Dual Citizenship

[Harlequin]

I apologize if this is redundant. I read through the suggested threads and certainly got some useful tips, but I'm interested in getting...I guess a fresh opinion? The other topics are 3 - 4 years old.

My SO and I were having a discussion about closing the distance. This wouldn't be happening any time soon, but it's still something we felt would be important to discuss so we'd have a plan set. He was feeling kind of abysmal about it. He said he wants to pursue a future with me, but he's afraid we won't be able to close the distance, which is a completely understandable fear and I don't fault him for it. I don't think he's going to put an end to us over this, but he's currently under a lot of stress. If it happens, it happens.
Anyway, it's a little too early in our relationship to think marriage (I know what the date on my thing says, but we only recently got back together after a two year separation), so I suggested something I had completely forgotten about for years. He seemed really receptive to it.
I have the opportunity to apply for Polish citizenship because I have family roots going back to it. My great grandparents immigrated to the US in the 1920s, so they'd have been considered Polish citizens instead of Polish nationalists. Apparently 3rd generation Ameri-Pol is still close enough that I could possibly be granted citizenship. If I get it, this would apparently give me the right to travel to/from and live in any EU country, which would make closing the distance much easier, and we wouldn't have to worry so much about rushing into marriage to stay together.
I've emailed my local Polish Consulate for more information, and I intend to talk to my grandfather sometime this week and possibly get necessary documents from him.
I'm worrying about this now, because I know this is going to be a very long process. I'd rather have it at least mostly completed by the time he and I are ready to close the distance than wait until then to start doing it. Even if we don't work out, it'll still be neat to have.

Have any of you had any experience with dual citizenship?
What were your experiences like? Do you feel like it was worth it?

I intend to continue to do more research, but I feel like it's also useful to get non-professional perspectives about it.

[differentcountries]

Usually, to travel /stay in another EU country (than Poland) you need to work or have been unemployed from previous work there. It will not be an option to live on him like you could if you were married.

[CynicalQuixotic]

I apologize if this is redundant. I read through the suggested threads and certainly got some useful tips, but I'm interested in getting...I guess a fresh opinion? The other topics are 3 - 4 years old.

My SO and I were having a discussion about closing the distance. This wouldn't be happening any time soon, but it's still something we felt would be important to discuss so we'd have a plan set. He was feeling kind of abysmal about it. He said he wants to pursue a future with me, but he's afraid we won't be able to close the distance, which is a completely understandable fear and I don't fault him for it. I don't think he's going to put an end to us over this, but he's currently under a lot of stress. If it happens, it happens.
Anyway, it's a little too early in our relationship to think marriage (I know what the date on my thing says, but we only recently got back together after a two year separation), so I suggested something I had completely forgotten about for years. He seemed really receptive to it.
I have the opportunity to apply for Polish citizenship because I have family roots going back to it. My great grandparents immigrated to the US in the 1920s, so they'd have been considered Polish citizens instead of Polish nationalists. Apparently 3rd generation Ameri-Pol is still close enough that I could possibly be granted citizenship. If I get it, this would apparently give me the right to travel to/from and live in any EU country, which would make closing the distance much easier, and we wouldn't have to worry so much about rushing into marriage to stay together.
I've emailed my local Polish Consulate for more information, and I intend to talk to my grandfather sometime this week and possibly get necessary documents from him.
I'm worrying about this now, because I know this is going to be a very long process. I'd rather have it at least mostly completed by the time he and I are ready to close the distance than wait until then to start doing it. Even if we don't work out, it'll still be neat to have.

Have any of you had any experience with dual citizenship?
What were your experiences like? Do you feel like it was worth it?

I intend to continue to do more research, but I feel like it's also useful to get non-professional perspectives about it.

The only advice I can give you is to scrutinize any documents you are able to get concerning your great grandparents (birth/marriage/death certificates, etc.) Poland wasn't an established country in the modern sense until the early 20th century, and its borders changed a lot in the first half, and though your great-grandparents might have identified as ethnically Polish and spoke Polish, they may, at least administratively, have been Russian (or German). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territ...nges_of_Poland

This is compounded if they were Jewish: my paternal great-grandparents lived in a tiny shtetl right on the border until their early/mid 20's, and we are still not sure if they were legally Russian or Polish or even German, as they spoke Yiddish as their first language, there is no documentation left (and who knows if they even had any, they were poor and persecuted), and everyone who might have known is unfortunately dead.

[horsetears]

I'm pretty new here but I'm also working on dual citizenship but with Spain, I can't answer about what it's like or anything as I haven't gotten it yet, but I hope you get some answers here as I'd like to know others' experiences as well.

[Harlequin]

Thank you, everyone, for the advice!

Differentcountries: Ohhh okay! That makes more sense than what I was originally told. Thank you for correcting that!

CynicalQuixotic: Your situation sounds like what mine might end up being. The Polish side of my family is kind of complicated, and none of the people in my mother's generation really know much about the family history. The last people who seem to know are those who'd be my grandfather's age, and most of them are dead. I'm hoping my grandfather somehow has the documents I would need, or would at least know where they are. I haven't been able to get in touch with him yet, though.

Hopefully I can keep updating this thread as/if things progress. As it stands right now, I haven't heard back from the Polish consulate. I'm gonna give her another week before I call her, though, because I'm sure she gets tons of emails.

[Dziubka]

Usually, to travel /stay in another EU country (than Poland) you need to work or have been unemployed from previous work there. It will not be an option to live on him like you could if you were married.

That is not entirely true.
As an EU citizen you can reside in any EU country under the condition that you can support yourself without having to rely on social assistance. That can be through (self) employment, but it can also be any other means.

When applied for residence in Poland all I had to show was a valid credit card.

[Riyko]

I have duel US/Canadian Citizenship. I recently got my Canadian citizenship (I applied back in 2008 and just got approved in 2013) through my grandfather who was born in Canada and was Canadian (they changed the law in 2009 where they only allow the children of Canadian citizens to get citizenship). I made sure to do tons of research and also made sure to have all of my grandfather's citizenship information. I'd recommend doing a lot of research and seeing what you need to be able to apply and good luck!

[Alle1770]

That is not entirely true.
As an EU citizen you can reside in any EU country under the condition that you can support yourself without having to rely on social assistance. That can be through (self) employment, but it can also be any other means.

This. Me and my SO are thinking about doing the same, he's got an Argentinian citizenship which means that he would have to apply for a visa and stuff to move here, which is a long process. However, his granddad was Spanish so he has the ability to apply for Spanish citizenship fairly easily, which would make the whole process so much easier. Interesting to hear about someone else that's in the same position! Please do tell us how it develops, and I'll update as well if we reach a break-through

[Harlequin]

Hey everyone! I want to thank everyone again for their help. I really do appreciate it!
I also wanted to provide a quick update, because I heard back from the Polish Consulate today:

You may have dual citizenship; you'll not jeopardize your Am citizenship by applying for Polish citizenship. You'll need the place and date of birth of your great grandparents.
Don't believe there's a downside, however, whichever passport you'd use to leave the U.S. for example, you'd have to use to return. You can't go on the U.S. passport and return on the Polish one, or vice-versa. Travelling on a Polish passport might be more problematic than using your U.S.passport.

Hopefully this is also useful information for someone else, though different countries might have different policies.
My next step is to go to the Polish consulate website she linked me to and poke around a bit, and then I need to talk to my grandfather since I haven't been able to do that yet.
Overall, though, I'm excited. It's a step in the right direction (:

[horsetears]

Nice that you got an answer, a nice clear answer at that, lol

I'm currently waiting for my mother's birth certificate to be authenticated for Spain, it's taken almost a month for something that should've only taken a week. I should have more answers next week though finally, I'll be able to make my appointment to register with my local Spanish consulate which is about 6 hours away! I'm not sure why they needed my mother's birth certificate seeing as she was born in the US, it's my dad's they should be more concerned with, but I'll get them whatever they need to get this finished.