Passports For Children: Traverse The World With Your Little Ones

There is no better way to show your children the world than by traveling. In order to go on these international trips, your child will need a passport. Some questions concerning child passports are frequent, and armed with some answers, you can be comfortable and confident when traveling abroad with your children.

Everyone who travels needs a passport, from the smallest infant to the most elderly gentleman. Also, passports are valid for children under sixteen for only five years, while those above age sixteen can keep those for ten years. If a passport is damaged, it will need to be replaced. Additional passport pages can be inserted without having to purchase a completely new passport.

In February 2008, the rules changed a little bit. Now a passport application requires the consent of both parents or legal guardians. While this consent isn’t required for applications for children between the ages of 16 and 18, it may be requested by the passport agent. Also, if your child is under the age of 18, he or she is required to be present in front of the AA, or the acceptance agent. Both parents will need to show valid identification when applying for the child.

You will need proof of US citizen ship if you applying for a passport for your minor. This can be done in a variety of ways. You can either use an undamaged, previously-issued passport, a certified birth certificate, a certificate of citizenship, a naturalization certificate, or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth. Next, you will be required to prove your relationship to the child. In order to do this, you will need a certified birth certificate featuring both parents’ names, a court order directing guardianship or custody, or an adoption decree. This birth certificate can be of a foreign country, you will just need another form of identification. After this, the parents or guardians will then have to prove their own identity. This requirement can be met with valid driver’s licenses, previously issued passports, government IDs, military IDs, or naturalization certificates. Photocopies will then be made, and the process concluded with the consent of both parents, payment for the passports, and submission of passport photos.

On another note, if you and your spouse are American citizens and you have a baby born abroad, it needs to be reported to the US embassy or consulate in the country. A basic American citizenship document, the Consular Report of Birth of a Citizen of the United States of America, will be issued, granting your child American citizenship.

Tons of revolutionary new internet services make applying for new passports and replacing old passports much more convenient. With the ease of these services, you and your children can discover the world together. The world becomes more open, and opportunities present themselves in ways that are truly unique. Simply knowing how to get a baby passport saves you time and trouble when you’re trying to prepare for a trip. Allowing your children to see the cultures and sites of the world first-hand is the sort of experience that isn’t easily forgotten. And all you need is your passport application form.