U.S. Citizen to Study in Poland on U.S. Passport for Over 3 Months? Problems?

There's no such thing as "resetting" the time. In fact, by doing this, you open yourself up to the possibility of having a lot of trouble at the border - and you really don't want to have to deal with complicated matters on the Eastern border.

Don't be fooled by the presence of stamps in your passport - according to Schengen law, these are informational only - to assist both border control and yourself with ascertaining when you crossed the border. Anyway, as a Polish citizen (or at least, someone who can be claimed as such) - these limits won't apply. However, you really are causing more trouble than it's worth by going to Ukraine for the sake of a passport stamp.

If you want to do things properly, come to Poland with all the paperwork that proves your right to Polish citizenship and start the process here. Everything can be done quite quickly when in-country - and you should get your Polish ID card pretty quickly - certainly before the 3 months expires.

My program is going to Ukraine anyways, so it's worth a try. According to the Jagiellonian University, even if I have Polish citizenship by blood, if I have no way of documenting it then it's worthless--especially since I will be forced to enter the country on a U.S. Passport.

I have an appointment with the General Consulate on Monday to start the process of claiming citizenship. I'm hoping I can start the process in Chicago, and when I come to Poland in the fall, I will visit Warsaw and try to go get an update on my file--who knows. Maybe I can slip a few bills and get things to move more "efficiently."

Bad idea. Firstly, leaving the country makes no difference at all: you can only spend 90 days in any 180 day period inside the Schengen zone if you do not have a residency permit or other long term visa. Secondly, you really don't want to run the risk of not being let back into Poland!

They're speaking nonsense. There's no such thing as it being worthless - either you can be claimed as a Polish citizen (and thus, requiring you to obtain Polish documents when in Poland) or you can't be. The only way to absolve your obligations as a Polish citizen is to renounce Polish citizenship.

For what it's worth - you're far more likely to get hassle on the Eastern border (where documents are routinely thoroughly scrutinised) than at the airports.


You don't need to bribe anyone, nor do you need to go to Warsaw (citizenship is handled by the provinces). Just come to Poland, with all the documentation you have (parents birth certificates, your birth certificates, etc) and sort out citizenship when here. It'll be much faster and easier than doing it through the US consulate.


It's worth a try if you fancy sitting around in Krakovets/Shegyni, left behind by the trip after being refused re-entry.

i would have thought this was obvious.

the way things are at the moment u are american. no amount of arguing or history will change it. just because u can claim citizenship does not make u a citizen and therefore... u are still a foreigner.

as it is: i wouldn't bother going to ukraine, especially if it's only a short trip.

whatever u do it is better to set things in motion as soon as possible. once the paperwork is in and on the computer you'll make your position more secure.

having a Polish passport will give u benefits for as long as u care to use it. once u get back home u can go back to being american. u will lose nothing.

I think he said that his parents are citizens, that would make him one.

no it wouldn't. he doesn't have any documents that show him being a Polish citizen. and border control aren't just going to take his word for it.

if the birth isn't registered in Poland then how can he be Polish.

his status simply makes it easier to aquire citizenship.

the OP already knows that he has all the rights of an american and none of the extras that come along with being a Pole, even when in Poland. or am i missing the point of the thread.

Actually, the problem is the opposite - with a Polish name, it'll be his obligation to prove that he isn't Polish - due to the specific offence of identifying yourself to the Polish authorities with foreign documents.


Doesn't have to be - the law makes it clear that citizenship is passed on regardless of any documents.


It makes it easier to get the documents, but he already has citizenship - if he broke the law in Poland, he'd be treated as a Polish, not American citizen.

He is Polish, however non existent on paper. Legally technically he is not Polish but practically is if you know what I mean.

But he still has to be "zameldowany" in Poland and his birth has to be registered and that takes months before you can get a Polish passport. It's illegal to have two citizenships in Poland.

Here we go.That retard tygrys is back.No, you idiot,you don't have be "zameldowany" to receive Polish passport and it is perfectlly legal to have more than one citizenship in Poland.

i can agree to this.

Isn't the main problem is its illegal to travel on foreign documents if you are Polish? So leaving Poland could be a problem if its attempted on a US passport..

It doesn't take months in Poland to register a birth. It's also possible to get both an ID card and a passport without a registered address - though this provision is little known.

It's not illegal to have multiple citizenships - the only provision is that any foreign citizenship won't be recognised when in Poland - along with the obligation to identify yourself using only Polish documents. This is what led to the "passport trap" - Poles are not allowed to exit Poland using non-Polish documents.

Hi, i myself am trying to get a Polish passport, its taking me 3 years so far, there is no way you are a Polish citizen if you were not born in Poland. if thats the case then you will need to do the same process i am doing, 1st apply for Polish citizenship, yes at a cost, go to the Polish embassy, with proof of birth in Poland of your parents, then you will apply for transcript of your birth in Poland, paperwork & cost, then must apply for social security number,at a cost, and then finally apply for Polish passport at a cost again, so far it is costing me around $800.00 CDN and i still need the last 3 documents & my parents were born in Poland, & are still Polish citizens & will never loose this right, however i had to apply for a letter of confirmation at a cost by the Embassy.

its called Polish bureaucratic bull---t.
good luck

Then - don't become a citizen.

Ah, wait, you want that EU passport, don't you?