FlyerTalk Forums - Booking international ticket for unborn child

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerry crump

We have a simular situation that our unborn baby will be traveling to a country that requires several weeks to obtain a visa. We are looking at a 30 day delay to obtain a birth certificate, 30 days for a social security number, 30-45 days for a passport, and then several weeks for a visa and it has to be in this order. You can't get one item without the previous required item. Some steps can be sped up with higher fees and in person visits but watch out for those delays.

Please note that contrary to popular MISconception by several passport acceptance agents, one DOES NOT have to have a Social Security Number in order to apply for, nor obtain a passport! I know this for a fact because we got a passport for our son and he doesn't have a SSN. :D A couple of postal and court clerks told us that we would have to at least apply for a SSN for him and that's not true. :mad:

He doesn't have a birth certificate, for that matter because we're adopting him (finalizing next month! :cool: ) but State Dept will issue a Limited Passport (valid for 1 year) for such cases. So, the only documents you'll need is baby's birth certificate, passport application, your ID and baby's passport photos. For a biological child, the only thing they'll take is the county/state issued birth certificate (if US-born) so you may need to see about getting them to rush it.

Good luck on the photos because we took our baby down when he was 10 days old for his passport photos...you know how hard it is to get a infant to keep his eyes open for multiple flash photos?!?!? :p Here's a tip, take a large white towel or sheet, drape over the carrier and have them take the photo of baby laying in the sheet-covered carrier while you/partner hold up the drape to fill in the frame. We spent 30 minutes at Kinko's getting it right. Yes, I called State and they said baby's eyes must be open in the photo!