Message to U.S. Citizens: U.S. Embassy Warsaw (May 26, 2021)
Location: Poland
Event: U.S. citizens may directly return to the United States with certain expired U.S. passports.
If you are overseas and your passport expired on or after January 1, 2020, you may be able to use your expired passport to return directly to the United States until December 31, 2021.
You qualify for this exception if all the following are true:
- You are a U.S. citizen.
- You are currently abroad seeking direct return to the United States.
- You are flying directly to the United States, a United States territory, or have only short-term transit (“connecting flights”) through a foreign country on your direct return to the United States or to a United States Territory.
- Your expired passport was originally valid for 10 years. Or, if you were 15 years of age or younger when the passport was issued, your expired passport was valid for 5 years.
- Your expired passport is undamaged.
- Your expired passport is unaltered.
- Your expired passport is in your possession.
You do not qualify for this exception if:
- You wish to depart from the United States to an international destination.
- You are currently abroad seeking to travel to a foreign country for any length of stay longer than an airport connection en route to the United States or to a United States territory.
- Your expired passport was limited in validity.
- Your expired passport is a special issuance passport (such as a diplomatic, official, service, or no-fee regular passport).
- Your expired passport is damaged.
- Your expired passport is altered.
- Your expired passport is not in your possession.
Please be advised that although U.S. authorities will accept an expired U.S. passport for entry to the United States per the above guidelines, Polish immigration authorities may require a current, valid passport in order to depart Poland. Dual national U.S. citizens who hold a valid passport of another nationality (such as a passport from Poland or another country) plus an expired U.S. passport may present the valid foreign passport to exit Poland and use the expired U.S. passport to enter the United States. Dual national Polish-American citizens are reminded that the Polish government requires all persons who have claim to Polish citizenship to depart Poland on a valid Polish passport.
Please be advised that currently, routine passport processing in the United States can take 10-12 weeks. If you need a passport in less than 10-12 weeks due to international travel plans, you can pay an additional $60 fee to expedite your passport, which will shorten the processing time to 4-6 weeks.
Passport appointments in Poland are currently available at the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, the U.S. Consulate General in Krakow, and the U.S. Consular Agency in Poznan. If your U.S. passport expired on or before December 31, 2019, or if you do not have any current, valid passports, please see our website for information on how to renew your U.S. passport before traveling.
Actions to Take:
- All U.S. citizens should enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and ensure you can be located in an emergency.
- Visit our Embassy webpage on COVID-19 for information on conditions in Poland.
- Refer to our website for the latest Alerts and Messages for U.S. citizens.
- Consult the CDC website for the most up-to-date information related to COVID-19.
- For the most recent information on what you can do to reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19, please see the CDC’s latest recommendations.
- Visit the COVID-19 crisis page on travel.state.gov for the latest information.
- Check with your airlines, cruise lines, or travel operators regarding any updated information about your travel plans and/or restrictions.
- Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website on the latest travel restrictions to the United States.
Assistance:
U.S. Embassy, Warsaw, Poland
Piękna 12
00-539, Warsaw
+48 22 504 2784 (business hours)
+48 22 504 2000 (after hours emergencies involving U.S. citizens)
ACSWarsaw@state.gov
https://pl.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/
U.S. Consulate General, Krakow, Poland
Ul. Stolarska 9
31-043 Krakow, Poland
+48 12 424 5100 (business hours)
+48 601 483 348 (after-hours emergencies involving U.S. Citizens)
KrakowACS@state.gov
https://pl.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulate/krakow/
https://pl.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/
State Department – Consular Affairs
888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444
Poland Country Information
Enroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates.
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