Passport for a child aged 5 and under 13

The application for a passport for a child is submitted in person by:

• both parents or guardians appointed by the court,
  or
• one of the parents or court-appointed guardians,

if it submits:

– written consent of the other parent (guardian) to issue a passport to the child, containing confirmation of the authenticity of his signature by a notary, consul or a passport department official authorized by the voivode,

– final and binding court decision stating that the other parent (guardian) has no right to decide on issuing a passport to the child,

– final and binding family court decision in which the court agrees to issue a passport to a child without the consent of the other parent,

– full copy of the Polish birth certificate, which shows that the child’s father is unknown (there was no recognition of paternity or judicial determination of paternity),

– a copy of the death certificate of the other parent.

A child aged 5 or over must be present when applying for a passport. If the child is over 12, the consulate employee will take his / her fingerprints.

You can book your appointment to apply for a passport via the e-konsulat system .

• Legibly completed application for a passport or a temporary passport by the consul of the Republic of Poland, which you will receive at the consulate or downloaded from the website of the consular office. Parents consent to the issue of a passport on the passport application by signing in the presence of a consular officer, showing their valid passports or ID cards.
• Color photo – find out what the photo should look like .
• An abridged or full copy of a Polish birth certificate, if the child does not have a PESEL number.
• The child’s current passport or temporary passport, if such a document has already been issued to him (for inspection).

If the application is submitted by one of the parents – additionally prepare one of the following documents:

• written consent of the other parent (guardian) containing confirmation of the authenticity of his signature by a notary, consul or a passport department official authorized by the voivode,
• final and binding court decision stating that the other parent (guardian) has no right to decide on issuing a passport to the child,
• final and binding court decision in which the court agrees to issue a passport to a child without the consent of the other parent,
• full copy of the Polish birth certificate, which shows that the child’s father is unknown (no recognition of paternity or judicial determination of paternity),
• a copy of the death certificate of the other parent.

If, on the basis of the data contained in the documents submitted in the case or the data contained in the records and registers available to the consul, the identity and citizenship of the child cannot be determined or the data raise doubts or discrepancies, the consul may ask you to submit additional documents of the child, e.g. his / her :

• an abridged or complete copy of a Polish birth certificate
• decision of the voivode confirming that the child has Polish citizenship
• a valid foreign identity document,

There is no obligation to present a school ID or a similar document proving that the child is studying.

The fee for issuing a passport for a child aged 5 and under 13 is EUR 70.
Until the time of starting compulsory education, children, pupils and students – upon presentation of a valid school or student ID card or a school certificate of education – are entitled to a 50% discount on the consular fee for issuing a passport.

The fees are collected at the office’s cash desk at the time of submitting the application.

Accepted forms of payment: cash.

You will pay less if you apply for a new passport to your child before the validity period of the passport expires – if:

• the child’s data in the passport have changed, for example his name (s) or surname (then there is an obligation to replace the passport) or appearance in a way that makes it difficult to identify the child,
• there is no more space in the child’s passport for subsequent visas or stamps that confirm crossing the border.

You won’t pay for your child’s passport if:

• the child is in a nursing home or a care institution, and the trip abroad is associated with long-term treatment or surgery,
• the child’s passport has a technical defect.

Remember! If you lose or destroy the child’s passport through your own fault – the fee for issuing a new passport will be increased by 200% compared to the fee applicable on the day of application.

When submitting the application, the consulate employee will tell you the expected date of passport collection. You will also receive a written confirmation of your application. On it you will find the child’s passport application number – which will be useful if you want to track the status of the case online.

Check that your child’s passport is ready .

If the child’s identity document is urgently needed, for example due to an impending departure – also apply for a temporary passport while waiting for the delivery of the biometric passport. You will get it faster than a biometric passport.

Remember , if you plan to travel to another country with a child on the basis of a temporary passport, check the current regulations governing the entry and stay of foreigners in that country. Make sure that the child will be able to cross the border on the basis of a temporary passport and what the required period of its validity is (when entering and leaving).

The child’s passport can be collected by one of the parents (guardians) in person at the office where the application was submitted.

On the day of collecting the new document, bring the child’s previous passport (or temporary passport) to the consulate – the existing passport will be canceled, except for pages with valid visas, and returned.

Remember! In justified cases, especially in conditions of particularly difficult access to the consular office, the consul may waive the requirement to collect the passport document in person. Please discuss this when applying for a passport.

Remember that you will have to submit a reasoned written request to waive the requirement to collect the passport in person (the form will be available from the consular office), as well as cover the shipping cost.

The consul will send the passport to the address indicated by the operator performing postal or transport services, if it is possible with the security of the document provided.

The cancellation of the existing passport or temporary passport of the child will take place before the consul sends a new passport.

If you know that your child’s passport is ready for collection at the consulate – send the consul the child’s current passport (or, if applicable, temporary passport) for cancellation. The consul will return the canceled document to you by sending it together with your new passport.

Remember that the consul does not send passports to a citizen staying in Poland.

It is also not possible to send a passport issued by the national passport authority (voivode) to a person staying abroad.

How can I get the first passport for a child born abroad?

First, you need to transcribe the child’s foreign birth certificate , thanks to which you will receive an abbreviated or unabridged copy of the Polish birth certificate. The (biometric) passport includes the PESEL number, for which a copy of the Polish birth certificate is required.

How to get a PESEL number?

A consul applies for a PESEL number – in connection with the submission of an application for a passport to a child who does not yet have a PESEL number.

Remember that the consul does not apply for a PESEL number in other cases than in connection with the issue of a passport or temporary passport.

What to do when one of the parents cannot be present when applying for a child’s passport?

A parent who cannot be present when applying for a child’s passport may consent to the issue of this document to the child by completing a declaration. The authenticity of the signature on this declaration should be confirmed by a notary or passport authority (consul, voivode).

What to do when one parent or both parents have invalid passports, ID cards or no identity document at all, and want to apply for a passport or temporary passport for their child?

The lack of an identity document makes it impossible to identify the person. In such a case, the consul cannot accept the parent’s consent to issue a passport document to the child. First, parents will need to obtain passports or ID cards.