What applies today
The current citizenship act contains no test: the word "egzamin" does not appear in it. For recognition as a citizen the voivode checks how long you have lived in Poland, and you prove your Polish with a B1 certificate or a Polish school certificate (Art. 30(2) of the Polish Citizenship Act). The general period is 3 years on a permanent residence permit or EU long-term resident status, plus stable income and housing (Art. 30(1) point 1). If you got permanent residence through the Karta Polaka or Polish origin, it is 1 year (point 7).
Who proposes a test: three lines of change
Changes are proposed by the President, PiS MPs and the government. Only two of the three include a test, and none of them has become law yet. The table shows what the texts themselves say; where a text is silent, it says "not specified".
| General period | Karta Polaka | Language | Test | Source and date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | 3 years | 1 year | B1 | none | the act, Dz.U. 2025 item 1611, Art. 30; checked 27.09.2026 |
| President | 10 years | unchanged (1 year) | unchanged (B1) | none | print no. 1759, in the Sejm since 29.09.2025, in committee since 04.11.2025 |
| PiS | 10 years | 5 years | C1 | yes, Państwowy Egzamin Obywatelski | print no. 1888, rejected 09.01.2026; resubmitted 17.04.2026 (RPW/13478/2026) |
| Government | 8 years: 3 on temporary and 5 on permanent residence | at least 3 years | not specified | yes, twice a year | MSWiA outline, gov.pl, 10.10.2025; no bill yet |
The President. The bill changes one provision: the general period of 3 years becomes 10. Income, housing and B1 stay as they are, and there is no test. A bill by MPs submitted on 05.05.2025 (print no. 1273) has the same content.
PiS. This is where the Państwowy Egzamin Obywatelski, a state exam, appears. The bill names its subjects directly: the system of government, the political system, civil rights, history and culture. On top of it comes C1 Polish. The Sejm rejected this bill at first reading on 09.01.2026, and on 17.04.2026 PiS MPs submitted it again. The new version has no print number yet; according to press reports its content is the same.
The government. On 10.10.2025 the Ministry of the Interior published not a bill but an outline (założenia) of a future law: 8 years of legal residence, a test on values, law, history and integration held twice a year, a declaration of loyalty and tax residence. The ministry did not name a language level, only that you must know Polish well. As of 27.09.2026 there is no bill in the Sejm.
Does this affect me?
You hold a Karta Polaka. Today this is the shortest route: 1 year on permanent residence plus B1, no test. The President's bill leaves that period alone. The PiS bill raises it to 5 years, requires C1, and makes everyone sit the exam except minor children of citizens (paragraph 4 of Article 30 in the bill): Karta Polaka holders are not among those exempted. The government proposes at least 3 years for you and says nothing on whether you would be exempt from the test. More on the periods for Karta Polaka holders: the 2026 citizenship reform.
You are confirming citizenship by descent. That is not acquiring citizenship but confirming the one you already have. All three proposals change only the rules for recognition as a citizen (Art. 30); none of them touches the confirmation procedure. How confirmation differs from the Karta Polaka: Polish citizenship by descent vs Karta Polaka.
Other grounds. For the general ground the President and PiS propose 10 years instead of 3, the government 8 years. The periods that apply today for marriage, refugee status and other grounds are covered separately, and the difference between recognition and a grant of citizenship by the President is here: uznanie or nadanie.
No test mode in the bot, but the subjects are there
The bot prepares you for the Karta Polaka consular interview: 750 questions on Polish history, culture and government. The test proposals name the same subjects, so you can practise answering now.
Try it in the bot →How many questions will there be?
Nobody knows. The number of questions is not in the law, in any of the bills or on the ministry's page. Figures such as 20 or 40 that circulate online come from press reports and commercial websites. There are no official sample questions either: under the PiS bill the content of the exam would be set by a separate ministerial regulation, which does not exist.
What to do now
First: a B1 certificate. You need it today, and no bill lowers the level, they only raise it. Second: Polish history, the system of government and culture. These are exactly the subjects the PiS bill names for the exam, and the government speaks of values, law and history. The consul asks about the same subjects at the Karta Polaka interview, so for holders and applicants this is not wasted work.
When more will be known: the President's bill has to pass first reading in committee, the new PiS bill has to get a print number, and the government has to publish a bill. We update this page after each such step; the date of the current state is at the top.
Sources
- Polish Citizenship Act, text Dz.U. 2025 item 1611
- President's bill, print no. 1759
- MPs' bill, print no. 1273
- PiS bill, print no. 1888
- MSWiA: outline of citizenship changes, 10.10.2025
- The bill on the President's website
FAQ
Is there a Polish citizenship test now?
No. As of 27.09.2026 the law provides for no test; you need a B1 Polish certificate. A test is proposed by a PiS bill and the government outline, and neither has been adopted.
Will Karta Polaka holders be exempt from the test?
Not under the PiS bill: only minor children of citizens are exempt. The government outline says nothing about exemptions. The President's bill introduces no test.
How many questions will the test have?
Unknown. The number is not in the law, the bills or on the ministry's page; figures online come from the press and commercial websites.
Does the test apply to confirming citizenship by descent?
No. All three proposals change only recognition as a citizen (Art. 30); none touches the confirmation procedure.