Passports for kids?

[Jennifer S]

Our family is going to Mexico for a vacation. DH and I are getting passports. Do you think it's worth it to get them for the kids?

It's almost $100 per person - $97 adults $82 for kids.

I never took the kids out of the country.

 

[aprincessmom]

By 12/31/06 all US citizens will be required to have a passport for all air and sea travel to or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.

So depending on when you go, you may not have a choice. It's certainly worth it if you anticipate any travel with them to or from the places listed after 12/31/06

 

[CapeCodTenor]

I would say yes, just to be safe. This way the child has some kind of documentation.

 

[Jennifer S]

We are going this June - 06. I guess it depends if we are doing any future travel. We were talking about a 07 cruise. How long is a child's passport good for?

 

[kbkids]

We are going this June - 06. I guess it depends if we are doing any future travel. We were talking about a 07 cruise. How long is a child's passport good for?

I was asking these same questions at the post office the other day. I believe the child's passport is good for 5 years.

 

[Jennifer S]

Yes- I just looked it up - under 15 is 5 years. Older is 10 years.

 

[jbdreamer]

I wouldn't spend the money. All you need is a birth certificate to go to Mexico. Get a passport WHEN you need it, then it will last longer.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Personally I would get the passports. If an emergency or crisis should occur when you are in Mexico, you will be most thankful that you have them for your entire family.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

We are cruising in March and we chose to go ahead and get them. DH already had a Passport because he travels Internationally for work - but the kids and I all needed them. The way they are restricting travel to Canada and Mexico, I'm sure they will all need them eventually.

We did one a month for 4 months to spread the cost out. They say 6 to 8 weeks to receive them, but we all got ours in 3 to 4 weeks. Everytime I go into the Post Office these days, there is a line of people getting their Passports.

If you travel without the Passports, make sure you carry their birth certificates as well as a photo id for each of them.

 

[Jennifer S]

That's a good idea about getting one a month. I just don't know if I want to make that many appts.

 

[bimshire]

It's your best form of ID. Makes returning to the USA a breeze. Our kids 17, 12 and 11 have had theirs for awhile now. Only had to renew our oldest once so far.

 

[Barb D]

We got them when we applied for the family Amazing Race. We've used DS14's as a photo ID when we flew; he's the size of an adult, and I didn't want any hassles.

It's nice to know we have them on hand in case the kids get a last-minute opportunity to go somewhere.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

That's a good idea about getting one a month. I just don't know if I want to make that many appts.

Most Post Offices have trained enough employees now that you don't have to make an appt, you just walk in with your application. If you go to the State dept website, they can give you a list of the nearest Post Offices that will let you just walk in. Also, there is a section on that website where you type in all the answers to the questions on the Passport Application and then it prints out a completed form for you. The lady at our post office really appreciated that when I did it, she said it is much easier to read.

And that is true about airport travel. My 15 year old is 6' 1". I've never worried about having him bring an ID on a plane before -- when we went to Wash DC in October he got hasseled by the TSA people both at Midway and in DC. I really wished that I would have brought it along then.

 

[missypie]

Our kids are now each on their second passport. I will tell you that when we renewed for our upcoming trip to Costa Rica, it took exactly 6 weeks for them to arrive.

 

[Judy from Boise]

My DD (14) is on her second passport too, I like to travel with it even domestically.

 

[Lil_Tink]

Personally I would get the passports. If an emergency or crisis should occur when you are in Mexico, you will be most thankful that you have them for your entire family.

ITA...80$ is worth your families safety.

 

[geffric]

we are on the DCL Magic for spring break and are applying for passports for the kids this weekend .. We feel that we are better safe and have a passport for them..

 

[Nancy]

We'll be getting them because we head over into Canada a lot. One at a time, so it isn't a financial strain. I would feel better being in a foreign country and having one if a terrorist attack happened here while I was gone. I woudl want to know I could get us all home without a hassle. I know it is sometimes hard to think of Mexico and Canada as foreign countries because we share a border and have always had such an open policy with them.

 

[Barb D]

Most Post Offices have trained enough employees now that you don't have to make an appt, you just walk in with your application. .

We didn't have this experience. We were in a rush because we made a last-minute decision to apply for TAR, and we had trouble finding a post office that would do it without an appointment. Fortunately we were able to find one by calling all of them in our area. We got there and it turned out I had the wrong birth certificate. Fortunately my mom had the right one (mine was just a "hospital" cert). She started driving toward me, and I started driving toward her...she handed it to me through the car window at a gas station, and I started driving back to the post office -- and it was like an Amazing Race episode getting to it before they closed! I called ahead, and the guy graciously kept his window open late for me.

And after all that we didn't even get selected!

Bottom line: Call ahead and make an appointment. Fill the paperwork out ahead of time. Bring EVERY page with you, even if you didn't have to write or sign anything on it. AND make sure you have official birth certificates for everyone.