Jet With Kids

Are you one of the 17.5 million people who are receiving a passport this year? About 5.4 million more passports are being issued this year than last due to new passport requirements, and processing offices are feeling the strain. What does this mean to traveling families? Do not delay! If your passport is expiring or someone in your family needs a new passport, apply now AND KEEP PROOF OF YOUR APPLICATION.

As stated in an earlier newsletter, all air travel between the US, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda now requires a passport. With the overwhelming number of passport applications, the official passport agency has now made an exception for air travel. According to the U.S. passport travel web site:

“Since January 23, 2007, all citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda have been required to present a valid passport when entering the United States at any air port of entry. Due to longer than expected processing times for passport applications in the face of record-breaking demand, the federal government is making an accommodation for air travel. U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda who have applied for but not yet received passports can temporarily enter and depart from the United States by air with a government issued photo identification and Department of State official proof of application for a passport through September 30, 2007.

For more information:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_3254.html
For children: Are you a child who is a U.S. citizen traveling to Mexico, Canada, Bermuda or countries in the Caribbean region by air and you have applied for a passport but have not received it yet?

Children 16 and under traveling with a parent or legal guardian will be required to present the proof of passport application status from the Department of State (DOS) for departure from the United States as well as re-entry to the United States. Acceptable confirmation of a passport application may be found at the Department of State’s website at
http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/status/status_2567.html

Children 16 and under traveling alone should carry a copy of their birth certificate, baptismal record or a hospital record
of birth in the United States as well as the proof of passport application status from the Department of State (DOS) for departure from the United States as well as re-entry to the United States. Acceptable confirmation of a passport application may be found at the Department of State’s website at http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/status/status_2567.html

Children older than 16 and traveling alone are required to have a government-issued photo ID in addition to the proof of passport application status. Acceptable confirmation of a passport application may be found at the Department of State’s website at http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/status/status_2567.html

It is good to carry some proof of who your child is such as a copy of a birth certificate or hospital birth certificate. Being in a foreign country with no proof that you are the parents of your child could be a scary thing! Also - remember that there is a difference between a certified birth certificate and a hospital issued certificate of birth. To obtain a passport, the certified certificate is required. For more information about obtaining passports or when a notarized letter is required for flight, see pages 66-70 of the book “Jet With Kids”. (www.JetWithKids.com)

**Might be a good time to check the expiration date of your passports as well. With a turnaround time of at least 10-12 weeks, it may be time to renew long before your plans of vacation!