Traveling with kids part 1: The Passport

This year, we are taking a family trip to The Dominican Republic.  This is a trip we are taking with our infant and preschooler and our extended family.  Of course, my mind started swimming with questions like:  “How am I going to handle two kids on a trip to another country?“  “What do I need to do to prepare?”

I started doing my research (and still am) on traveling with an infant and child, focusing on traveling outside of the country.  The first thing on our list was to apply for passports.  Yes, even the tiny baby needs one.

To prepare, I first researched where to apply for a passport.  You can apply at your local post office and I believe you can also apply at your local township office and circuit court clerk’s office, too.  You have to apply in person.  It’s best to check first before driving all over creation to find a passport facility in your area (click the above link to search for a facility in your area).

Give yourself enough time for the passport process.  There is information that you need to gather beforehand and the processing time can take up to 4-6 weeks after you have applied.  Here is the information that we needed to have in order to apply for our passports:

*Note: we did not have any special circumstances, so our passport application process was pretty straight forward.

• Evidence of US citizenship.

We needed certified copies of our birth certificates.  We hadn’t ordered a certified copy for the baby yet, as she was born last year, so we had to place and order for that and wait for it to arrive (took about two weeks).

*A certified copy of a birth certificate has a raised seal and is issued by the city, county or state.  You can view this list of US states where you can write for Vital Records.

• Present identification.

A form of primary identification, which for us was our drivers license and Social Security Cards.  For our girls, who are (well) under age 16, we needed their Social Security Cards and their certified birth certificates with both of our names appearing on them.

In our case, Eric once had a passport but it had expired.  He applied for it when he was 15, so, it was no longer valid.  The girls and I have never had passports, so we all had to apply for brand new passport books.  Passport cards are also available but can only be used if crossing borders by land.

• Passport photo.

We decided to take our passport pictures at home with our digital camera and bring them along when applying in order to avoid an extra charge.  You have to submit two identical photos with your application.  The photos have to be current (within the last 6 months), just your head/shoulders, in color, and 2 x 2 inches.  Here are the guidelines for producing photos for your travel documents.  I also used a photo guideline that I found at ePassportPhoto.com.  You can basically Google the question “How to take your own passport photo” and you’ll come up with plenty of references.  If you’re not super short on time, I would recommend taking your own photo instead of paying someone to do it.

• Passport application.

You can fill out your passport application online (or print a blank one) and bring it with you to your passport facility.  Another recommendation, fill it out at home so you spend less time at the passport facility (especially when you have kids with you).  Don’t attach your photos and do not sign your application.  You will do that at the passport facility.

Make a copy of your photo IDs (front and back on an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of white paper, on one side of the paper only)

Applying for your passport is not cheap.  The fee for adult passport books are $100 each and the fee for the kids passports were $85 each.  We had to get four of them.  *Sigh*

Another thing to keep in mind if you’re applying for passports for kids under 16, BOTH parents have to be there in person with the child when applying (there are instructions for kids that do not have both parents available).

When we were ready to submit our applications in person at our local post office, since we were prepared, the actual process took all of 15-20 minutes.  It’s a good thing because the baby wasn’t really interested in hanging out there.

They say it takes about 4-6 weeks for passport processing but you can also pay for expedited service, which currently takes 2-3 weeks.  We did not pay for expedited service and our passports arrived within four weeks.

Our passport process, including waiting for the baby’s certified birth certificate, took about a month.  We received our passports via US mail with plenty of time to spare before our trip.  It’s important to research the travel requirements for the country you are planning to visit, as some countries require you to have your passport for at least six months before entering the country.

I hope my “checklist” for preparing to apply for your passport is helpful.  At first, the whole process seemed a bit daunting but after I did my research and made sure I had the documents that were needed, it was really a piece of cake.  Again, when applying for passports for your family, just give yourself enough time before your trip (at least 2-1/2 to 3 months).

Next on the Traveling with kids list – researching the country/area you’re planning to visit!