Update regarding our Genealogy Research Services, valid from March 18, 2024 until further notice
Due to the heavy workload associated with providing our Tour Services, we have introduced the following rules:
- If you are a tour services client and need research before visiting your ancestors’ places, you will be served first as a priority customer.
- If you are a returning customer of either our tour or research services, your research will also have higher priority.
- If you are a new customer, we will ask you to wait until we have resources to focus on your research. We will announce availability in our newsletter, on social media, and on this page.
Genealogy research can be extensive and time-consuming. Some of you have been researching for years and still have more to discover, often hitting barriers like language or other brick walls. Or you may be just starting, knowing only that your forebears emigrated from Central or Eastern Europe and wondering where to begin.
With more than a decade of team experience across thousands of genealogy projects, we can help you start your journey or overcome the obstacles you’ve encountered.
Our team includes experienced professional genealogy researchers, guides, and research managers. We work in Central and Eastern Europe—in the places and communities we’ve known since childhood. We are practitioners and insiders, offering more than basic vital-record searches. For example, we use a variety of pre-partition sources for peasants and townspeople that we broadly call “Land Records.” See the places covered in the Land Records database.
For those who would like to see their ancestors’ land but cannot visit Poland, we offer Polish Genealogy Virtual Tours. Our senior genealogist will visit each village connected to your family history and collect signs that your ancestors were there.
How it works
- Contact us to explain your needs. Fill out the Genealogy Research Request form.
(This form is inactive until further notice. If you are a returning customer or a customer of our Genealogy Tour, please email [email protected]. See the announcement at the top of this page.)
Be prepared to share files that may help with research or links to online family trees. - We will contact you within 7 days (free of charge). We may ask questions to verify and learn more about your ancestry and research goals. When we have what we need, you will receive an offer detailing the scope, direction, and cost. The offer is valid for 30 days.
- After payment, we begin the research. Timelines vary, but you will receive regular updates. On completion, you will receive a full report with discovered ancestors/cousins, document images where archive rules allow, and other important details. We will also advise on any recommended continuation. If you have specific requests—historical background, adding findings to your online tree, photos/videos of family land—include them in your form or email. See an example Research Report with historical background.
What we offer
Analysis of your documents. We review what you have discovered so far, analyze your goals, and advise on feasibility. This stage is free of charge.
Basic Research. Includes 10 hours of genealogists’ work. Depending on source availability, it may include additional documents and historical background. Concludes with a Research Report.
Standard Research. Includes 20 hours of genealogists’ work. Results are detailed in a Research Report.
The price of the Basic and Standard options includes genealogists’ time and may also include the cost of obtaining records and travel to archives. You will know the total cost before ordering. The minimum entry cost of the Basic Research stage is $900 USD (if you are a Genealogy Tour participant or a returning customer, you will receive a $100 discount), paid in Polish zloty (PLN). Check the current exchange rate: usd → pln.
Advanced Research. For projects requiring significant time and expertise or the most comprehensive results. We will assess what is achievable and discuss scope individually.
Each service level consists of the research manager’s and genealogists’ time, plus any travel and record-access costs. You will receive a detailed cost estimate before you commit.
How long it may take
Even though we specify project hours, the final report can take weeks or months. Obtaining copies from archives or parishes and scheduling on-site visits takes time, and some factors are outside our control. You will receive regular progress updates.
See also
- Frequently Asked Questions about Genealogy Services
- Terms of Use of the PolishOrigins Genealogy Services
- Live Genealogy Consultations
- Testimonials from our Tours and Genealogy Services clients
If you are ready to see what we can do, fill out the Genealogy Research Request form.
(This form is inactive until further notice. If you are a returning customer or a customer of our Genealogy Tour, please email [email protected].)
If you’d like to learn the basics of Polish genealogy on your own, visit the Polish Genealogy Academy.