Getting back to Poland on an old ID.

Hi, can anyone give any advice please,
My polish boyfriend needs to get home from uk very quickly for a family funeral but.....his passport expired around one year ago and he does not have a up to date Dowód osobisty. He has not been back to Poland for years and obviously had no plans to do so soon or he would have re-applied for his passport.

We need to know if he can travel with his old polish I.D...just to get there then he will update while we are in Warsaw. We plan to go dover-calais then through Germany then into Poland....has anyone done this before with old ID and did they have problems?

We contacted the Polish embassy and explained the situation but he cant even get an appointment until after the funeral!!! which obviously is not good

any other suggestions will be good :)

i'm sure the consulate or the embassy will be more helpful then us here... good luck...

Cant he just travel on a PESEL? Ive heard Poles doing this, youll only have to show ID once when leaving the UK, unless the Police stop you of course.

Well as far as I know - the old book-style dowód osobisty are not valid for some years now.
Plastic ones are ok.
He may apply in Polish Consulate for an emergency travel document. Don't call them. Just go to the consulate. The downside of this solution is that this document is one way only.

in conclusion: keep your passport valid no matter what...

in conclusion: keep your passport valid no matter what...

He really wishes he had now.

Thanks all for advice.

Nope. Not a valid travel document according to Schengen law.

In all likelihood, Polish border guards would let him in - but he wouldn't have a chance in hell of getting on the plane as the airlines aren't going to let him without a valid document.

Here's how it is:
1. old "dowód osobisty" - not good enough if it is not valid
2. outdated passport - you can come back on it. If I remember well it is even written on the passport!

yes but if one is crossing a border that will check it, the acceptance of such expired document is obviously up to them.


or don't plan on traveling..

It won't be accepted by the airlines, that much is certain. Most ferry companies won't accept it either, apart from where there are foreign border checks in the UK - such as at St Pancras International and Dover.

There may be a hassle, esp. in Ryanair or British Airlines. But if you have also some other valid ID it could work fine. Not always they check the expiry date too.

No other ID is acceptable for flying with from the UK to elsewhere - just the passport or valid ID card. Nothing else.

Of course, another option is to visit the Polish embassy and get an emergency passport to get back - only valid to Poland, but it will get you home!

I wrote about a valid ID, didn't I.

I am half Polish with an out of date British passport. I live on the Western Island in Scotland.
My uncle died 2 days ago in Warsawa. I really want to pay my respects and attend his funeral.
Can anyone advise me on a way to do this?
what paperwork do i need? can i get a temporary passport or something else really quick?
I would really appreciate any help please.
thank you.

Maybe. You'll need to book an appointment through the passport service at your nearest office (google their address and phone number). They do a one-day service and you'll have to go in person (with the form ready filled in, get it at the post office) and some photographs (they may have a booth there). I had to do this once and it was quick. It does cost more. As I say, they have an appointment system and I'm not sure if they can deal with people who just turn up. If you explain when you phone that it's an emergency they may squeeze you in right away - I found them easy to deal with.

You say you're half Polish. If you have a Polish ID card, I think you can fly on that, however it would be a very good idea to check with the airline before booking. My ex flew from UK to Poland on an old style Polish ID card that had just expired and had no problems, however they may well have tightened up security a bit now.