Polish citizenship and military service

Not while you live permanently outside Poland. Under Article 3 of the Homeland Defense Act of March 11, 2022, a Polish citizen who also holds the citizenship of another country is exempt from the obligation to defend the homeland as long as that person permanently resides outside Poland. Compulsory basic military service is also not in force: the Act allows the President to introduce it by regulation, and as of September 2026 no such regulation had been published in the Journal of Laws.

Obowiązek obrony Ojczyzny

The obligation to defend the homeland. The general duty of Polish citizens who are fit for it by age and health. Under the Act it includes military service, mobilization assignments, service in militarized units, and defense-related duties.

Who does the exemption cover?

Anyone who meets two conditions at the same time: holding another citizenship alongside Polish citizenship, and permanently living outside Poland. A person born in the United States whose Polish citizenship has been confirmed will usually meet both. The provision sets no other conditions, so having a Polish passport or a PESEL number does not change the answer. The exemption covers the obligation as a whole, as Article 3 defines it, not only service in the army.

Polish citizens who live abroad but hold no other citizenship are in a different position. They remain subject to the obligation, although Article 157 provides that a Polish citizen who has permanently lived abroad for at least two years, and has no permanent residence or temporary residence of more than three months in Poland, is not called up for compulsory basic military service.

What changes if you move to Poland?

The exemption depends on residence, not on citizenship alone. A dual citizen who settles in Poland falls under the general rules. The obligation of military service applies to Polish citizens from their 18th birthday until the end of the year in which they turn 60, or 63 for noncommissioned and commissioned officers (Article 5). Men are required to appear for military qualification, the registration and medical assessment of fitness for service, in the year they turn 19; if it did not take place, they are called in a later year, and this duty lasts until the end of the year they turn 60 (Article 59).

The Act does not define what "permanently resides outside Poland" means. A long stay in Poland, such as a year of study or a work assignment, is therefore worth discussing before it begins rather than after.

Example

A 34-year-old from Chicago confirms Polish citizenship and obtains a Polish passport, but keeps his home and job in Illinois. The obligation does not apply to him. If he later sells his house and moves to Kraków for good, the exemption no longer fits his situation, and as a man under 60 he may be called to military qualification.

Key points

Dual citizens whose permanent home is outside Poland are exempt from the Polish obligation to defend the homeland.
That obligation includes military service, mobilization assignments, and defense-related duties.
Compulsory basic military service requires a presidential regulation; none had been published as of September 2026.
Settling in Poland brings the general rules into play, including military qualification for men up to 60.
Joining the U.S. military does not require Polish consent for a dual citizen who lives in the United States.

Can you join the U.S. military?

Yes. As a rule, a Polish citizen may join a foreign army only with the consent of the Minister of National Defense (Article 665), and the Criminal Code makes taking on military duties in a foreign army without consent an offense punishable by three months to five years in prison (Article 141). Both provisions exclude dual citizens who live in the other country: consent is not required from a Polish citizen who also holds that country's citizenship, lives there permanently, and intends to serve in its armed forces, and such service is not an offense.

Foreign military service also no longer affects Polish citizenship. Since August 15, 2012, a Polish citizen loses citizenship only by renouncing it with the consent of the President of Poland. Before 1951 the rules were different, as explained in our guide on an ancestor's naturalization.

How we help

We explain how the Homeland Defense Act applies to your circumstances before you confirm citizenship or plan a longer stay in Poland, and we handle the citizenship proceedings in Poland under a power of attorney.

This article is general information about Polish law, not legal advice about your situation, and it does not describe U.S. law on military service. It reflects the Homeland Defense Act as amended through September 2026. Legal basis: the Homeland Defense Act of March 11, 2022 (consolidated text, Journal of Laws 2025 item 825, as amended), Articles 3, 5, 56, 59, 152, 157 and 665; the Criminal Code (consolidated text, Journal of Laws 2025 item 383, as amended), Article 141; the Act of April 2, 2009 on Polish Citizenship (consolidated text, Journal of Laws 2025 item 1611), Article 46. If you would like to know how this applies to you, describe your situation.

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