your relationship to them.
2. You would be applying for CONFIRMATION of your Polish citizenship (strictly speaking, given your mother’s origins, you already are a Polish citizen) not applying FOR citizenship (different process altogether).
3. Your mother would not have to apply for a Polish passport but would be required to go through the confirmation before you can benefit from it.
4. Once you receive your certificate of Polish citizenship, you would also have to obtain for a Polish birth certificate and only then you could apply for a Polish (EU) passport.
Before you do anything though, I suggest you check whether you are actually eligible. Events such as acquisition of another country’s citizenship prior to 1951, renounciation of Polish citizenship, army service, public service in a foreign country and many other events could all affect your citizenship.
Yours truly
Prof. Adamski