Remember Your Child Passports In Time For Your Big Trip

Ranked #20,361 in Travel & Places, #469,785 overall

Today's standards for safe travel are air tight and, prior to any travel, it is essential to get up to date on the current policies and procedures. Families who are planning on traveling together need to be especially aware of the process for getting your passports for minors since it is different from getting one for an adult. It may make travel preparations slightly more complicated, but the alternative is a huge hassle at the airport when they are trying to depart.

Many parents think that if they are traveling with a baby, they do not need to have a passport for that child, but this is completely false. Every child needs their own passport, regardless of age, and including infants. Showing up on the day of a flight without a passport for a baby will make it impossible to proceed with the trip, as the child will not be allowed to travel under any circumstances.

The Steps Involved

When initially applying for a passport, both parents must go with the child to set the process in motion. Parents should be prepared with all of the required forms and not sign any of them until they are in the presence of the acceptance agent. If only one parent has legal custody, they should be prepared with confirmation that they are allowed to travel with the child, such as an adoption decree or a court order permitting an individual parent to travel.

The next thing that needs to be done is providing proof of the child's US citizenship. Parents should keep in mind that the paperwork they submit will go with the application and will come back to them with the child's pasports. Appropriate forms of proof include a naturalization certificate or an expired passport.

The father and mother of the child will both need to provide evidence that they are truly the child's parents. Documentation that fulfills this requirement includes a report of birth abroad or a court order granting custody. In the event that the parent's name has changed, proof of a legal name change will also be mandatory. Additionally, both parents will need to provide copies of their personal identification.

The last vital thing for parents to do is issue consent for their child to be given a passport. In order to do this, they both have to appear with the child and sign the paperwork in front of the acceptance agent. If one parent is truly unable to appear, the appearing parent must provide a notarized statement confirming the consent of the second child.

Of course, there is a charge in order to apply for most government documents and a child passport is no different. The passport will cost sixty dollars as well as twenty-five dollars to cover the execution fee. If the passport is needed in less than six weeks, it is advised to get expedited processing, which will cost an additional sixty dollars.

The steps that must be taken to get a passport for minors can be inconvenient to complete, but it is important to do each one. Just one mistake could be enough to cancel out the passport application form and send the parents back to square one. It is important to check with the State Department to ensure that you have literally crossed every i and dotted every t before traveling internationally with your children.

Passport Tips

Loading

Child Travel Accessories On Amazon

Loading

Guestbook

by

2chic2beat

Hello world. This is my bio. I can edit it later!

Feeling creative? Create a Lens!