Passport Questions - Your Experience

[TiggerKing]

Hello All:

I am very frustrated right now and I have a question for those who have obtained a US passport in the last 2 years.

When you applied for your passport, were you required to have a long form birth certificate (i.e. shows parent's names) when you submitted the application?

The reason I ask is that DW and I just went to the post office to apply for passports. The certified copy of my birth certificate (from SC) is a wallet size that has all the information required according to the State Department's web site. The PO employee told me that they would not accept any birth certificate that was not a long form, showing parent's names. I know that if you were born in Texas and Cal. (from what I have read), they require long forms, but if you were born in any other state, they do not.

Sorry for the long post, but we are frustrated right now, and of course can't do anything else until Monday. I would welcome your comments on your experiences.

 

[Greysword]

I had my certified regular sized birth certificate for my passport., and it did cause any issues, of course.

Is there time for you to get a copy of your certificate from SC? Also, you may want to call DCL and ask if they will accept the certificate card you have.

Good Luck!

 

[TootyJane]

We applied for passports three years ago. My husband also had one of those wallet-sized birth certificates. I had read that they were not considered as the "proper" birth certificate so before we applied for the passports I sent away for a new certified one for him. BTW, we did not go through the Post Office since each time I go the line is long and the hours are not convenient. There is a phone # to call to make an appt. however when I called several times no one ever answered. I ended up going to a local community center. No lines, no hassles and we received our passports back in 2-1/2 weeks!! I had to stop by there after we got our passports and asked how come we got them so soon. The gal replied that most likely someone else had come in and requested expedited service. When that happens they put all applications they have received in that one envelope. So in the end I got expedited service for free. If you want to check for places other than the Post Office to apply for a passport, check out this link: http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/. HTH

 

[clori]

I have a 4 month old. When I called to see if her birth certificate was in I also asked for the price since they said it was cash only (no biggie just needed to know how much to have on me). I didn't mention passports at all. I was told that I could get a short form for $5 but that if I thought I wanted to get a passport with it I would need to get a long form for $10 and they couldn't guarantee by the time dd gets to school age if the short form would be available or accepted for school entrance. This was in Massachusetts. When I got my older daughters birth certificate in Boston where she was born about 4 years ago I was not given a choose only longform was offered.

Lori

PS the longform for baby's birth certificate would have cost $15 to get in city where hospital is located vs $10 in city I live in

 

[tvguy]

I have heard of the short form BC before, but only on this board. Why do they issue those? They seem useless.
I'm involved in Little League baseball and have to verify B/C on about 400 kids a year. I'm in California, and I've seen some strange BCs but never a "short form". They always have the parents name, even the ones issued in other nations.

 

[*Fantasia*]

I think they were looking for a legal size form and not a wallet size form.

 

[ferrethome]

My wife and I just got our passports last month, and we had to have our original birth certificates with a raised seal OR a stamp certifying it as an "original copy" of the birth cert. We were specifically told that the small wallet size were not acceptable ( I think we saw that on the Sec of State website also). I was only surprised when we had to send in the originals to the State Dept; but we got them back timely, so no complaints.

 

[TiggerKing]

Okay then, let me add another dimension to this question. Has anyone used the wallet sized BC when traveling on DCL without a passport, and if so, what was your experience?

 

[LuvTravelToo]

I've heard that passports will be required beginning next year. Can anyone confirm this?

Thanks,
Greg

 

[coleland]

I don't want this to sound snarky, but why take the chance? Just get the official 'long' form BC and be done with it - I wouldn't risk taking a shortened form on any international travel experience.

 

[DrCavin]

Originally posted by LuvTravelToo
I've heard that passports will be required beginning next year. Can anyone confirm this?

Thanks,
Greg

I have not seen anything posted about that yet. I doubt it will begin Jan 1, 2005 because that is too short of notice for people to get them in time.

I would not be surrpised if they are required next year sometime. What about the repo-cruises, are passports required for that? Maybe that is where the confusion is coming from???

 

[CruisingCA2005]

I've used the wallet sized birth certificate to cruise on DCL and to travel to Mexico & Canada without any problems.

We're going on the Mexican Riviera cruise next year and our travel agent highly suggested getting passports because cruising with birth certificates may cause delays of up to 1-2 hours. We're going to get passports because this will be the 4th time in 3 years that we're travelling outside of the U.S.

 

[TiggerKing]

I definitely want to get passports, but that may not occur before we sail in November. Some of the expediting fees are HUGE. I am applying for the long form BC, but again, don't know that it will be back in 6 weeks since I was born in a different state from where I live now.

I called DCL on Saturday and the CM said that she didn't anticipate a problem with the short form, since it does have the raised seal. Oh well, we will see.

 

[mickeyfanmom]

Hey TiggerKing-

Hello fellow Georgian. I do not think that you will have a problem with the small bc as long as it has the raised seal. My friend just got back from her second Disney cruise and that is all the whole family has taken both times with no problems.

I know that you are in the process of getting one though and I think that it is a good idea. If nothing else it sure cuts down on the lines, as several posters have said here.

Some years back my husband and I went to Mexico (Cancun, Cozumel etc.) with my parents and had to wait in a 2 1/2 hour line to get into the country with just birth certificates (the long form ones) while my parents cruised through in under 15 minutes with passports. (And that was BEFORE 9/11!) That's one of the main reasons we got ours, as well as a concern for upcoming tightened security.

Good luck- enjoy your November cruise!

 

[TheWog]

The long form is a governmental requirement since the entire package is sent to the State Department for processing and issuance. I would recommend you get it if possible. My certificate is from MA and they only issued long forms and my son's is from NH and they didn't offer us a choice for his so long form for him as well. We got our passports back 16 days from the day we filed for them, which we were pleasantly surprised with.

As far as passports being required for travel to the Caribbean, that is a rumor that is circulating on other boards right now. It has not been substantiated, although Barbados will not allow you entry without a passport, unless you are traveling on a cruise ship (only exception). Others may soon follow, but there has been no official word of that yet from any source.