Polish passports don't work? They're being rejected at British airports. MFA explains

Automatic border control at British airports was to accelerate travel, and for any Poles it became a origin of nerves and delays. The case raised so much uncertainty that the Ministry of abroad Affairs and the Ministry of abroad Affairs took the floor. Their position clearly indicates where the origin of the problem is.
Hundreds of Poles leaving the UK are experiencing unexpected adventures at airport gates. Although they have fresh biometric passports to facilitate travel, automatic e-gates deny them passes; the door does not open and the red cross is displayed on the screen. Disoriented travellers - despite crucial papers - are returned to a conventional briefing. Speculations about errors on the part of the Polish administration rapidly appeared in the network. On the subject, the Ministry of abroad Affairs spoke, and the answer clearly shifts work elsewhere.

RECLAMA


See video by Margaret Rozenek survived moments of horror at the airport. He helped her son.


Where does the Polish passport not work? fresh passport, old procedure
Reports from London airports repeat the same pattern: passport holders issued in 2025 effort to pass through e-gates, the strategy does not admit the document, and the service directs them to a conventional briefing. Importantly, older passports frequently work flawlessly. That's where the rumors came in that something was definitely incorrect with a fresh series of papers or databases.
Information circulating on the forums besides contributed to the confusion. any users pointed out that the problem may concern people with a resident position who have not updated its number in the British immigration strategy after the passport was exchanged. In specified a case, the vending device may actually "not recognise" the fresh document.


The Ministry of abroad Affairs and the Ministry of abroad Affairs calm down. "This is the problem of British certificates"
After signals from travellers, the Ministry of abroad Affairs in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior and Administration dealt with the matter.
The Consular Department of the Ministry of abroad Affairs would like to thank you kindly for your signal. We treat him as an expression of concern for our common Polish affairs. I would like to inform you that Polish consular offices in the United Kingdom have received akin notifications and have taken explanatory action. According to the current cognition of the Ministry of abroad Affairs and the Ministry of abroad Affairs, which is the body overseeing passport issues, including on the basis of empirical expertise, there is no basis for claiming that the problem lies on the Polish side.
- was informed in the answer sent by Radom Wojciechowski, Head of the Passport Reference.


The analyses showed no defects in chips or errors in Polish passports. In the assessment of the ministries, the problem lies with the British infrastructure, and specifically insufficiently updated certificates in e-gates, which are utilized to read the electronic layer of the document. The MFA announced talks with British services and support to the London embassy to solve the problem systematically. Until then, any travelers must be prepared for a conventional briefing.


How to minimize the hazard of problems at the gate? applicable Tips
British border control reminds us that e-gates can besides refuse to pass for prosaic reasons, specified as damaged passport, scratched chip, incorrect paper touchdown or misidentification of the face. Before the journey it is worth:

check the physical position of the passport and the validity of the document,
while checking to take off your glasses, hat and look right at the camera,
update the number of the fresh passport in the UK strategy if we have the position of a resident or temporary resident.

It is besides crucial to remember the changing entry rules. After 31 December 2025, EU citizens - including those with a resident position - will only gotta usage passports complying with ICAO standards and get an electronic ETA travel authorisation (cost £16). It is an component of wider digitization of borders in the UK, independent of the quality of Polish documents.
Sources: London.net, gov.uk, gov.pl


Thank you for reading our article.

Keep up with it! Watch us on Google News.