Guides to legal matters in Poland for people in the United States

An inheritance in Poland while you live abroad

Polish inheritance proceedings when you live in the U.S.: two routes to confirming your rights, the documents needed, and the deadlines that matter.

Reserved share claims under Polish law

Zachowek: a claim Polish law gives close family left out of a will. Who is entitled, how it is calculated, and the time limits that apply.

Can you inherit debts along with a house in Poland?

How Polish law caps an heir’s liability for estate debts, what can cancel that protection, and when rejecting an inheritance from the U.S. makes sense.

Do you owe Polish inheritance tax if you live in the United States?

Who pays Polish inheritance tax on property in Poland, the six-month filing that keeps close family exempt, and when selling an inherited house is taxed.

Is a will signed in the United States valid for property in Poland?

When a will made in the U.S. is valid in Poland, which country's inheritance law governs the estate, and how a Polish citizen can choose Polish law in a will.

Can a U.S. probate court divide a house in Poland?

Why a U.S. probate order does not transfer a house in Poland, which Polish court handles the estate, and how heirs in the U.S. carry out their agreement.

Property in Poland

The land and mortgage register

The four sections of the register, where to check ownership and encumbrances, and what the public faith of the register means.

Do Americans need a permit to own property in Poland?

When an American needs a Polish permit to buy or inherit real estate, why family heirs and apartment buyers are usually exempt, and where the exemptions end.

Documents, citizenship, and official matters

Confirming Polish citizenship

Who applies, to which authority, what documents are needed, what it costs and how long it takes - based on the statute and official guidance.

Did your ancestor lose Polish citizenship by becoming an American?

Why the year of a grandparent's U.S. naturalization decides whether Polish citizenship passed down, and how military service changed the answer before 1951.

How do you get a Polish passport while living in the United States?

Applying for a Polish passport at a U.S. consulate: what must be in place first, the in-person visit, fees in dollars, children, and entering Poland.

Family matters and matters involving children

What a Polish divorce judgment decides

The ground for divorce, and why the court rules in the same judgment on parental authority, contact and the costs of a child’s upbringing.

Recovering claims and pursuing debtors in Poland

Limitation periods in Poland

Six years or three, when exactly the period ends, what interrupts it, and why different rules protect consumers.

Pensions, benefits, and social insurance matters

The Poland-U.S. social security agreement

When it took effect, how insurance periods from both countries are combined, which country pays for what, and where to file from the United States.

Division of property and co-ownership

Joint and personal property

When joint property arises, why inheritance and gifts stay outside it, and in what shares the joint estate is divided.