Passports for kids?

[melle10]

We are suprising our kids with a Disney Cruise for Christmas and we'll be cruising in January. My husband and I both have valid passports, but not our kids. Do I need to get passports for my kids and possibly ruin their surprise or can I use their birth certificates? What are you using for your identification for your children?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are suprising our kids with a Disney Cruise for Christmas and we'll be cruising in January. My husband and I both have valid passports, but not our kids. Do I need to get passports for my kids and possibly ruin their surprise or can I use their birth certificates? What are you using for your identification for your children?

The minimum requirement for US citizens on a closed loop cruise (begins and ends in the same US port) is a birth certificate plus (for those 16 and over) a government issued photo ID.

Whether you want to just use birth certificates for your children is up to your risk factor.

If there were any issues requiring you to fly home from a foreign port, the people without passports would have to wait to get an emergency passport issued.

Will that happen? Probably not. Could that happen? Yes.

You can always just tell the kids you need to get them some sort of official ID for other purposes (they're great for school registration/sport team signups). No need to say they're for a cruise.

 

[CamColt]

We sailed with our neighbors once and they were in the same situation. The trip was a surprise for Christmas but we were sailing in Feb. They told the kids they were thinking of going to Niagra Falls/Canada so they figured they should just get passports then in case. The kids fell for it.

We have used passports for our kids since they were 5 and 8, which was the time DH and I first got them too, the year the rules changed.

 

[MEC004]

I always say yes because you never know what could happen. On one of our cruises a grandmother fell and broke her leg. The family all got off at Cozumel with her. I just keep thinking about if that were to happen and my child not have a passport. The headache of getting back to the states is just not worth it. Tell them everyone needs a passport nowadays and make a special trip out of it. Now be aware that they ask kids questions when you take them in. My son was specially asked why he needed a passport (he’s 6 so the answers he gave were pretty funny). Now we can go to Canada next summer as a side trip.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

When in January? At this point you might have to have the passports expedited to get them in time. You can't use your birth certificates as a backup plan because they have to be sent in with your passport application.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

You can't use your birth certificates as a backup plan because they have to be sent in with your passport application.

Unless they have multiple copies of the birth certificate.

 

[melle10]

We leave in about 7 weeks... yea, we just booked a week or so ago and we are trying to figure out everything . We could get extra copies of their birth certificates if needed. The timing is a concern. I wonder if we can get government issued IDs at this point.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We leave in about 7 weeks... yea, we just booked a week or so ago and we are trying to figure out everything . We could get extra copies of their birth certificates if needed. The timing is a concern. I wonder if we can get government issued IDs at this point.

You can get an expedited passport in as little as 2 days, if you opt for that.

As each state that issues state IDs does it differently, you'd have to look into how your state handles it.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

We leave in about 7 weeks... yea, we just booked a week or so ago and we are trying to figure out everything . We could get extra copies of their birth certificates if needed. The timing is a concern. I wonder if we can get government issued IDs at this point.

Driver's licenses are fine for government issued ID for your and your DH.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Unless they have multiple copies of the birth certificate.

Is DCL taking copies of birth certificates now? I know the State Department won't take copies.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Is DCL taking copies of birth certificates now? I know the State Department won't take copies.

When you request your birth certificate, what you get is a copy of the original. That's the copy I'm referring to.

There is at least one cruise line that will accept photocopies of a birth certificate - Carnival.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

We applied for passports for kids on Nov. 5. They are already on the mail and scheduled for delivery the end of the week. So less than a 3 week turnaround.

Also, unlike with our previous application, the processor at the USPS certified a photocopy of the birth certificates and gave us back the original. So we were able to keep the birth certificates.

Our state has an office for walk in requests for same day birth certificates. By mail only takes a couple of weeks here.

Also, the passport application asks when you'll be traveling, and they will supposedly try to get it to you on time if you submit the application in accordance with the processing time guidelines for travel posted on the department of state website.

Bottom line, look into getting a birth certificate replacement, so you know what you need to do just in case the department of state let's you down, but get that application in for the kids passports this week if possible.

Fyi either both parents need to be there,OR the absent parent can send a notarized form giving permission for the kids to get a passport. Department of state site has the form. Appointments are a lot easier to get during the week (here, next day appointments are always available at the post office, but Saturday appointments can be over a month out), and as it is often hard for both parents to get out of work at the same time, this form can make things a lot easier, even though getting it notarized is an extra step.

 

[melle10]

Thank you for your responses. Maybe if we get our act together we can get applications turned in this week and fingers crossed that we get the passports before we leave. Now I will need to come up with a conviencing story for my kids

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Thank you for your responses. Maybe if we get our act together we can get applications turned in this week and fingers crossed that we get the passports before we leave. Now I will need to come up with a conviencing story for my kids

With my kids, I always found "It's a good idea to......." seemed to work.

 

[ahpm414]

We are also surprising our kids with a January cruise for Christmas and needed new passports! Both of our children’s passports were expiring this month, so I told them that because of new ID requirements for flying, we needed to renew their passports. I got the idea because the Walgreens photo counter had a sign advising people to get passports because certain state IDs may not satisfy TSAs travel ID requirements. Was it the best cover? Probably not, but my 11 year old DD, who is a rule follower, bought right into it. Luckily my seven-year-old DS asked no questions. I just pointed at the sign when we went in to take pictures. Both of their passports came back within two weeks of us applying for them. Best of luck!

 

[bumbershoot]

Is DCL taking copies of birth certificates now? I know the State Department won't take copies.

They won’t be taken for passport applications, but whti says copies are ok for cruise travel.

There is at least one cruise line that will accept photocopies of a birth certificate - Carnival.

And Disney.

“Original or copy of their state-issued birth certificate ...”

https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/guest-services/passport-travel-documentation/

And others. Bc it’s allowed by the officials for cruises that accept BCs.


“U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises (cruises that begin and end at the same U.S. port) are able to enter the United States with a birth certificate and government-issued photo ID. ”

(Notice the absolute lack of “certified” before “birth certificate”.)

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/western-hemisphere-travel-initiative

the processor at the USPS certified a photocopy of the birth certificates and gave us back the original.

That’s....shocking. To certify something means they’ve seen the source and are certifying that it’s a true copy of the original info (that stays in hands of the govt). To say that you’ve seen the copy and you stamp that you did is more of a notarized situation. I’m kinda stunned at this.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

T

That’s....shocking. To certify something means they’ve seen the source and are certifying that it’s a true copy of the original info (that stays in hands of the govt). To say that you’ve seen the copy and you stamp that you did is more of a notarized situation. I’m kinda stunned at this.

Well, the instructions for passports now says you need to bring your birth certificate, and a copy of it also. I'm pretty sure a few years ago the instructions did not ask for a photocopy in addition to the actual certificate from the state.

The processor examined the original and compared it to the copy (he actually decided my photocopy wasn't clear enough, so he made another photocopy for me). He stamped the back of the photocopy, initialed it, and that was what was included with the application, and I got my original back.

The tracking website says my passports are in the mail, so apparently the processor at the USPS did do it correctly.

I guess the department of state decided that was good enough, so they wouldn't have to worry about mailing the original back?

 

[doublesided]

Get the passport, I've had one for my kid since he was in diapers. Never know what will happen!

 

[melle10]

I think there is no question that a passport is the better option. we have 4 passports to get (4 kids ) and we cannot affort the extra $240 to expedite the passports... so my new question is... has anyone just used birth certificates for this kids? Were there any problems embarking and disbarking? I think we are still gonna try to get the passports, but I do want to make sure we are ok if they don't come on time.

 

[fredandkell]

For a cruise in January, I'd just use the birth certificates. What with all the holidays between now and then there will be a lot of non-work days and I wouldn't risk them not coming back in time, nor would I pay for expediting them when you can sail with certificates just fine. We did that for our kids' first 2 cruises and it was fine, no problem. I do support getting them passports after you come back, because it sure opens up possibilities for future travel! Or for European-based Disney Cruises!