Getting a passport for minors, question?

[232271]

Do I need to bring my husband with me? the form has a place for both mother and father to sign ? ? and it says in person....
oh goodness.

my kids are both under 14.

 

[NYGiantsRule!]

If both parents are still together and do not go, you have to get a signed statement and notorized statement from the missing parent that they agree to get the passport. If it's a single parent and you have sole custody, you do not need other parent's permission.

 

[Hollua]

If it's a single parent and you have sole custody, you do not need other parent's permission.

Of course, you'll need proof of that.

 

[disneylover5]

My husband got our children passports last year and I never signed anything. We are a married intact family of 5. I iwll ask him when he gets home.
Lisa

 

[mimidedoodah]

Here is the website that I used when getting my son's passport. It spells everything out very clearly.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

Best,
Mimi

 

[lbgraves]

Does anyone know if a power of attorney would suffice for this or if it has to specify the passport? Just wondering before I call them. TIA.

 

[scrapperjill]

Both of us had to sign in person...when we got our DD's passports last year.

 

[TootyJane]

Do I need to bring my husband with me? the form has a place for both mother and father to sign ? ? and it says in person....
oh goodness.

my kids are both under 14.

Both parents need to appear or one parent appears, signs, and submits second parent's notarized statement of consent authorizing passport issuance for the child (Form DS-3053, Statement of Consent: Issuance of a Passport to a Minor Under Age 14). The following is what parents need to do if your children are under 14: Special Requirements for Children Under Age 14 Minor Children must Apply in Person. HTH

 

[tvguy]

My husband got our children passports last year and I never signed anything. We are a married intact family of 5. I iwll ask him when he gets home.
Lisa

Then someone at the Passport office wasn't paying attention.

 

[DIS NURSE]

Plan on BOTH parents being there to make the process go as smoothly as possible! Can you even believe the post master even made the comment..."and YOU KNOW, your children weren't supposed to smile in these pictures?!?!"..when previewing their pix for submission. Apparently that is the new law. Can't look happy if you are going on a DISNEY CRUISE!? You gotta be kidding!

Quite possibly one of the coolest things about getting your young children (<5 years old) their passports now is that you CAN BLOW EVERYONE AWAY AT KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION by presenting their PASSPORT as legal documentation!

......And be able to smile at yet another stranger and say, "We are going on a Disney Cruise."

DIS NURSE from Oregon

 

[jmcdonnell04]

My wife and I both went in person to the local post office that accepted the documentation. We even brought the parent permission form as well but was not needed since we both were there. The hardest part was having to get our DD (9) out of school at lunch time since the hours were 9-3. We applied for Both DD's passports before the March 8th registration increase thanks to the Disboard information network. We received their passports in three weeks and now we are all set for 5 years of cruising.

 

[JayCee32]

My husband and I went 3 weeks ago and we both had to be there. I asked the postal worker if he really needed to be there and he said yes, If her wasn't there he would have turned us down.

I didn't hear you could not smile We all smiled on ours....I pray they don't send it back.

Do I need to bring my husband with me? the form has a place for both mother and father to sign ? ? and it says in person....
oh goodness.

my kids are both under 14.

 

[232271]

My husband and I went 3 weeks ago and we both had to be there. I asked the postal worker if he really needed to be there and he said yes, If her wasn't there he would have turned us down.

I didn't hear you could not smile We all smiled on ours....I pray they don't send it back.

i think it is a myth. the lady who took our photos said we could smile, Although I didnt, and neither did my son. My daugther looks very excited.
I hope that this just a "joke" about not smiling.
i just checked my hubby's passport and he is smiling, so I think it is ok!

 

[lsteadman]

Then someone at the Passport office wasn't paying attention.

That is so true...If you ACTUALLY applied for a Passport and got it without your husband signature then somebody was not doing there job at that Passport office.

They were strict when me and my daughter got Passports. The lady at the counter wasn't taking any mess...either you had all of your documents...or you didn't so come back when you get it all together.

 

[DIS NURSE]

About the smiling vs. not smiling.....it was the photographer at Cost-Co who told us about this "new guideline"...they had just been notified by the feds to discourage people from smiling in their passport photos as it distorts your face. They actually re-took my DD's because she smiled the first time. They also made her take out her (hair) head band!

I am sure your passports will go through beacause we just got our 5 y.o. son's and he wasn't cooperative enough to stop smiling....so don't worry about that. But they are just getting stricter and stricter about everything!

I DO know how it feels to get your passport rejected, hower.....CAUSE MOMMY'S JUST DID...I am soooo bummed! I got a letter of rejection, no money back and no birth certificate back....I have 90 day's to contact the state of Georgia where I was born to PAY MORE MONEY and get a "more official" looking birth certificate. My birth certificate has gotten me through lots of colleges and nursing licensure, etc all my life....so this really irks me! In addition, I may have to start all over, repaying the fees! They really 'got 'cha over a barrel! And the lady at the Fed office in South Carolina told me they plan on significant increases in fees in the future as passports become mandatory for all international travel starting in 2006-2007! It's a great way for them to make money and you be able to say nothing about it....just cough up the $$$ no matter what!

The really good thing is that our cruise isn't until November and I started this process early...I recommend the same to anyone even thinking about passports...I have never encountered so much red tape and a pain in the rear....like someone mentioned above....just to get you, your spouce, and your kids all there during weekdays is just about impossible for most!

Good luck, DIS NURSE from Oregon

 

[232271]

About the smiling vs. not smiling.....it was the photographer at Cost-Co who told us about this "new guideline"...they had just been notified by the feds to discourage people from smiling in their passport photos as it distorts your face. They actually re-took my DD's because she smiled the first time. They also made her take out her (hair) head band!

Issible for most!

Good luck, DIS NURSE from Oregon

odd, all Costco's must not know. we just had them take our photo's on Tuesday night and she said, sure you can smile if you want.

 

[AnnaS]

I would also like to add that the hours are crazy. They should have one late eve.

How long does it take for passports to arrive once they are mailed out.

Thanks.

 

[tvguy]

The Passport office at our Post Office here has decent hours, 8 to 4 Monday through Saturday. But given there are only two Post Offices here that do passports, that there are 1.7 million people here, they are always busy.

 

[CruisingCA2005]

The post office near LAX is open 7 days a week and is open till 10 or 11 at night during the week. If there's a large city nearby maybe they have a passport acceptance facility with later hours.

 

[becobscot]

I think the guidelines have always said not to smile for your passport photo.