What the wniosek is and when you need it
Wniosek o przyznanie lub przedłużenie ważności Karty Polaka is the official form without which a consul won't begin reviewing your case. Right on the form you must mark the purpose of your application: granting the Karta Polaka (the most common option for a first-time application), extending its validity, issuing a duplicate, or changing the cardholder's data. Only one of the four purposes is marked.
The form gets updated periodically. This article is based on the official template from gov.pl, but before filling it out, always check the current version on your consulate's page.
How and where the application is submitted
You cannot submit the application online. In-person presence is mandatory: you must make a declaration of belonging to the Polish nation before the consul and go through a conversation in Polish. Online, you can only book an appointment.
- Booking an appointment — through e-konsulat.gov.pl, by phone, or via the specific consulate's email.
- In Ukraine, booking procedures differ by consulate: Kyiv accepts bookings by email only, Vinnytsia allows booking through e-konsulat, Lutsk uses email or regular mail, and Lviv has a separate procedure on its consulate page.
- In the US and Canada, booking procedures also differ by consulate: some (e.g. New York) accept bookings by mail only, others use e-konsulat.gov.pl — check your specific consulate's page.
- The completed form is printed and signed, with a photo attached. The application, together with the rest of the documents, is handed to the consul in person at the appointment; picking up the finished card also requires an in-person visit.
The data on the form must exactly match the Latin transliteration on your identity document. A mismatch is a common reason a consul refuses to even accept the application before reviewing it on the merits — a separate risk from a legal refusal to issue the card.
Processing officially shouldn't take longer than two months; submission is free at every stage.
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Check your level →General filling rules
The form is filled out in block letters, without corrections or strike-throughs. The general requirement is to fill it out in Polish, with one important exception: the applicant's surname and first name (points 1-2) are written exactly as they appear on the identity document — for most applicants from Ukraine, that's the Latin transliteration from their passport, not a translation.
Fields shaded grey (application number, acceptance date, the signature and stamp of the person accepting the application) are not filled in. That's the official section of the form for the consul or inspector.
Section by section: what to write in each field
The form is divided into nine named sections, A through I. Not all of them apply to every application: section D (ancestors' data), for example, is filled out only for a first-time application based on ancestry, not for a renewal or a data change.
Points 1-9. Surname and first name (1-2) — exactly as on your identity document. A separate checkbox lets you additionally request that your name be recorded on the card in Polish (3-4) — that creates a mismatch with your passport, so it's worth weighing in advance. Next come date of birth, sex, place of birth (given in its Polish name), citizenship, and nationality (point 9).
Points 10-16, your residential address. The type of administrative unit (10) is województwo for residents of Poland, obwód for Ukraine or Belarus. The postal code (11) follows your country's own format. The city name (13) and country (16) are written in Polish, while the street (14) is only transliterated, not translated. House and apartment number (15) are separated by a slash.
Points 17-20 — your identity document's details (name, series and number, issue date, expiry date). Copy these exactly from the document you'll present to the consul: a passport for an adult, a birth certificate if a child doesn't have a passport yet.
Points 21-32 don't apply to renewals, duplicates, or data changes — only to a first-time application based on ancestry. An adult applicant lists one or two ancestors (mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, great-grandmother, or great-grandfather) through whom Polish origin is confirmed. If the application is for a child, this section lists the parents' data, not grandparents'; for one parent, it's enough to give their current Karta Polaka number instead of document details. Points 25-26 and 31-32 (the ancestor's identity document) are filled out only for a minor's application — for an adult applicant, those four fields stay blank.
Point 33 applies only to applicants confirming their connection to Poland through a certificate from a Polish or Polonia organization, not through ancestry. It's a yes/no checkbox for whether a certificate is attached to the document package. More on this basis in a separate article.
Point 34 is also yes/no: whether a document confirming Polish language proficiency is attached (a certificate issued under the Polish language act, a diploma from a Polish school, or a degree from a Polish university). If there's no such document, you mark "no" — the consul then checks your language level verbally during the interview itself.
A legally significant part: a sworn statement made under criminal liability for false testimony (Art. 233 §1 of the Criminal Code). By signing, the applicant confirms two facts — that neither they nor their ancestors were repatriated from Polish territory under the repatriation agreements of 1944-1957, and that the applicant doesn't hold Polish citizenship or a permanent residence permit in Poland. This isn't a formality — the signature carries legal consequences.
Space for a photograph and a handwritten signature. Photo requirements: 35×45 mm, taken no more than 6 months before submission, on a plain light background, with even lighting on the face, no headwear, and no dark glasses. For minors aged 13 to 18 receiving the card, the child signs here too, and after age 16, written consent is also required.
Filled out only for a child's application and signed in the consul's presence. The first block of signatures is for parents who themselves hold a Karta Polaka (the application is made on their behalf); the second is for a parent without a Karta Polaka who is only giving consent for the child to receive the card. The section's last points are the number of attached documents and official remarks.
If you're applying for a child
A few rules that are easy to miss when reading the form section by section:
- Each child needs a separate wniosek. One form equals one applicant.
- Section D lists the parents' data, not the grandparents', even if ancestry is confirmed further back in the family tree.
- For one parent, point 24 only needs their current Karta Polaka number instead of full document details.
- The second parent is also listed in section D, even if they have no Polish ancestry or Karta Polaka.
- If only one parent can attend the appointment, the absent parent's consent is given as a separate statement — before a consul, notary, or voivode in advance, not necessarily in person at the same time.
- Parents' signatures (section I) are made only in the consul's presence.
Common mistakes
Even a small mismatch in how a surname is spelled between the form and the passport is a common reason a consul refuses to accept the application right at the appointment, before reviewing it on the merits.
The form's official section (application number, the signature of the person accepting the application) stays blank — the consulate fills it in, not the applicant.
In section D for a minor, it's the parents who are listed, not the grandmother and grandfather through whom ancestry is confirmed.
Requesting a Polish spelling of your name (points 3-4) creates a mismatch with your passport on the Karta Polaka itself — decide in advance whether you actually need it, rather than checking it "just in case."
Dark glasses, headwear, uneven lighting, or a photo older than 6 months is a formal reason to send the application back for correction.
Frequently asked questions
Can the Karta Polaka application be submitted online?
No. The wniosek is submitted exclusively in person at the consulate — this is needed for the declaration of belonging to the Polish nation and for the consul to check your language level in conversation. Online, you can only book an appointment through e-konsulat.gov.pl.
What should I do with the grey fields on the form?
Leave them blank. The grey fields (application number, case reference number, the signature of the person accepting the application) are for the consul or inspector, not the applicant.
Do I need a separate form for each child?
Yes. One wniosek equals one person. If you're submitting documents for several children at once, each one gets a separate application.
What should I write in the "Narodowość" (nationality) field?
The point is filled in according to the fact your application confirms — Polish origin. In practice, most applicants applying based on ancestry write "polska." The form itself gives no explicit instruction, so if in doubt, it's worth checking directly with your consulate.
What happens if the data on the form doesn't match my passport?
The consul can technically refuse to accept the application before reviewing it on the merits — a separate risk from a legal refusal to issue the card. That's why the data in points 1-2 (surname, first name) must exactly match the spelling on your identity document.