New Act on Polish Citizenship
On 15 August 2012, new regulations on Polish citizenship came into force. The lower house of the Polish parliament passed a new Act on Polish Citizenship on 2 April 2009. However, the announcement of the new Act was postponed for over 3 years after its adoption due to the President's motion to the Constitutional Tribunal in order to establish whether its provisions are in conformity with the Polish Constitution.
The new Act specifies the conditions, rules and procedures for the acquisition and loss of Polish citizenship, its confirmation and confirmation that it has been lost as well as authorities competent in these matters.
The most important legal measures introduced by the Act include the possibility of the reinstatement of Polish citizenship at the request of a Polish immigrant who lost this citizenship before 1 January 1999 due to political reasons. It is a good news for former Polish citizens who now would like to regain their Polish citizenship.
The Act also strengthens the institution of recognition of a person as a Polish citizen: now, a foreigner - after meeting certain requirements - will be able to apply to the Polish authorities for recognition as a Polish citizen. The new legal measure will make the acquisition of Polish citizenship much easier to foreigners.