Traveling without passport

[hillaryann]

Hi All! I'm hoping you can help. I am having issues getting a passport for my 4 year old for our upcoming cruise. His father is AWOL and since we share legal custody I cannot file for one without him. We have court dates up the wazooo to sort this out but he continues to miss them and I'm doubting this will be resolved in time. I'm aware of all he reasons you SHOULD have one, but this is the trip of a lifetime for us. Does anyone have advice on getting the passport without his father or going without one? We have booked the 4 night Bahamas with stops in Nassau and castaway cay.

 

[TheHippie524]

As long as it is a closed loop cruise, and you have a notarized (DEFF suggest this since you are going through court proceedings) letter from Him stating you can take your little human out of the country, you will be fine.

 

[squirk]

I would double-check, but I think you can sail with a certified copy of the birth certificate - not a photocopy, but a document directly from your state's department of health/vital statistics/whatever with a seal on it. This will get you on and off the boat, but won't help you if you have an emergency and need to fly back to the States.

As for needing the father's signed consent to take your son out of the country - I would check with DCL on that, too, since you are not the sole custodial parent.

 

[lanejudy]

Don't worry. The minimum requirement for U.S. residents to cruise to the Bahamas is a birth certificate (plus ID for ages 16+). You and your son will be allowed to cruise with just his birth certificate. Neither DCL nor the government requires any documentation from the non-traveling parent, though it's suggested -- since that apparently is not an option for you, I wouldn't worry about it. If questioned, you'll need to explain the circumstances but not likely to be questioned.

And you CAN get a child's passport without the other parent's signature, but you'll need to review the Passport website and provide documentation that you have attempted to locate the missing parent. Depending when you plan to cruise, there may not be enough time for that (but keep it in mind for another time).

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

You may want to spend some money and check with a atty. This is one of the areas where a expert is needed.

AKK

 

[TXTransplant]

As a previous poster said, you can cruise with just a BC. I am a single mom and did the same itinerary with my son, and we were never asked for anything. He has a passport, so we traveled with that, but there were no issues either way. I did not have a letter from his dad, and that was not a problem, either. No one questioned us at any point.

You will likely be fine, as the purpose of the letter is to prevent one parent from leaving the country with the child and not returning. Even if you have a passport, to enter into another country, you may also have to provide a letter saying you have permission from the other parent. The thing about a cruise (and why the letter is likely not to be an issue) is that you can't stay in the country where the cruise ship docks (unless there is an emergency, of course, but in that case, you would still need a passport, which you don't have). You have to get back on the ship and (eventually) come back to the US.

The letter from the other parent is an attempt by some countries to try to prevent kidnappings. I brought one with me when I traveled with my son to Germany, and I know Canada and sometimes Mexico ask for them when you cross the border by car, train, or plane. But, on a cruise, you are just stopping for the day. Since you essentially HAVE to get back on the ship, the letter is not likely to be an issue. If it is, then you just don't get through customs and get back on the ship. The only port this could even possibly be an issue is Nassau, as there is no customs at Castaway Cay. It's not going to ruin your vacation; you can still cruise and enjoy the ship (worst case scenario is you just might not get to do an excursion in Nassau, but I think this is highly unlikely).

NOTE: My advice would be completely different if you were planning a trip outside of the country via any other route than a cruise ship. However, in that case, a passport would be required. For your cruise, since it begins and ends in the US, a passport is not required. Unless your custody agreement specifies that you need permission to travel regardless of the destination, you should be fine. If you have any concern, don't get off of the ship in Nassau. Since you are the child's mother, Disney is not going to ask you for any documentation above and beyond a birth certificate in order to board.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

From the US Dept of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs website re: applying for a passport for a minor child:

If the child has two parents/guardians, but one is absent and cannot be located to provide parental consent in a timely manner, the applying parent must submit Form DS-5525: Statement of Exigent/Special Family Circumstances. The statement must explain in detail the non-applying parent's or guardian’s unavailability and recent efforts made to contact the non-applying parent. The applying parent also may be required to provide evidence (e.g., custody order, incarceration order, restraining order) to document his/her claim of exigent or special circumstances. To protect against international parental child abduction, the Passport Agency processing the application may ask for additional details if the statement is determined to be insufficient.
http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/under-16.html

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

Hi All! I'm hoping you can help. I am having issues getting a passport for my 4 year old for our upcoming cruise. His father is AWOL and since we share legal custody I cannot file for one without him. We have court dates up the wazooo to sort this out but he continues to miss them and I'm doubting this will be resolved in time. I'm aware of all he reasons you SHOULD have one, but this is the trip of a lifetime for us. Does anyone have advice on getting the passport without his father or going without one? We have booked the 4 night Bahamas with stops in Nassau and castaway cay.

If you are having any custody issues (you mentioned court dates) then I agree with Tonka's Skipper and you should seek the advice from a lawyer.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Don't worry. The minimum requirement for U.S. residents to cruise to the Bahamas is a birth certificate (plus ID for ages 16+). You and your son will be allowed to cruise with just his birth certificate. Neither DCL nor the government requires any documentation from the non-traveling parent, though it's suggested -- since that apparently is not an option for you, I wouldn't worry about it. If questioned, you'll need to explain the circumstances but not likely to be questioned.

And you CAN get a child's passport without the other parent's signature, but you'll need to review the Passport website and provide documentation that you have attempted to locate the missing parent. Depending when you plan to cruise, there may not be enough time for that (but keep it in mind for another time).

Enjoy your cruise!

Lanejudy is correct. You can travel with just your son's birth certificate. I always recommend single parents get a letter from the non-traveling parent, but it is not required and it is unlikely you will be asked for any additional documentation.

I would also recommend that you look into the information PrincessShmoo posted, but you don't need that done before your cruise.

 

[bumbershoot]

Just travel with the BC (official sites actually say a photocopy is fine, but you might as well use the certified copy) for this trip, assuming it's fairly soon. It's a simple, short, cruise; you're not taking him to the Congo. (while I normally advocate getting a notarized permission slip, just in case, I also know that it's really unlikely to need the form for a Bahamas cruise)

His father is AWOL ....We have court dates up the wazooo to sort this out but he continues to miss them

Even though he's not showing up, it's time to get this done. He's missing, he's not showing up...he's already gone. So make it legal.

Obviously that's not simple, cheap, or immediate. It's not something for before this trip, depending on how long you have.

But definitely pay attention to what Princess Shmoo posted; it's on this page here: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/under-16.html

While it initially looks like you can't do anything, when you expand the sections and read it all, you see there are options. Since you have multiple missed court dates on his part, there's a paper trail. Start working on all of that.

(I say all of this from the perspective of a kid of two divorces. First stepdad considered adopting us but dad wouldn't give up rights...although that first stepdad turned out to be a huge jerk and I haven't seen or heard from him since 1987, I still kinda wish my dad had given up the rights...I would have been better off without his presence at all in my life (though try to convince a 9 year old me of that LOL)...)

 

[afyoung]

Just travel with the BC (official sites actually say a photocopy is fine, but you might as well use the certified copy) for this trip, assuming it's fairly soon. It's a simple, short, cruise; you're not taking him to the Congo. (while I normally advocate getting a notarized permission slip, just in case, I also know that it's really unlikely to need the form for a Bahamas cruise)



Even though he's not showing up, it's time to get this done. He's missing, he's not showing up...he's already gone. So make it legal.

Obviously that's not simple, cheap, or immediate. It's not something for before this trip, depending on how long you have.

But definitely pay attention to what Princess Shmoo posted; it's on this page here: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/under-16.html

While it initially looks like you can't do anything, when you expand the sections and read it all, you see there are options. Since you have multiple missed court dates on his part, there's a paper trail. Start working on all of that.

(I say all of this from the perspective of a kid of two divorces. First stepdad considered adopting us but dad wouldn't give up rights...although that first stepdad turned out to be a huge jerk and I haven't seen or heard from him since 1987, I still kinda wish my dad had given up the rights...I would have been better off without his presence at all in my life (though try to convince a 9 year old me of that LOL)...)

If only all 9 year olds had the knowledge of adults.....Of course the magical parts of childhood would not have been as magical. But at least we could have been prepared to handle the disappointing parts.

 

[bumbershoot]

If only all 9 year olds had the knowledge of adults.....Of course the magical parts of childhood would not have been as magical. But at least we could have been prepared to handle the disappointing parts.

Alas, with a dad that you wish had given up rights...not a lot of magic there. Just got on FB to wish my half siblings (and late mom) happy birthdays (yes all 4 were born in the same week...different years of course) and was told that our dad would like to talk to me. Yes, I'm sure after 5 years of almost no contact he would. Doesn't mean he's going to get it. (just like I didn't get all the weekend visits I wanted, when he would just not show up, or that year he didn't contact us at all because supposedly his counselor told him WE should contact him...you know, the 6 and 8 year old shy kids, they should call their father not the other way around...)

 

[afyoung]

Alas, with a dad that you wish had given up rights...not a lot of magic there. Just got on FB to wish my half siblings (and late mom) happy birthdays (yes all 4 were born in the same week...different years of course) and was told that our dad would like to talk to me. Yes, I'm sure after 5 years of almost no contact he would. Doesn't mean he's going to get it. (just like I didn't get all the weekend visits I wanted, when he would just not show up, or that year he didn't contact us at all because supposedly his counselor told him WE should contact him...you know, the 6 and 8 year old shy kids, they should call their father not the other way around...)

Right. Well at least adulthood is working out for you. I tell parents all the time- you are the grown up, so act like it....when it comes to issues of visitation, and contact with their "estranged" children. I am constantly amazed at how many refuse to make the contact with their young children, because "the kid will call me if they want to talk to me". I always think, yes, they will, or maybe they will even send up the bat signal- both of those are equally likely options from a child under the age of 20.