Polish citizens, including dual nationals, will not need ETIAS – they enter Poland on a valid Polish passport. ETIAS will apply to Americans without Polish citizenship, such as spouses; a child with Polish citizenship needs a Polish passport. ETIAS is not running yet; the fee will be 20 euros.
Poland’s diplomatic posts in the United States have reminded travelers on the gov.pl portal that the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, ETIAS, is planned to launch in 2027. The European Union’s official ETIAS website says the system is not yet in operation and no applications are being collected. The EU says it will announce the exact start date several months in advance.
What ETIAS is
ETIAS is an electronic travel authorization for people who do not need a visa for a short stay in Europe. It will be required to enter 30 European countries, Poland among them. The United States is on the list of countries whose citizens must apply. Travelers without a valid authorization will be refused entry at the border unless they fall under an exemption.
The key rules, according to the official ETIAS website:
- Fee: 20 euros. Applicants under 18 or over 70 do not pay.
- Validity: three years, or until the passport expires if that comes first.
- Length of stay: up to 90 days in any 180-day period, with unlimited entries.
- Processing: usually minutes, at most 96 hours. If authorities request more documents or an interview, it can take up to 30 additional days. The EU advises applying before buying tickets.
- Passport: it must be valid for more than three months after the planned departure and be no older than 10 years.
- One person, one application: children need their own. A family member, friend or travel agency may apply on someone’s behalf.
Dual citizens: Polish passport only
Polish citizens do not register for ETIAS because they are EU citizens. The gov.pl notice stresses, however, that dual nationals must cross the Polish border on a valid Polish passport, since Polish authorities treat them solely as Polish citizens. Without a valid Polish travel document, they may have trouble leaving Poland.
Poland’s Border Guard explains that the rule comes from Article 3 of the Polish Citizenship Act. In exceptional cases a Polish citizen may be allowed back into the country without a valid Polish document, but cannot then leave again on an expired Polish passport or on a U.S. passport.
Children born in the U.S.
A child born in the United States who is a Polish citizen through a parent but holds only a U.S. passport also needs a valid Polish travel document. The first step is registering the U.S. birth certificate in the Polish civil registry (transcription); the second is applying for a first Polish passport. A child without a PESEL number receives one during the process. Consular passport appointments can be booked only through the e-Konsulat system, and demand rises before the holidays, so the posts advise checking passport expiration dates early.
Spouses without Polish citizenship
Family members of EU citizens can be exempt from the fee, but according to the EU this applies only to family members of EU citizens who travel to, or live in, a country other than their own. A U.S.-citizen spouse of a Polish national flying to Poland will therefore file a standard application. Applying directly on the official website costs 20 euros; anything above that is an intermediary’s fee, and the EU urges caution about whom you pay and share personal data with.
Sources: notice from Poland’s diplomatic posts in the U.S. on ETIAS (in Polish), official ETIAS website – frequently asked questions, and Polish Border Guard on dual citizens (in Polish).
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