Passport Clarification Needed..

I have a passport that expired more than 10 years ago (I think). Anyone know whether I apply as a 'new' passport on the application? I don't want the government thinking I am trying to scam anyone!

You can find the requirements at http://www.state.gov but I believe that if it is less than 15 years old it counts as a renewal.

You can find the requirements at www.state.gov but I believe that if it is less than 15 years old it counts as a renewal.

I will check out that link. Thank you!

This is an easy site with answers too. http://www.us-passport-service-guide.com/obtain-a-us-passport.html

This is an easy site with answers too. http://www.us-passport-service-guide.com/obtain-a-us-passport.html

I'll check that one out, too! Thank you!

This is an easy site with answers too. http://www.us-passport-service-guide.com/obtain-a-us-passport.html

I'll check that one out, too! Thank you!

That is not an official government website and you should not rely on the accuracy of its information.

This is the Department of State's official website page laying out the requirements/procedures for renewing your passport. It's part of the site sparks1093 referred you to:

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/renew.html

The following answers your question regarding the use of your old passport for purposes of obtaining a renewal:

Renew a Passport

Renew by Mail if All of the Following are True

Your Most Recent U.S. Passport:

Is undamaged and can be submitted with your application;

Was issued when you were age 16 or older;

Was issued within the last 15 years; and

Was issued in your current name or you can legally document your name change with original or certified copy of your marriage certificate or the government-issued document evidencing your legal name change.

If any of the above statements do not apply to you, you must Apply in Person.

That is not an official government website and you should not rely on the accuracy of its information.

 

This is the Department of State's official website page laying out the requirements/procedures for renewing your passport. It's part of the site sparks1093 referred you to:

 

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/renew.html

 

The following answers your question regarding the use of your old passport for purposes of obtaining a renewal:

 

Renew a Passport

 

Renew by Mail if All of the Following are True

 

Your Most Recent U.S. Passport:

Is undamaged and can be submitted with your application;

Was issued when you were age 16 or older;

Was issued within the last 15 years; and

Was issued in your current name or you can legally document your name change with original or certified copy of your marriage certificate or the government-issued document evidencing your legal name change.

If any of the above statements do not apply to you, you must Apply in Person.

That is the exact info I was seeking. Thank you so much! *off to apply for a 'new' one*

Just wondering about kids do they need passports or birth certificates

Just wondering about kids do they need passports or birth certificates

US citizen children may cruise with a birth certificate on closed loop cruises and if they are 16 or older they will also need a government issued photo ID. They would not be able to fly internationally with those documents and neither would an adult. The Consulate has the authority to waive the passport requirements for an emergency or for humanitarian reasons, so one isn't stuck but there would be a delay while the Consulate completes its process. For most cruisers the risk is low and one must decide if the risk is something they can live with. (And some premium and luxury lines require a passport for all passengers on all itineraries.)

US citizen children may cruise with a birth certificate on closed loop cruises and if they are 16 or older they will also need a government issued photo ID. They would not be able to fly internationally with those documents and neither would an adult. The Consulate has the authority to waive the passport requirements for an emergency or for humanitarian reasons, so one isn't stuck but there would be a delay while the Consulate completes its process. For most cruisers the risk is low and one must decide if the risk is something they can live with. (And some premium and luxury lines require a passport for all passengers on all itineraries.)

This sounds like if my DD needs to fly home for health reason she could do so on her BC? Shell be 12.

She'd Type 1 diabetic so I try to be prepared for everything. We are cruising as a suprise so getting her passport might tip them all off (DD12- at time of sail) is youngest.

This sounds like if my DD needs to fly home for health reason she could do so on her BC? Shell be 12.

She'd Type 1 diabetic so I try to be prepared for everything. We are cruising as a suprise so getting her passport might tip them all off (DD12- at time of sail) is youngest.

No, she can't fly home with a birth certificate unless given specific written permission to do so by the State Department obtained through the local US consulate or embassy. This is not automatically granted and even if granted may take a little time to obtain. If you are seriously concerned about the possibility of her needing to fly home for medical reasons then she should get a passport.

No, she can't fly home with a birth certificate unless given specific written permission to do so by the State Department obtained through the local US consulate or embassy. This is not automatically granted and even if granted may take a little time to obtain. If you are seriously concerned about the possibility of her needing to fly home for medical reasons then she should get a passport.

I would second this.

I'm so confused. I have an expired passport from 2003. It actually expired August of 2013 so according to what I've read, I can RENEW this passport because it's within the five years.

I am booked on Carnival Sunshine for July 2016 sailing to Grand Turks, Half Moon Cay and Nassau in the Bahamas.

I was planning on getting a passport card because it's likely I won't be traveling again anytime in the future that I can foresee. However, my daughter told me she was reading somewhere that on a cruise outside of the US, you need to have the passbook in case you have to fly back home unexpectedly. She said maybe these are some new rules. My port is in New York and that's local for me so I don't have any flight requirements for this trip.

Can someone please tell me if it's necessary for me to obtain the full book?

Another question please. Is it necessary for the children to obtain a full book?

And lastly. Must we cruise with our original birth certificates in our possession?

Thank you so much for your help.

I'm so confused. I have an expired passport from 2003. It actually expired August of 2013 so according to what I've read, I can RENEW this passport because it's within the five years.

 

I am booked on Carnival Sunshine for July 2016 sailing to Grand Turks, Half Moon Cay and Nassau in the Bahamas.

 

I was planning on getting a passport card because it's likely I won't be traveling again anytime in the future that I can foresee. However, my daughter told me she was reading somewhere that on a cruise outside of the US, you need to have the passbook in case you have to fly back home unexpectedly. She said maybe these are some new rules. My port is in New York and that's local for me so I don't have any flight requirements for this trip.

 

Can someone please tell me if it's necessary for me to obtain the full book?

 

Another question please. Is it necessary for the children to obtain a full book?

 

And lastly. Must we cruise with our original birth certificates in our possession?

 

Thank you so much for your help.

A US citizen on a closed loop cruise may cruise with a government issued birth certificate and government issued ID. If something happens during the cruise that would cause you to have to fly back (missing the ship or something happening at home) then you would need to obtain assistance from a Consulate/Embassy before being able to board a plane. For most passengers the risk of having to return early is very low, so you have to determine what your level of risk is and more importanly how comfortable you are with that risk. A passport card is sufficient by itself to cruise with, but cannot be used for international air, and as mentioned you may forego that and use your birth certificate/government ID. Millions of passengers travel on closed loop cruises every year without an issue.

I posted a couple of months ago about my dilemma. My passport will expire three days after I return from my October 2017 cruise. You all suggested I go ahead and renew my passport. Which I will do, probably some time in July or August.

My question. Will I be able to drive into Canada during the 4-6 week timeframe that I won't be in possession of a passport?

 

My question. Will I be able to drive into Canada during the 4-6 week timeframe that I won't be in possession of a passport?

You will need an enhanced drivers license (if your state issues them), a nexus card or a passport card.

Current real life estimates for renewals seem to fit within a 2-3 week timeframe.

I posted a couple of months ago about my dilemma. My passport will expire three days after I return from my October 2017 cruise. You all suggested I go ahead and renew my passport. Which I will do, probably some time in July or August.

 

My question. Will I be able to drive into Canada during the 4-6 week timeframe that I won't be in possession of a passport?

You would need your passport or as stated another WHTI compliant document for border crossing. If your cruise is a closed loop cruise then there is really no need to renew your passport prior to your cruise, unless of course you really want to. Personally I would let my other travel plans dictate when I would renew rather than the expiration date on the passport (so if I were in your shoes I would not renew my passport until I needed to renew it for the trip that I was taking, so if I had no plans to travel for a year after the cruise that is when I would renew).

You could minimize the time you are without a passport by paying the expedite fee if you choose.

We have our passports, but reviews have us confused.

We will be on RC and stopping in Cozumel, Falmouth, Grand Caymans.

Prefer not to take passport to beach - is a COPY of the passport acceptable if we leave passport in safe on ship?

And we keep our seaport pass/key with us, correct?

We have our passports, but reviews have us confused.

We will be on RC and stopping in Cozumel, Falmouth, Grand Caymans.

Prefer not to take passport to beach - is a COPY of the passport acceptable if we leave passport in safe on ship?

 

And we keep our seaport pass/key with us, correct?

A copy of your passport may help you expedite the process at the Consulate if for some reason you don't have the original but it won't do much more than that. Some ports want to see your cabin card and a photo ID before letting you into the port area and I have read that a copy of the passport could be used for that, but I would rather have a regular ID like my drivers license. I have heard that if you miss the ship the cruise line will go through your cabin safe and turn your passport over to the port agent, but again there have been conflicting reports. If you know that you are going to miss the ship you could give the port agent a call and ask the ship to retrieve your passport. Best thing to do is to keep in mind that there are a lot of people that go ashore every year without a passport (either because they don't have one or they left in on the ship) and they have no issues at all.

We have our passports, but reviews have us confused.

We will be on RC and stopping in Cozumel, Falmouth, Grand Caymans.

Prefer not to take passport to beach - is a COPY of the passport acceptable if we leave passport in safe on ship?

 

And we keep our seaport pass/key with us, correct?

Yes.

In the Caribbean, US and Canadian passengers need nothing more than their ship's card and (usually) a photo ID when they go ashore.

Other posts about "what if" situations are not wrong. Personal choice and personal responsibility determine the amount of risk that anyone wants to assume.

I personally would never set foot out of country without my passport on my person but that is my personal preference. It definitely is no needed for a closed loop cruise. Some how people still insist it is. My SIL just cruised RC and ordered a passport card for it and was saying she would need to order her full passport before she cruised again and that we'd have to be sure to have ours (which we do) before we cruised this time because they are now required for all cruises.

I tried to explain to her that no they are not and she was not even required to have a passport card for the cruise she went on since it was a closed loop Caribbean cruise but she quite rudely "put me in my place" and told me off about how she knew what she was talking about lol

A copy of your passport may help you expedite the process at the Consulate if for some reason you don't have the original but it won't do much more than that. Some ports want to see your cabin card and a photo ID before letting you into the port area and I have read that a copy of the passport could be used for that, but I would rather have a regular ID like my drivers license. I have heard that if you miss the ship the cruise line will go through your cabin safe and turn your passport over to the port agent, but again there have been conflicting reports. If you know that you are going to miss the ship you could give the port agent a call and ask the ship to retrieve your passport. Best thing to do is to keep in mind that there are a lot of people that go ashore every year without a passport (either because they don't have one or they left in on the ship) and they have no issues at all.

Thanks everyone, for the passport advice.

Renew now and request a passport card in addition to passport book.

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I just renewed my passport and this was one of the inserts I got back from the Department of State:

Safeguarding your Passport

While overseas, carry photocopies of your passport biographical page and foreign visa with you at all times

So, officially the US Government says NOT to take your passport ashore. Only a photo copy.

I just renewed my passport and this was one of the inserts I got back from the Department of State:

Safeguarding your Passport

While overseas, carry photocopies of your passport biographical page and foreign visa with you at all times

 

So, officially the US Government says NOT to take your passport ashore. Only a photo copy.

I don't think that is what that statement says at all. I read it that if for some reason you don't carry your passport with you then you should have photocopies, presumably because it would make assisting you easier if you needed to enlist the aid of the Consulate. Of course as with any ambiguous statement people will interpret it differently. Some people feel better with their passport with them at all times, some people feel better with it in the safe in their cabin. No one is going to convince either that their way is wrong.

No, she can't fly home with a birth certificate unless given specific written permission to do so by the State Department obtained through the local US consulate or embassy. This is not automatically granted and even if granted may take a little time to obtain. If you are seriously concerned about the possibility of her needing to fly home for medical reasons then she should get a passport.

I don't think that is what that statement says at all. I read it that if for some reason you don't carry your passport with you then you should have photocopies, presumably because it would make assisting you easier if you needed to enlist the aid of the Consulate. Of course as with any ambiguous statement people will interpret it differently. Some people feel better with their passport with them at all times, some people feel better with it in the safe in their cabin. No one is going to convince either that their way is wrong.

[b ] psssprot is redquiredx to fly internationally