How Much Does Polish Citizenship by Descent Cost in 2026?

When I researched Poland, the firms I found in the US, Canada and Poland priced the work at roughly $6,000 to $10,000 per person. That number stopped me. So I filed myself, and kept a running tally of what the process really cost.

The honest answer is that the total has two parts. One part is the same for everyone. The other depends on who helps you.

Part one: costs that don't change

Whoever you hire, these exist:

• Government and consular fees. Poland sets them, and the consular amount differs by consulate. Check your consulate's published fee list before you budget.
• Sworn translations. Poland requires foreign documents in Polish, translated by a sworn translator or a consul. Price depends on the document and the language.
• Apostilles. Documents issued outside the EU generally need one.
• Records and archive fees. Birth, marriage, death and naturalization records each carry a fee, and archives abroad can be slower and pricier.
• Couriers. Originals travel. Tracked shipping adds up across a family.

In my experience, these run roughly $500 to $1,500 per case. Document-heavy cases cost more. I give clients a written, line-item estimate before they spend anything.

Part two: what you pay someone to do

Here is what each path adds on top, for one applicant:

Calculation: Roadmap $299 + $500 to $1,500 = $799 to $1,799. Guided $1,500 + $500 to $1,500 = $2,000 to $3,000. Done For You $3,250 + $500 to $1,500 = $3,750 to $4,750. Adult family members after the first get 25% off Guided and Done For You, and applicants under 18 are free.

Why a flat fee matters

A quote is rarely the whole bill. When I priced help for my own applications, the base fee was the start. Extra calls, printing, paper and communication beyond an included allotment were all billed on top. Those surprises are how a quote turns into a much bigger invoice.

My fee is flat. You get unlimited communication with me, and I'm with you from start to finish. I don't bill you for calls, printing or paper. The only costs on top are government and authority fees and third-party costs such as translators and records. Before you start, I give you an estimate for your own situation. It varies from person to person because every family's documents are different.

What the cost doesn't include

Approval is not a passport. After a positive decision there are further steps before a Polish passport is in your hand, and they carry their own time and cost. I wrote about what comes after approval.

Where to start

The cheapest mistake is the one you don't make. The two-minute eligibility quiz tells you whether a case is worth pricing at all. If you already know it is, the Roadmap Call gives you a written estimate for your exact family.

Want the Romanian numbers too? Read the Romanian cost guide.

Prices are in USD and current as of October 2026. Timelines and fees are estimates and change. This is general information, not legal advice.

Take the 2-minute eligibility quiz