Passport

Remember, that the only document allowing you to cross the state border and stay abroad, confirming your identity and a fact of being a citizen of Poland is passport. Since 1.05.2004 in countries of the European Union you may also use your ID. When planning you journey, please assure that your documents are valid (passport validity is 10 years beginning with the day of issue) and that it is in good condition (legible) to confirm your identity. If it occurs that your passport or ID is damaged, illegible or lapsed, you have to file an application of a documents change to new ones as soon as possible! Please take into account the time of changing the documents and do it ahead. 

It is important that you have known that the children under 16, who are inscribed into their parents passeports or guardians (such enrollment can only be made by the special administrative boards) can cross the state borders only with the passport’s owner. Children can also go abroad if they have their own ID valid.

Visa

Don’t forget, that having a passport or ID may be insufficient! In some cases you may need a written permission issued by the consulate of the country you’re traveling to. Since 1.05.2004 you have no duty to own a visa if you are going to any of the European Union countries, no matter what the aim of your journey and time of stay abroad is. Moreover, the obligatory max 90 day of tourist stay have been lifted in the fillowing countries: Andora, Argentina, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Brazil, Chile, Croatia, Georgia, Gwatemala, Honduras, Hongkong, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Costarica, Malesia, Marocco, Mexico, Moldavia, Monako, Nicaragua, New Zeland, Panama, Paraguai Peru, Romania, San Marino, Serbia i Montenegro, Switzerland, Ukraine, Uruguai, Vatican, Venezuela and Great Britain. Amongst the countries which require visa are: Australia, Canada, USA. Russia, China and Cuba.

 
To assure that that your destination country requires a visa, please read the information on this topic.

Air ticket

Air ticket is necessary every time you want to fly from one place to another, therefore, please check if you took your ticket before you leave home. It is an evidence of a contract between you and the airline, of a luggage dispatch, an insurance policy and a cheque. It is important to be aware, that every single ticket has its own serial number (code) consisting of 14 digits: the first three stand for an airline code, the fourth one for a type of document, fifth – for a number of flight coupons in the ticket, sixth and seventh don’t mean anything yet, the digits between eighth and thirteenth stand for another serial number of the ticket and fourteenth is a control digit for veryfying the ticket’s authencity. The tickets are printed out with special printers connected to the computer at which the bookings are being made.

Nowadays standard printed tickets are superseded by electronic tickets. Owing to the newest technology you don’t have to leave home or wait for a courier (unless you don’t have an access to the Internet and printer), because the flight booking confirmation, contaiting all the iformation needed (route, ticket number, etc.) will be sent to your e-mail box. The flight booking confirmation should be printed out, as it facilitates your identification at the airport, which makes all the customs faster and easier. Now you don’t have to worry whether you ahve taken your ticket or hadn’t lost it – with an electronic ticket you save your time, money and the environment.

 
Please remember, that sometimes there is no possibility to issue an e-ticket, but the situation may change and the airlines which provide electronic tickets do not allow passengers to buy a standard paper ticket.

Other important documents are: driving licence, identity cards and credit cards.

Source: www.esky.pl