How to legally change your name in Poland?

Can a permanent resident in poland change his first and last name? Thanks

The only reason you would want to change your name is because you do not want people to know your true name.
This can only be because:

1. your surname sounds like some swear word or is subject to titters and laughs - everyone would understand that. Here go and ask a lawyer.

2. you are a criminal who wants to disassociate himself from the past - here - no go - they will always catch you.
3. You have changed sex from female to male or male to female and need to change your first name.

There can be other reasons. I used to know a lady who changed her name because she wanted to sound more dynamic and further her career. Back in the 80s when she did it it kind of made sense. Also I know a Polish guy who changed his name because he wanted to disassociate himself from a particular family member for good reasons.

The OP needs to go back to the country who issued his passport and make the change though. It will probably be easier than in Poland where, believe it or not, a judge has to give permission for the change!

If the OP plans on using his new name here in Poland, he should check with a lawyer here first, especially if he already has a NIP etc.

terri , jon357 thank you so much

Merged: Is it possible in Poland to change a name if its not Polish sounding?

I am a Polish/USA dual citizen, I have a very Jewish sounding name, I read somewhere that in Poland you can change your name if its not Polish sounding, I would like to know how its done? I just don't feel safe in some countries with a Jewish sounding name.

Merged: Name change in Poland

I once saw that you can change your name in Poland if its not Polish enough, does anyone know how its done?

Probably one needs to visit the Urząd Stanu Cywilnego (registrar's office). If that's not the place, they should be able to direct the prospective name-changer to the right one.

@thesipguy

I once saw that you can change your name in Poland if its not Polish enough, does anyone know how its done?

You can change the surname if it doesn't sound Polish to it's Polish equivalent (like: from Schwarz into Szwarc or Kubitz into Kubic(ki)). You need to go to UPC, they will tell you what to do. When I've changed mine (to the name and surname I'm using, I have got 2 citizenships) I had to get a "proper" translation of my deed poll (40 pln), fill the application out (including a short novel about "why do you wan't to change your name")- that cost me about 34 pln, before submitting the form I had also to get a full copy of my birth certificate (odpis pelny aktu urodzenia)- which cost me about 35 pln, than I got my (foreign) passport photocopied as well as my driving licence, all the forms were submitted and within the couple of weeks I got a decision that my name was changed, that they've send papers to amend my (original) birth certificate.

@RubasznyRumcajs

May I ask you if you changed you name in the foreign country too? as my attorney in Poland told me that I can only change in a name in Poland after I have it changed in the country I was born, as Poland will not allow to have 2 passports (Polish & Foreign) with 2 different names.

Also what do you mean they mailed you papers to amend the birth certificate isn't this done simultaneously?

Is the decision by a judge?

Hope you can elaborate more. Thank you.

sorry for such a late answer.

whatever you are allowed to have two different passports (of different countries) with different names- well, it is somehow a grey area (or maybe I do not understand the law). remember- your, let say, US ID doesn't really matter in Poland if you also have a Polish one.

I've changed my name (from, let say, Jan Kowalski to John Smith) first in the UK (where I chose to settle)- I did it through the deed poll. I don't really know where are you from, but in the UK one needs not to bother the courts if one wishes to change their name- deed poll is enough (of course- signed by the witness!).

After I've got issued with the British passport- under my anglicized name and surname- and after I changed my driving license (de facto main ID card in the UK) I went to the Urzad Stanu Cywilnego (USC- not UPC which came I have no idea from tbf) of my (former) town where I used to live- and wrote a letter basically stating that since I am a resident of other country, and I do have dual citizenship, and since I actually use my new names I wish to change them in Poland as well. As a proof I have provided my passport and driving license which were photocopied there- btw, the admin workers there were really helpful and nice, I couldn't say a bad word about them even If I'd like to do so; well, anyway- the permission was granted by- AFAIK- the Wojewoda (I'm not sure about that: the only thing I'm sure is that it was still a request that could be refused; unlike in the UK where you just state that you are no longer JK but JS /and setop using your old name/)- anyway, since I was born in different part of Poland they have to send some papers to the USC where I was born to change my (Polish- as I have no other one) birth certificate; they have changed it and put my new name and surname on it. Than I got a full copy of it (pelny odpis aktu urodzenia) and filled documents to get my Dowod Osobisty (ID card- as it's more conveniant to carry it than passport) which was issued quite quickly (not that I was in the rush or anything).

I hope I helped you, somehow. If you have any more questions, do not hesitate to ask them.

May I come in on this one coz I remember a similar case. Be very careful if you gonna go down this lane. Depending on which country you

come from you risk losing one of your citizenships. I would never trust a Polish attorney or a lawyer to deal with such. Just like asking a Polish lawyer to help you set up a company as a non residing citizen. You better off with your USC office if you're residing here.

In most countries (including Poland) you can never identify yourself as a citizen of another country in a country that you hold the second citizenship.Most countries will either deny or make it complicated and very time consuming to change your name based on the fact that you hold second citizenship.The person I knew lost his first citizenship in a similar process coz when he applied for Polish citizenship he had not applied to retain his original citizenship and when his country of birth found out that he had aquired foreign citizenship he lost it. He couldn't go back to his original country coz of the complications which included being detained and not being allowed to travel for a period of 5years. Dual citizenship, if not done properly, without full citizenship knowledge of both countries can be very complicated and changing names can just make it even more complicated. The Polish embassy will not come to your rescue when you get detained in your own country of birth or other foreign country.

oh c'mon. you don't give him enough of credit. I assume he knows whatever his country of origin allows dual citizenship (Poland does).


hm... As I've written above- my case was simple. Or, to be more specific- not harder than any other case of name change (other than by the marriage or by adoption etc). Rules are quite straighforward, admin workers were helpful. easy peasy.


aye. it's essential to either know laws of both countries, or use trusted lawyers (and pay for it).

@RubasznyRumcajs

Anyway we can communicate in private?, maybe you can help me out here, as I keep receiving counteracting information from the local counsel and from different USC over Poland.

@Pole2015
aye. sorry- I've replied to your name before i've seen info on PF.

Followed up on your reply email a few days ago, but I guess as you mentioned you don't follow that email box daily. Hope you can check it, so we can continue to communicate there. Thank you.

Can anyone tell me what happens if you had your name changed overseas as a child (and were born overseas) and you're trying to register your overseas birth certificate? The lady at the urząd doesn't know what to do. I even have a polish passport in my current name