Passport

POLISH PASSPORT APPLICATIONS – LIST OF THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

• Confirmation of  Polish citizenship,
• Passport application – duly completed in Polish,
• 2 color passport photographs (35x45 mm size and of the required specification),
• Application for PESEL number ( Polish ID number), duly completed in Polish;
• Original copy of the Polish birth certificate of the applicant,
• Original copy of the Polish marriage  certificate of the applicant (even if married outside of Poland);

If the surname is different than that given at  birth or those whose name is written differently  in their Israeli passport must   have their name formally changed to match in both  foreign and Polish documents,

• Valid Israeli passport and a photocopy,
• For minors – original copy of Polish parents’ marriage certificate and  application signed in front of a consular officer by both of the minor’s  parents.
• Passport fee.

Remarks:

• All application forms are available  at the Consular Section of the Embassy of Poland in Tel Aviv.
• Applications must be submitted personally,
• For those who does not have PESEL No. ( Polish ID number) the  passport procedure consists of two stages. The PESEL number has to be obtained by the applicant prior to applying for a passport. Therefore, two visits at the Consular Section are necessary.
• Applications completed incorrectly will not be accepted. Consular staff will not assist the applicants in completing applications.
  

DETAILED PASSPORT INFORMATION

1. GENERAL INFORMATION
   
   Polish passport is a document, which entitles to cross the border, stay abroad and certifies Polish citizenship as well as the identity of the owner within the scope of the personal data included.
   
   The Polish passport can be granted to a person who has confirmed Polish citizenship, whose identity, with spelling of the name and the second name included, can be proven on the basis of the documents presented (look at point 4)
    

2. DURATION OF PASSPORT VALIDITY
   
   Passport is valid for 10 years from the date of its issuing. One can apply for a temporary passport, which meets all the requirements of the 10-year passport, but is issued for the period of only 12 months, while waiting for the permanent one (look at point 6).
   
   The passport issued for a child that has no less than 5 years of age and no more than 13 is valid for 5 years from the date of its issuing. It is possible to obtain a temporary passport, while waiting for issuing of the 5-year passport (look at point 6).
   
   Children at the age of less than 5 years old are given only temporary passports with the validity for 12 months (look at point 6).

3. PENDING PERIOD
   
   The pending period before issuing the passport printed in Poland is about 6 months from the date of submitting complete documents (look at point 4). In case of simultaneous applying for a temporary passport (look point at point 6) the pending period before issuing the 10-year passport extends to about 10 months.
   
   Polish passports are printed in Poland, regardless of a permanent residence of a Polish citizen. It is recommended to apply for a new passport 6 months in advance before the expiry date of the previous passport.
   
   The Consular Section of Polish Embassy in Tel Aviv does not guarantee the issuing of the passport on the date requested by the applicant and is not responsible for any harm and costs that may be encountered.

4. DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO OBTAIN THE POLISH PASSPORT:

a) A document proving citizenship or granting Polish citizenship, last Polish passport or Polish identity card.

If a person who applies for Polish passport is an adult who has never had one, she or he must present documents that would certify her or his Polish citizenship (for example decision of granting Polish citizenship, confirmation of having Polish citizenship) and the attested copy of birth certificate issued by a Polish registry office together with theapplication for PESEL – ZALACZNIK 9 (look at point 10).
 
A document certifying Polish citizenship can be a document confirming Polish citizenship of one of the child’s parents. In case of the children born abroad it is necessary to present the birth certificate issued by a Polish registry office, the application for PESEL – ZALACZNIK 9 (look at point 10) and parents’ Polish passports.

b) Document certifying the identity (for example Israeli passport, Polish passport or possibly any other Polish document confirming the identity) and a copy of such document.

c) 3 photos taken en face, with closed mouth, without a headcover and without dark glasses; the face should constitute 70-80 % of the photo’s surface, the eyes 20-30 mm above the lower margin of the photo (15-30 in case of children), the photo in color in high resolution, light background, technical requirements – minimum 300 ppi and 720 dpi; one of the photographs should be named with pencil on the reverse (clearly: name, second name and birth date).
 
d) Original copy of birth certificate issued by a Polish Registry Office in case of applying for passport for the first time. This applies also to children born abroad.

e) Original copy of marriage certificate issued by a Polish Registry Office in case of applying for passport because of changing name or a document confirming the comeback to the name used previously issued by a Polish Registry Office.

f) 2 passport forms, completed with block letters, in compliance with Polish signs (look at point 9). NOTE: it is not possible to print the passport form from the Polish Embassy’s Internet site.

The passport is issued exclusively on the basis of Polish Registry Office’s documents (see – VITAL RECORDS). This means that people who have birth or marriage certificate issued by a foreign Registry Office, for example Israeli one, should localize (transcript) these documents in a Polish Registry Office properly to their last Polish residence or if they never lived in Poland in Registry Office in Warsaw (information about transcription of vital records is available on the internet site of Polish Embassy in Tel Aviv).

If there are differences between writing of first or second names in Polish Registry Office documents and Israeli passport, a person who applies for a passport, should present Polish document confirming the change of the first or second name’s writing.

Temporary passport can be returned in the moment of the documents’ submission in the Consulate, it is necessary however to present it for cancellation in the moment of receiving the new passport. If the passport was deposed in the Consulate, it will be returned after its cancellation together with the new one.

5. ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS – PASSPORTS FOR CHILDREN
   
   The written permission of both parents is required to issue a passport for a child minor at the age of less than 18 years. Parents’ signatures should be placed in the presence of a consul or a notary (with a stamp confirming the authenticity of the signatures).
   
   If the child’s details were written in one of the parents’ passports, it is necessary to attach this document to the application in order to cancel the child’s name from the parent’s passport.

6. TEMPORARY PASSPORT
   
   A person applying additionally for a temporary passport with the right to multiple border-crossing, issued for the pending period for the 10-year passport (or 5-year one in case of a minor) has to present:

• 2 passport forms (look at point 9),
• 3 present photographs (SIZE - look at point 4 c)
  
  The temporary passport must be presented for cancellation at the receipt of the 10-year passport (or 5-year passport in case of a child). In case of loss of the temporary passport  it is necessary to declare the date and circumstances of its loss and make a payment of 1100 NIS.
  
  A person, who applies for the temporary passport with the right to a single boundary-crossing (returning to Poland) in lieu of the lost Polish passport, needs to present:

• 2 passport forms (SIZE - look at point 10),
• 3 present photographs (look at point 4 c),
• a statement about the date and circumstances of the passport’s loss (the forms can be obtained also in the Polish Embassy). While filling in the statement, it is necessary to write the last address in Poland, the name of the city where the passport had been issued and the date of its issuing (at least the year).
• Polish document with photo, confirming the identity.
  

7. SUBMITTING DOCUMENTS AND RECEIPT OF THE PASSPORT
   
   The application for the passport with all the documents must be submitted and received personally. It is not possible to apply via third person or by sending documents by post.
   
   Information about a receipt of the 10-year passport issued in Poland is sent to the person who applied via  post.
   
   On behalf of a child the passport application should be submitted by both parents, unless one of the parents has been deprived of her or his parental power or the power has been limited by a court order. In case of the lack of unanimous agreement of both parents or the impossibility of obtaining of one parent’s approval, an order of a civil court is considered as a permission for issuing a passport. Orders of foreign courts should be confirmed by Polish courts. In case of death of one of the parents it is necessary to present an original of the death certificate. The application submitted by one of the parents with the written permission of the second parent should be attested by a consul or a notary, is considered as submitted by both parents. The child must be present while the passport application is submitted and the passport is collected.
   
   The passport applications can be submitted each Tuesday and Thursday between 9-12 am.

8. CONSULAR FEES
   
   The consular charges are taken on documents submission. The consulate accepts payments only in cash. NO CREDIT OR PAYMENT CARDS ARE ACCEPTED.
   
   10-year passport issuing – 601 NIS
   Passport issuing for a minor at the age of  7 to 13 years (considering the date of the submission) – 206 NIS
   Passport issuing for a minor below the age of 7 years (considering the date of the submission) – 206 NIS
   Temporary passport issuing (with the aim to enable homeland come back) – 220 NIS
   Temporary passport issuing in anticipation for the 10-year passport – 83 NIS
   Temporary passport issuing for a minor below the age of 5 years – 97 NIS
   Passport issuing in lieu of the lost passport – 1064 NIS
   
   Who is entitled to reduced payments – 50%:

• pupils and students at the age of less than 26 years – a student card must have the expiry date and if not students have to present a declaration from the school attesting that the given person studies at full-time;
• pensioners and veterans who present a proper and valid card or pension receipt;

No passport payment is taken from:

• the applicants at the age of 70 years old and more (considering the date of the submission);
• the residents of social assistance houses;
  
  Limited payments are taken
  in case of issuing a new passport before the expiry date of the previous one by one tenth of the consular charge for each year before the expiry date in consideration of:

• change of the name or other data written in the passport (after submitting administrative decision or marriage certificate);
• change of appearance;
• lack of room for further visas or stamps confirming border-crossing.

CONSULAR FEES CAN BE CHARGED WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE.

9. FILLING PASSPORT FORM - rules
   

• passport form must filled out legibly in Polish, with Polish signs  (IN BLOCK LETTERS);

• the passport form must be completed exclusively on the basis of the Polish Registry Office acts (birth and marriage certificates). Every single data of the person who applies for the passport (names, second names, place and date of birth, mother’s maiden name) must be in accordance with the data written in the Polish birth or marriage certificate;

• the points from 1 to 9 must be completed.

• the blanks: “the date and signature of the person receiving passport” and “the date and signature of the person accepting the application” must not be filled out;

• we kindly ask not to glue and not to staple photos to the form. Only one photo should be signed with a pencil on its reverse. The photos attached must not be stained or folded.

• Each form is signed in the box under the photo spot (please do not cross or touch the line). It does not apply to children at the age of 12 or less.;

• The passport form filled out incorrectly may result in issuing a passport with mistaken data, and the owner would bear the cost of its replacement;

 
The sample passport form:

Page 1

 Page 2.

Point 1 – the second name: in case of women who married more than once
One has to write all the previous second names and maiden name;
Point 2 – names: if two names result from the Polish birth certificate, one has to write them both in the passport form;
Point 3 – father’s name, mother’s name and mother’s maiden name;
Point 4 – the birth date day/month/year (month should be written in letters) and the birth place. In case of people born abroad it is necessary that the spelling should be consistent with the spelling in the Polish birth certificate;
Point 5 – must be filled out in “Polish”;
Point 6 – the exact address in Israel with a telephone number;
Point 7 – the last permanent address in Poland. People who stay permanently in Israel write their last permanent address in Poland, regardless of the date when they left Poland (this does not apply to children born abroad).

Reference number PESEL (look at point 10) – must be written according to the rule – one blank – one letter;

At the reverse (page 2) The signature in the blank below the photo must be put so as not to touch or cross the line of the blank. The signature in the blank must be made by people at the age of 12 or older. In case of children at the age of less than 12 years, the blank must be left empty.

Description: Height must be given in centimeters, the eye color – according to the physiognomy and distinguishing mark – according to the physiognomy.
 
Point 8 – the data regarding the passport owned up to moment of the applying – number, series, the date of the issue and the name of the passport promulgating office.  Example: Passport series AA number 12345678 issued by the Mazovian Voivode. In case of the lack of the Polish passport, there should be given the details of the Israeli passport.

Point 9 – the details of the contact person.

Last page – date, place and signature of the applicant (on behalf of the minor children the signature should be made by the parents or legal minders).

10. REFERENCE NUMBER PESEL
    
    Numer Powszechnego Elektronicznego Systemu Ewidencji Ludności (PESEL) – Number of Universal Electronic System of Population Registry is a permanent digital symbol given to a individual person, which serves for personal identification. The number consists of 11 numerals. The PESEL number is given automatically for all (temporary and permanent) the residents in Poland who apply for the attested copy of the identity card or passport.
    
    There is a group of Polish citizens who have not been granted PESEL number. This refers to people who permanently stay abroad and left Poland before the implementation of PESEL system or who were born abroad and live permanently in a foreign country. Those people may obtain PESEL number, submitting a special application together with the authenticated copy of Polish birth certificate and the duplicate of the Polish marriage certificate. Applying for PESEL number together with the passport does not entail additional costs (the application for PESEL – ZALACZNIK 9 ).