Let’s start with the basics. If you plan to visit another country, and that includes Canada, Mexico and most islands in the Caribbean, your child needs a passport, no matter how young he or she is. In some limited circumstances, a “Passport Card” will work as well. But our advice? If you are going to go through the hassle of completing the forms and making the application, go for the passport.
But do you need one even if you don’t have a specific trip planned?
Last year, my husband had plans to take our daughter on a special last minute “Daddy and Maddie” long weekend to Beaches in Turks & Caicos. The deal was too good to pass up. They were both beyond excited. Our daughter was adopted from China as an infant, so she’s had a passport since before she was one. “Hon,” Eric asked a couple of days before they were scheduled to leave, “where are the passports?”
“Usual place,” I replied. Yes, as the mom, I’m the keeper of the passports and other miscellaneous important papers. “You should pull it out and check it,” I suggested. Yup, I’m that mom too.
“I’m sure it’s fine,” he replied. So I got up, located their two passports and checked the expiration dates. Our daughter’s passport had expired ten days prior. Nope, I’m not kidding.
To get your child a passport requires that you have properly-sized passport pictures taken, go to the post office with your spouse (note that not all post offices offer passport services), bring lots of identification -- including your child’s original birth certificate -- fill out a bunch of paperwork, pay $105 and wait up to eight weeks. An extra $60 and the time can be shortened to about three weeks. But they were leaving on Saturday and it was Wednesday. A dozen phone calls, one notarized letter from me, a missed day of school, and a full day at a Passport office in Connecticut, almost three hours from home, and the trip was saved.
With all this hassle, it is no wonder some parents simply don’t bother. But the question is … does your child need a passport even if you don’t have a trip planned?
The general consensus is, probably.
First, we asked a couple of travel experts.
“Yes, I really think kids should have a passport,” believes founder of Laura Davidson Public Relations and mom of two, Laura Davidson. “That way when you do plan a trip it's one less thing on your ‘to do’ list. Even if it's just to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean, you need a passport.”
Rainer Jenns, founder of Family Travel Association, concurs. “Even if you aren’t planning a trip overseas, a passport is still important for a child to have because it tells them that they are able to travel anywhere and that the world is accessible to them. It gives them a sense of pride.”
It is no surprise that these travel enthusiasts believe a passport is needed for all. But what about regular parents? We asked them too and the majority of moms say yes, your child should have a passport. “It is better to plan ahead. There are lots of forms to fill out and both parents have to be present during work hours. We had plans for a cruise and waited 2 months before the trip -- we had to pay tons in rush fees,” offers mom of two from New Jersey Merri Cohen.
Connecticut mom Christel Hoydic loves that “getting your child’s passport opens the door to travel and lets you take advantage of opportunities that may present themselves.” But she confesses, “we keep putting certain vacations off because we are last minute planners and don't have [our son’s] passport yet.”
Several parents cited the fact that a US passport it also one of the most widely accepted forms of identification, especially for a minor: “it is the ultimate ID,” offers grandmother Cookie Miller.
A few special circumstances make getting your child’s passport even more important.
With extended family residing outside the US, Meaghan Guzman cautions that “you never know what can happen that you would need to leave the U.S. at a moment’s notice. Imagine leaving your children because they didn't have proper documentation. No fun.”
Contemplating or in the midst of divorce? Since a child’s passport requires that both parents be present, it is a good thing to put on the list while you are still under the same roof, though exceptions can be made to this requirement if need be, but of course that requires more paperwork. And, should you have any concerns that someone might attempt to take your child out of the country without your permission, you can enroll your child in the US Children’s Passport Issuance Alert Program, a program designed by the Department of State to prevent international parental child abduction.
“But the process really needs to be brought into this century,” offers Tracy Mitchell, whose family loves to spend the holidays in different old-world European countries. “We just renewed our 11 year old's passport, and it took picking her up from school early to get to the post office where the last appointment of the day is 2:30. Both parents had to go, so both my husband and I had to take the afternoon off. Payment has to be made by check and lots of Xerox copies were required ... the whole thing felt beyond antiquated,” Tracy says.
But the statistics suggest that most American’s don’t agree that a passport is necessary. According to the State Department website, there are 121,512,341 valid passports in circulation in 2014, which means only about 38% of Americans currently hold a valid passport.
And with new passports for a family of four costing $480 not including any necessary time off from work, it’s no wonder. “No, I don’t think so. We haven't needed them in over 14 years. However, it would be handy to have them now because we'd like to visit the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, but I'm not going to fork over that much money just to go to Canada,” offers Cara Riggles.
Laura Miller has simply never seen the need: “Hmmm... never even thought about it. Neither my husband nor I have one either.”
But perhaps Hamptons mom of three Hamra Ozsu best summed up the intangible reasons to have a valid passport: “Yes! Absolutely!!! Why limit yourself and your children of the possibilities? Life is a journey. ‘Oh, the Places You'll Go!’ as Dr. Seuss says.”
For details on what is required to apply for a passport for a minor under 16, click HERE.
