Poland Moves to Tighten Citizenship Regulations for Foreigners

Poland Plans to Tighten Citizenship Rules for Foreigners

Poland’s Ministry of the Interior has unveiled new proposals to make it more difficult for foreigners to obtain Polish citizenship. The draft reforms would extend the minimum residency requirement from three to eight years and introduce a mandatory integration test along with a declaration of loyalty to the Polish state.

“Being a citizen of Poland is both a privilege and a responsibility to the state and the community,” the ministry stated, emphasizing that Polish citizenship represents “a sense of belonging to a nation founded on shared values.”

The ministry’s announcement follows a similar move by President Karol Nawrocki, who last week submitted his own bill to parliament seeking stricter citizenship requirements. Nawrocki has been invited to discuss both sets of proposals later this month.

Over the past decade, Poland has seen an unprecedented influx of immigrants, reaching some of the highest levels in the European Union. Between 2017 and 2022, Poland issued more first residence permits to non-EU nationals than any other EU country. Consequently, the number of foreigners granted Polish citizenship has surged — with 16,342 people naturalized last year, four times more than a decade ago.

This rapid demographic shift has fueled public debate and large-scale anti-immigration protests, prompting the government to adopt stricter migration policies. Nawrocki, who campaigned on a “Poles First” platform, has called for tighter control over the naturalization process.

The Interior Ministry’s proposed reforms aim to ensure that new citizens are well-integrated and deeply connected to Polish culture and values. The new integration tests would assess not only Polish language skills but also knowledge of national history, laws, and traditions. Applicants would also be required to swear an oath of loyalty to Poland.

Deputy Interior Minister Magdalena Roguska explained that citizenship should be granted only to those who “have made Poland the center of their lives, respect our traditions, and show loyalty to our nation.”

Under the current system, foreigners can apply for citizenship after three years of permanent residency (with shorter exceptions in special cases). The new proposal would extend the requirement to eight years — three years on a temporary permit and five on a permanent one. Certain groups, such as ethnic Poles and holders of the Pole’s Card, would still benefit from shorter qualification periods.

Importantly, the stricter measures would also apply to individuals seeking citizenship directly through a presidential decree, a process that currently allows greater discretion.

President Nawrocki’s own bill proposes an even longer residency period of ten years, arguing that “a longer timeframe allows for fuller integration of foreigners before they are granted Polish citizenship.”

The Interior Ministry has scheduled a public debate on October 27 to discuss its proposed changes, with the goal of building “broad support and avoiding political polarization” around the issue. Any new citizenship law would require approval by parliament — where the government holds a majority — and the signature of President Nawrocki to take effect.