Any parent that is going on an international trip and that plans
on taking their child should get familiar with infant passport laws
immediately. If you think that just because the child is a newborn or a
minor that they can freely pass between borders, you are sadly mistaken.
The process itself is almost identical to what an adult has to do, with
provisions in place because of the age of the young international
traveler.
For a parent to raise their arms and question the fact
that they have to have an infant passport is not uncommon. However, many
people forget that it is still about people leaving and coming back to a
country. To allow random children to enter or leave the country without
accountability could lead to some very serious issues.
Something
else to consider are such horrible things as human trafficking and
kidnapping. Believe it or not, this happens with parents of children who
are trying to get away from another parent. The angry mother who has
just lost her child custody case or perhaps the father that has
disappeared to another country and suddenly shows up and wants his child
back.
The infant or child will get their passport in much the
same way that an adult does. It goes without saying that the child will
not be able to do this on their own, so mom and or dad are going to have
to do all of the work in order for a valid passport to be obtained. In
addition to the forms, do not forget to get the passport photos of the
child.
Since an infant cannot sign their own name, mom and or dad
are going to have to handle the task for them. It is actually a
co-signature that goes on the passport until the child can sign the
passport by themselves. When the child is able to sign their own name,
the passport can be renewed with their actual signature on the passport.
For
the parent signature to be valid on the passport, it has to be done in a
very specific way. The parent will have to sign the child's name and
then sign their name right next to it. After that, they need to put
their relationship next both signatures in parenthesis stating their
relationship to the child.
If only one parent will be going on the trip
with the infant, it is best if that parent is the one that signs the
passport for the baby.
If a child is not yet 16 the passport can
only be obtained if consent is given by the parents. The obvious reason
for this is so that one parent does not get the passport and take the
child out of the country without the knowledge of the other parent. This
will not be a problem for parents that are still together, but if there
has been a divorce or separation, make sure time is allotted to get
everything together so there is not a problem in securing tickets or
making the trip.
It may have seemed a little silly before reading all of this as to why an infant passport
is required, but it should be clear now. Unfortunately, international
travel is not always about business or fun. There are a lot of people
with ulterior motives that would love to be able to get children in and
out of countries with no records being kept. While it can take some
time, infant passports are a necessity and always will be.
