I have an OLD Polish passport (live in the US now)

I left Poland as teenager in middle 80s. Never really had the time or need to renew the passport and when traveled outside, I used US one.

So now, I have the "old" long time expired passport and birth certificate and really nothing else. Since the systems have changed, is it worth all the trouble to renew/replace the old passport ? I am not too far from Chicago but if I need to get a lawyer and pay excessive fees, I probably would not do it. Anyone has experience as such ?

Yes,I got Polish Passports for my kids in early 90s which one didnt care to renew it,suddenly she decides to renew it and went to Polish consulate in Ny and was done in almost 4/5 weeks.Also my sons Passport is kept by the govt due to top security clearance and has expired over a decade now,when in Consulate my daughter asked they said no problem he can always renew it whenever he wants to(even when he had to write a letter to the president of Poland to give up his citizenship,but for the last 9 years no response from them)Still consulate will be your best bet to ask.

@TooLongOut

Heh I was in a very similar situation and live in Chicago area as well. I still have my old PRL passport. Just go to the consulate downtown and you're good.

I just did it. The first thing the consulate demanded was the new version of my birth certificate available only from an USC office in Poland. I have no idea how to get it from here. I went to Poland in 2017 so it was really easy.

If you got married here, you will have to give them an apostille certified marriage certificate issued by the State of Illinois.

The consulate will demand your wife's presence several times. After the application was submitted, I had to wait for the PESEL number.

The most maddening thing was that there was no such thing as calling them and talking to a live person. Everything is by appointment, which means a trip to their office on Lake Shore Drive, and a 15-buck parking. Once inside, it goes fast.

What is a PESEL number ?

PESEL = Powszechny Elektroniczny System Ewidencji Ludności

Kind of Social Security number with your birth year last 2 digits,then month 2 digits then date 2 digits and other 4 numbers(Random)

mine has 5 numbers following the year-month-day

You are lying. You have to be Polish to get it.

It must be exhausting and dispiriting to be wrong so often about the country you pretend to be from.... how do you deal with that?

obywatel.gov.pl/dokumenty-i-dane-osobowe/uzyskaj-numer-pesel-dla-cudzoziemcow

The same way you do. Like with that PESEL number. That was a good one.

Sorry,you are right,mine has 5 too.

Mine has 5 digits either.