Caribbean Passport Requirements Will Apply to Children, Teens As Well

If you're planning a destination wedding in the Caribbean this winter, did you know that starting in 2007 everyone returning to the US will need to present a valid passport? In the past, Americans have been able to visit many Caribbean islands using just a birth certificate and ID but that is about to change.

If you're planning a wedding in the islands, you need to be sure to let your guests--even the youngest ones--know that they will need a valid passport. (For more on obtaining a passport for adults, check out our special Getting Your First Passport section.)

Passports for Children Under Age 14

Special rules cover passports for children under the age of 14. Basically, you’ll need to prove the citizenship and identify of both your child and yourselves as parents as well as proof of your relationship to the child.

For proof of citizenship, parents need to provide one of these items for the child:

• Certified U.S. birth certificate (one with a raised seal)
  
• Previous fully valid U.S. Passport
  
• Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240)
  
• Certification of Birth Abroad (Form DS-1350)
  
• Certificate of Citizenship or Naturalization
  

You also need to prove that you are the child’s parents. Parents need to supply one of the following:

• Certified U.S. birth certificate (with parents' names
  
• Certified Foreign Birth Certificate (with parents' names and translation, if necessary
  
• Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240) (with parents' names)
  
• Certification of Birth Abroad (Form DS-1350) (with parents' names)
  
• Adoption Decree (with adopting parents' names)
  
• Court Order Establishing Custody
  
• Court Order Establishing Guardianship
  

That establishes your relationship to your child. Next, you need to prove who you are with one of the following:

• Valid Drivers License
  
• Valid Official U.S. Military ID
  
• Valid U.S. Gov't ID
  
• Valid U.S. or Foreign Passport with recognizable photo
  
• Naturalization/Citizenship Certificate from BCIS with recognizable photo
  
• Alien Resident Card from BCIS
  

It’s easiest for both parents to appear together to obtain the child’s passport. If that’s not possible or practical, though, one of you can appear with the proper paperwork and with some additional proof from the second parent that it’s OK for the child to obtain a passport. This proof can be:

• a notarized statement of consent authorizing passport issuance for the child (see Form DS-3053, Statement of Consent: Issuance of a Passport to a Minor Under Age 14, available online), or a written statement with the same information on a sheet of paper from the non-appearing parent that includes the child's name and date of birth, as well as parent's identification information or a copy of his/her ID may be used for this purpose)
  
• evidence of your sole authority to apply for the passport. This proof can be a birth certificate listing only one parent, an adoption decree listing only one adopting parent, a court order that gives you the permission to travel with the child, a court document that declares the non-applying parent incompetent, or the death certificate of the other parent.
  

Once this is all accomplished, you’ll need to provide two passport photos of your child just like those mentioned in the above section on adult passports.

Passports for Teens

Teens between the ages of 14 and 17 have some additional rules to follow. The teen must appear in person to obtain the passort. Parental consent for the passport may be requested.

If your teen has identification (see the above list) of his own, he can provide that but, if he doesn’t yet have official identification, you need to accompany your child, present your own identification, and co-sign the passport application.