You're flying to Poland. The status on your phone won't help if your passport is new.

Autumn tickets are already selling. The most common problem in 2026 is not that someone "does not have papers." He has them. The system does not see them.

From January 1, people with settled or pre-settled status will not enter the UK with an old, non-biometric ID. Polish ID cards with prints will be issued from November 8, 2021. Anyone with older plastic will have it on their passport.

Tourists without status in the UK need an ETA. The fee is £20. Settled and pre-settled ETAs are not accepted. Anyone who has two citizenships - Polish and British - enters on a British passport. Not on ETA and not "on Polish, because it's more convenient".

EU Settlement Scheme status sits in your UKVI account, not in a drawer. After replacing your Polish passport, you need to connect the new number to your account. Otherwise, the line to Luton or Kraków will be empty. In May, a couple who had lived in the UK for most of their lives were left at the airport in Krakow because Ryanair did not confirm their right of entry. The Home Office then reversed it. No one will explain your story at the gate.

Before departure, just three things are enough: log in to your UKVI account, check if your current passport is visible, create a share code and have it on your phone. The child has his or her own document. The ETA is only available at gov.uk/eta. The rest of the sites are intermediaries or scams.

The consulate in London before Christmas is not an office "for tomorrow". The passport is arranged weeks in advance.

The nearest airports are Heathrow and Luton. The check-in queue will not wait until "the ground handling gentleman checks on the second computer." Do it at home, not with tape.

Sources: GOV.UK ETA; GOV.UK view and prove immigration status; Embassy of the Republic of Poland in London.