Polish for citizenship – the B1 requirement and accepted documents

Who the B1 requirement applies to

The Polish language requirement covers all the routes to recognition as a Polish citizen listed in the table – they differ in the length of residence, but not in the language level. We have collected the language requirements for every type of case in our guide to Polish in residence and citizenship matters.

The other conditions of each route (type of permit, income, accommodation, how continuity of residence is calculated) are set out in Article 30(1) of the act. The only people exempt from the language requirement are minors recognised as citizens under Article 30(1)(4) and (5) (children whose parent is a Polish citizen or has had Polish citizenship restored). On this page we focus on language. If you hold the Karta Polaka, see what your path to citizenship looks like.

Which documents prove knowledge of Polish

The act lists three documents and, since 1 July 2025, explicitly excludes one.

If you already have an ECL or telc certificate, or are wondering which exam to choose, read our comparison of ECL, telc and the state exam.

The state B1 exam – what you have to pass

The state B1 exam for adults has a written part and an oral part. Under the regulation on the exams (Dz.U. 2025 item 217), the written part lasts no more than 190 minutes and consists of four modules: listening comprehension, reading comprehension, grammatical accuracy and writing. It is followed by the oral part. To pass, you need at least 50% of the points in each module of the written part and in the oral part.

In practice, this means an excellent grammar score will not make up for a weak essay. Check the upcoming B1 exam dates, and you will find a step-by-step description of the exam in the guide to the B1 exam.

What B1 means in practice

B1 is the independent user level: you understand the main points of conversations and texts about everyday matters, you can talk about your experience, write a simple letter and justify an opinion. You do not have to speak without mistakes – what matters is that your mistakes do not get in the way of understanding.

Mistakes that most often delay B1

Most often it is not knowledge that lets people down, but planning and a few recurring language mistakes. These are the ones we correct most often in lessons:

Planning mistakes are just as costly: registering for the exam at the last minute, studying only grammar without writing and speaking, and assuming that a post-secondary school certificate will be enough – since July 2025 it no longer is.

Example: a short B1-level email

Writing most often decides the result: it causes the most difficulty, and every module has to be passed separately. At B1 level you are expected to produce an organised text with an opening and closing formula, in the appropriate register. This is what a short message to a building’s management might look like – it is a B1-style exercise, not an exam task:

What a teacher looks at in a text like this: whether there are polite formulas (‘Szanowni Państwo’, ‘Z poważaniem’), whether a single register is kept (the ‘Państwo’ form throughout the text, with no switch to the informal ‘Ty’), whether the request is clear and whether the forms are correct – for example od tygodnia (genitive after ‘od’) and mogliby Państwo (conditional mood in the plural).

Your starting level – an approximate plan

Four steps to the certificate

1. Check your level – a placement test or a trial lesson with a level assessment will show how far you are from B1.
2. Count back from the moment you want to have the certificate in your hand, and choose a session with time to spare.
3. Practise the whole exam – on the B1 preparation course you write letters and essays that the teacher marks according to the commission’s criteria, and you practise the oral part.
4. Follow the changes – check what stage the bills amending the act have reached.

You can take the first step right away: book a trial lesson, and the teacher will assess your level and suggest a study plan for the session you choose.