Poland in New Zealand

You can file an application to issue a passport for a child with any Republic of Poland consular office you choose. Remember that you must collect the new passport in the same office in which you filed the application.

An application to issue a passport for a child should be submitted in person by:

• the child's mother and father or a legal guardian or attorney ad litem

or

• one of the parents if they present:

1. a consent of the other parent to issue a passport to the child, e.g. a form, as attached below, with their signature authenticated by a public notary, not: justice of the peace. More about giving a parental consent in a separate tab How to give my parental consent to issue a passport for my child.
2. a final and binding court decision under which the other parent has no right to make decisions about issuing a passport to the child;
3. a final and binding family court decision in which the court consents to issuing a passport to a child without the other parent's consent;
4. an unabridged copy of the child’s Polish birth certificate stating that the father of the child is unknown (there was no recognition of fatherhood or judicial establishment of paternity);
5. a copy of a death certificate of the other parent.

IMPORTANT! A child over 5 years of age must be present when an application for a passport is filed. 

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

You will file an application to issue a passport to your child with a consul in an electronic form during your passport appointment. The consul will file your application using an electronic form and the parents will be required to confirm that the accuracy of the child’s personal details as well as give their consent by placing their signatures on a dedicated device (signature pad).

Please submit:

• a colour biometric photograph of the child – check what the photograph should look like. Filing the photograph together with the application is mandatory. You cannot replace the photograph or send it later. If no photograph has been attached to your application or the photograph does not comply with requirements, the passport authority will notify you that your application has been rejected.
• valid passport documents or valid identity cards of the parents;
• a valid passport document or valid identity card of the child, if such documents have been issued;
• a full or abbreviated copy of the Polish birth certificate, if the child does not have a PESEL number assigned.

If the application is made by one of the parents, please submit one of the following documents:

• a consent of the other parent to issue a passport to the child, e.g. a form, as attached below, with their signature authenticated by a public notary, not: justice of the peace. More about giving a parental consent in a separate tab How to give my parental consent to issue a passport for my child.
• a final and binding court decision, under which the other parent has no right to make decisions about issuing a passport to the child,
• a final and binding court decision, in which the court consents to the issue of a passport to a child without the other parent's consent,
• an unabridged copy of the child's Polish birth certificate stating that the father of the child is unknown (there was no recognition of fatherhood or judicial establishment of paternity),
• a copy of a death certificate of the other parent.

If the application is filed by a legal caretaker or court-appointed guardian, court-issued documents that confirm an entitlement to make an application on behalf of the child should be produced. 

NOTE: in case of reasonable doubts as to the child’s identity, citizenship or other details required to file a passport application, the consul may ask you to submit additional documents.

• The fee for issuing a passport for a child:

- under 12 years of age is NZD 92.

- over 12 years of age is NZD 143.

• Fees are collected at the cash desk of the consular office when you file the application.
• The fee is collected: EFTPOS card, bank transfer or cash

When you file your application, the consular employee will tell you the anticipated date of collecting the passport. You will also receive a written confirmation of filing the application. The confirmation will feature the number of the child’s passport application which you can use to track the application online.

If your child needs a travel document at short notice, for example when they have to travel urgently, file an additional application for a temporary passport to use while you are waiting for a biometric passport to be issued. You will receive a temporary passport faster than a biometric one. 

IMPORTANT! If you plan to travel abroad using a temporary passport, check the current regulations defining the rules of entrance and stay on the territory of that country. Make sure that you can cross the border using a temporary passport and for how long it remains valid (when entering and leaving)

• A child’s passport can be collected by either parent, the legal caretaker or the court-appointed guardian in person in the office in which the application has been filed. When collecting the new document, bring the child’s previous passport (or temporary passport) to the consular office. The former passport document will be voided, except for pages containing valid visas, and returned to you.

or

• in justified cases, you can request to have the passport posted. You will be required to provide a pre-paid registered envelope (with signature-required option to ensure secured delivery - example below). The consul will send the passport to the indicated address via postal or messenger service operator, ensuring the security of the document. Once you know that your child's biometric passport is ready for collection at the consulate, send your child's current passport (or temporary passport) to the consul for cancellation. The consul will return the cancelled document together with the new one.

NOTE: 

1. If you receive your child's passport by mail, YOU NEED TO ACTIVATE THE PASSPORT ON YOUR OWN using a dedicated electronic service here. In order to activate the passport, you need Internet access, the number of your new passport and the application number (which can be found on the receipt confirming the submission of your passport application).

2. Remember that the consul does not send passports to citizens staying outside the consular district in which the application was filed. Neither is it possible to send a passport issued by a domestic passport authority (province governor) to a person staying outside Poland.

3. You can no longer change the method of collecting the passport from personal to courier once you made a visit to the consulate to file the application.

How to obtain the first passport for a child born abroad?

First, you need to register a foreign child birth certificate in Poland to obtain an abridged or unabridged copy of a Polish birth certificate. The Polish birth certificate is necessary to obtain the PESEL number which is then entered in a biometric passport.

How to obtain the PESEL number?

The consul applies for the PESEL number to be issued in connection with a passport application for a child who is not yet a PESEL holder. 
Please remember that the consul does not apply for the PESEL number to be issued under any other circumstances besides the issue of a passport or temporary passport.

What if one parent cannot apply in person?

The parent who cannot apply in person may consent to the issue of the document e.g. by writing a statement of consent (example attached below), with their signature authenticated by a public notary (not: justice of the peace). More about giving a parental consent in a separate tab How to give my parental consent to issue a passport for my child.

What if one or both of the parents have invalid passports, personal IDs or do not have any ID documents and want to apply for a passport or a temporary passport for a child?

If a parent has no ID document, it is impossible to identify him/her. In this case, the consul cannot take a parent's consent to issue a passport to a child. The parents will have to obtain passports or personal IDs first.

Can the consul refuse to issue a passport?

The consul refuses to issue a passport for a minor when:

• based on the submitted documents and available registers, the consul could not confirm the authenticity of your child's personal data in the passport application or their nationality; 
• you have not paid the required passport fee;
• one of the parents has not given consent to issue a passport or a relevant court ruling as not been provided.

If the consul refuses to issue a passport, you can appeal against the decision to the Minister for Internal Affairs through the consul. You have 14 days to lodge an appeal from the date of the delivery of the decision.