Privacy Policy

1. Data Controller

The Data Controller responsible for the processing of your personal data is:

GetPolishCitizenship
Street: Kazimierza Morawskiego 5 apartment 127, 30-102 Kraków, Poland
Email: contact@getpolishcitizenship.eu
Phone: +48 791924523

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or the processing of your data, you may contact us at any time using the details above.

2. Scope of Services

We provide services related to:

• Confirmation of possession or loss of Polish citizenship (including the descent, restoration, and grant methods)
• Search for genealogical or historical documents in Poland
• Registration of civil-status acts in Poland
• Assistance with preparing and submitting applications to Polish authorities

These services often require the collection and processing of personal data belonging to clients and their family members and ancestors.

3. Personal Data We Process

Depending on your engagement with us, we may collect and process the following categories of data:

3.1 Identification and Contact Data

• Name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Residential or correspondence address
• Details included in handed-over civil documents

3.2 Document and Case-Related Data

• Scans and copies of identity documents
• Birth, marriage, and death certificates (yours and your ancestors’)
• Data concerning ancestors and other relatives
• Full powers of attorney (pełnomocnictwa)
• Any additional documents required to verify Polish citizenship or register civil-status records

3.3 Technical Data

• Information submitted via contact forms
• Cookies (see section 12)
• Website usage data (Google Analytics)

We do not intentionally collect sensitive data unless required for legal procedures. When such data is necessary (e.g., civil-status documents), it is processed strictly under European GDPR legal bases.

4. How We Collect Your Data

We obtain your data through:

• Direct communication (email, phone, WhatsApp, messaging apps)
• Contact forms on our website
• Documents voluntarily submitted by you
• Data obtained from Polish public offices on your behalf, based on valid powers of attorney
• Third-party entities assisting in your case (e.g., genealogical agencies)

5. Purposes and Legal Bases for Processing

Legal bases defined here: https://gdpr-info.eu/art-6-gdpr/

We process your data for the following purposes:

5.1 To provide our services

Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR — performance of a contract.

Includes preparing applications, conducting document searches, contacting authorities, and keeping you informed about your case.

5.2 To comply with legal obligations

Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR — compliance with legal obligations.

Polish administrative law often requires submitting personal data to public authorities.

5.3 To process powers of attorney

Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) and, where required, Art. 6(1)(c).

5.4 For communications and customer support

Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR — legitimate interest.

We must be able to contact you while processing your case.

5.5 Website analytics & cookies

Legal basis:

• Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR — consent (analytics & marketing cookies)
• Art. 6(1)(f) — legitimate interest (essential cookies)

5.6 Marketing (if used in the future)

Tools such as MailChimp may be used for newsletters or updates — but only with your explicit consent.

We do not sell your personal data and do not use automated decision-making.

6. Data Sharing and Third-Party Recipients

We may share your data with the following categories of recipients, only when necessary for your case:

6.1 Professional Partners

• Notaries
• Sworn (certified) translators
• Genealogical research agencies

6.2 IT, Hosting, and Software Providers

• Microsoft (Office products)
• Google (Workspace, Analytics)
• Proton (Email and Cloud provider)
• WordPress and plugins (including SEO tools, Elementor)
• Pipedrive (CRM)
• Stripe (payment processing)
• Symfonia (accounting software)
• Dropbox (file storage and document exchange)

These providers may process data on our behalf under data processing agreements (DPAs).

6.3 Public authorities in Poland

• Voivodeship Offices (Urząd Wojewódzki)
• Consular Offices (Konsulaty i Ambasady RP)
• Civil Registry Offices (USC)
• State Archives
• Other relevant governmental institutions

Your data is shared with them only when the service explicitly requires it.

7. International Data Transfers

Some IT service providers (e.g., Microsoft, Google, Stripe, Dropbox) may transfer data to countries outside the EU.

If such transfers occur, they are safeguarded by:

• Adequacy decisions
• Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs)
• Additional protective measures described in GDPR

We ensure that all international transfers comply with applicable regulations.

8. Data Retention

We store your personal data for:

• The duration of the service plus up to 2 years for administrative purposes, financial settlements, and potential legal claims.

Documents not required after the case is closed may be securely deleted earlier upon your request, unless a legal obligation requires otherwise.

9. Your Rights Under GDPR

You have the following rights:

• Right of access
• Right to rectification
• Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”)
• Right to restrict processing
• Right to data portability
• Right to object
• Right to withdraw consent at any time (when processing is based on consent)
• Right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority or with:

President of the Personal Data Protection Office (UODO), Poland

To exercise any rights, contact us at:

contact@getpolishcitizenship.eu

10. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including:

• Encrypted storage and transmission
• Secure email and document handling
• Access controls and authentication
• Regular monitoring and limited access to files
• Secure deletion procedures

11. Contact Forms and Communication Tools

When you submit a contact form, we process the data you provide (name, email, phone, message content) to respond to your inquiry.

If you communicate with us via WhatsApp or other messaging apps, your data is processed according to both:

• GDPR requirements, and
• The privacy policies of those communication providers.

12. Cookies & Analytics

Our website uses cookies to:

• Ensure proper site functionality
• Improve user experience
• Analyze website traffic (Google Analytics)
• Support future marketing tools (e.g., SEO plugins, MailChimp integration)

You can manage cookie settings in your browser at any time.

Analytics and marketing cookies are used only with your consent.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this policy from time to time to comply with updated legal requirements or changes to our services.

The “Last Updated” date at the top of the document indicates the latest version.