Passports and Birth Certificate

[lovmy2girls]

We are going on a 4 day cruise December 9th, 2007 to Nassau and CC. IF our passports do not show up....how much trouble will I have with Just our birth certificates boarding the boat and in Nassau??? If any?

 

[CraftyMouse]

We are going on a 4 day cruise December 9th, 2007 to Nassau and CC. IF our passports do not show up....how much trouble will I have with Just our birth certificates boarding the boat and in Nassau??? If any?

As long as your birth certificates have a raised seal you will be fine. If they do not have the seal you will need to get new, official copies before you sail. You will not need to show your birth certificates in Nassau. All you will need is your Key to the World card.

 

[Grandma4ever]

As long as your birth certificates have a raised seal you will be fine. If they do not have the seal you will need to get new, official copies before you sail. You will not need to show your birth certificates in Nassau. All you will need is your Key to the World card.

And a photo ID for all adults.

 

[mmouse37]

Your BC's MUST BE OFFICIAL/CERTIFIED ones though not all BC's have a raised seal. Make sure it is not just a hospital issued BC...must come from the State.

This is from the State Dept. website for birth certificates:

NOTE: A certified birth certificate has a registrar's raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal, registrar’s signature, and the date the certificate was filed with the registrar's office, which must be within 1 year of your birth. Please note that some short (abstract) versions of birth certificates may not be acceptable for passport purposes.

 

[PoohJen]

As long as your birth certificates have a raised seal you will be fine. If they do not have the seal you will need to get new, official copies before you sail. You will not need to show your birth certificates in Nassau. All you will need is your Key to the World card.

We had no trouble cruising in 2006 with DH's birth certificate, which does NOT have a raised seal.

Good luck with your passports. I ordered mine the day after Labor Day and received it in less than 6 weeks.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Until January 1, 2008 you should be fine with just a certified BC and gov't issued ID.

 

[AmberDaClown]

Be sure everyone in your party has their birth certificates (not hospital ones) issued by the county in which you were born with the raised seal. We had to send in ours the first time we got our Passports.

 

[Selket]

I think it bears repeating that not ALL states have a raised seal on their official birth certs. Illinois does not for example. We just got back from a cruise and used our birth certs with no problems (including an IL one without a raised seal -but it is their official birth certificate).

 

[jonesing]

The official seal can be in various forms: raised or embossed seal, multi-color seal or even just a plain seal on multi-color security paper (think transcripts).

The b/c needs to be issued by the appropriate vital statistics authority (or higher)--could be city, county or state. So if your local county clerk maintains all b/c filings, the b/c should come from either the county clerk or the state's department of human services (or similar state agency). Certain b/c's--even if filed at the city or county--are going to have to come from a state ageny...adoptions, name changes etc.

 

[jonesing]

Santa Cruz County Clerk
Frequently Asked Questions
From the San Francisco Passport Agency
I. Birth Certificates

1. What constitutes an acceptable birth certificate for passport application purposes?
   
   A government issued (city, county, or state registry) birth certificate
   

   • that has the seal of the issuing office,
   • the signature of the registrar or custodian of the birth record,
   • the recording or filing date that is within one year of the person’s birth, and for
   • children under age 14 the name(s) of the parent(s).
2. Is a Notification or Certification of Birth Registration acceptable?
   
   Only if they contain the information shown above.​
3. Is a Hospital Birth Certificate acceptable for proof of citizenship to get a passport?
   
   No.​
4. Are California Birth Abstracts acceptable?
   
   No, because of a program error California Birth Abstracts are not acceptable for passport purposes.​
5. Are notarized birth certificates acceptable?
   
   No.​
6. Is a birth certificate with a delayed (over one year) filing date ever acceptable?
   
   Yes, you may accept a delayed birth certificate if it shows that acceptable early public records were presented to create it. It is also acceptable if signed by the attending physician or midwife or (with certain exceptions) a parent.​
7. Are birth certificates for people born in Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa acceptable for getting a passport?
   
   Yes, provided they have the necessary items listed in #1.​
8. What types of birth certificate seals are acceptable?
   
   Embossed, engraved or ink seals.​
9. Is there a list of State Offices and websites that issue birth certificates available on the Internet?
   
   Yes, on our website www.travel.state.gov​

Embossed seal

Plain seal on multicolor security paper

All the types of seals currently used--the birth certificate on the left has an engraved, silkscreened and engraved (built into the paper) seals and the apostille on the right bears embossed (the gold leaf) and ink seals

 

[lowery1226]

If you have a medical emergency (which my family did on the 10/6 Magic) your children will have difficulty getting back into the US with just a birth certificate. Just something to think about. We had to fly by air ambulance because my 2 year old did not have a passport and my 9 year old returned to the ship with my husband because it would have been an act of congress to get him back into the States.

 

[Disney Planner Mama]

I just got my passports for my two daughters. We did not do expedited service and receive one in 12 days and one in 14 days. Many other people on another cruise board seem to be having the same experience. So you should be okay getting the passports in time, the big crunch seems to be over.

 

[tvguy]

May I also add that the birth certificate should be in good condition.

In my Little League board member days I saw birth certificates that had been washed......drawn on with crayon, fold what seemed like a million times, and folks expect you to tell if at one time it was a legitmate, certified copy.

Remember the pictures of the ballot counters in Florida in 2000 examining the ballots looking for hanging chats? I've seen that happen at Little League All Star tournaments where a child's age was challenged and the birth certificate looked like it had been run through a paper shredder.

 

[jkinak]

I had to laugh about the Little League officials examining birth certificates, but it brings up a question. My certified birth certificate is over 25 years old since I got the certified copy for Little League All-Stars! Do you think I will have any problems with a certified copy that old?? It is still in good condition.

Thanks!
Jill

 

[momof2disprincesses]

When we applied for our passports for our Feb cruise it was required to send the birth certificate in with the documentation. You may not have them to show if you sent them in to receive your passports.

 

[draamamom]

I had to laugh about the Little League officials examining birth certificates, but it brings up a question. My certified birth certificate is over 25 years old since I got the certified copy for Little League All-Stars! Do you think I will have any problems with a certified copy that old?? It is still in good condition.

Thanks!
Jill

I had been carrying my original birth certificate in my wallet since I was in high school, so its well over 20 years old and it was folded but in good condition. It was fine. They sent it in with the paperwork and I got my passport in two weeks!

 

[tvguy]

I had to laugh about the Little League officials examining birth certificates, but it brings up a question. My certified birth certificate is over 25 years old since I got the certified copy for Little League All-Stars! Do you think I will have any problems with a certified copy that old?? It is still in good condition.

Thanks!
Jill

Mine's 50+ years old, in new condition, never had a problem with it. However, I haven't used it since 1976. I got my first Passport then, and use it for everything I could also used a Birth Certificate for. The Birth Certificate stays locked up in my bank safety deposit box.
I saw a lot of B/C that I had to decipher during my Little League days......including one from Japan and one from the United Arab Emirates.