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🇵🇱Last verified June 28, 2026

Poland citizenship through a grandparent

Eligible if the chain never broke

No generational limit applies — a grandparent works as well as a parent, provided the citizenship chain survived the 1920–1951 legal minefield.

The Rules That Decide It

  • The ancestor must have held Polish citizenship under the 1920 Act (post-1920 emigration, or provable interwar citizenship).

  • Chain-breakers: foreign naturalization before 1951, certain foreign military/government service, Deutsche Volksliste I–II.

  • Red Army service during WWII did not break the chain (2012 Supreme Administrative Court ruling).

What To Do Next

  1. 01

    Commission a Polish State Archives search (~600 PLN) before spending on anything else.

  2. 02

    Request military records from the WBH archive (~1 month) if service is in the family story.

  3. 03

    Consider a local researcher (~$35/hour) over package agencies.

Other Poland Ancestry Scenarios

Through a parentThrough a great-grandparentThrough a great-great-grandparent

Not Sure?

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Take the free eligibility test — it walks through the exact rules above for your specific ancestor and dates.

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Passport Heritage provides informational guidance and document organization services. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice. Rules can change without notice — always confirm current requirements with the relevant consulate, embassy or archive before acting.