Passport CARD in Mexico for kids??

[freedomhoneymoon09]

I know it's best to get a passport book but we are considering only getting cards for kiddos. I have been reading posts that we also need a notarized letter from the other parent. According to one website I came across it states that children are required to have a passport in order to come in and out of Mexico and no longer the letter. Will the card suffice for sea travel and coming in and out of ports or do they absolutely have to have the book? Anyone that has currently done Mexican Riviera have any experience with this? I am still planning on getting the letters.

[6rugrats]

I am assuming everyone involved is a US citizen.

 

There are many posters who will give you incorrect information regarding the permission to travel letter. Here is the correct answer. If you are traveling without the other parent, you MUST have a notarized permission to travel letter signed by the other parent to take your children in-and-out of Mexico.

 

You would not need this letter if:

 

1. The other parent is deceased (bring a copy of the death certificate)

2. You have sole custody (bring a copy of this court order)

3. No other parent is listed on the birth certificate (bring the original BC with you)

 

The Permission to Travel letter is a totally separate issue from a passport. The other parent may give you permission to obtain a passport, but that is not the same as giving you permission to take a minor child out-of-the country. You MUST have this letter if the other parent isn't traveling with you, whether the child is using a passport, passport card or a birth certificate.

 

If you are going on a cruise that leaves from a US port and returns back to that port, you do not need a passport book or card for the children if they are under the age of 15. They will need their original birth certificate or a certified copy only. However, if there was an emergency and you had to fly back, you are SOL if you don't have the card or book.

 

Personally, if you are going to spend the money, I would get them a passport, not the card. They are good for five years for minors.

[mindymp]

I would call carnival and verify. We are leaving in Oct for the carribean out of miami, it is a closed port cruise, so a passport isn't necessary at all.

[cb at sea]

Cruise passengers don't need passports to go to Mexico or any of the Caribbean ports...it's only if you're arriving by some other form of transport.

[cherylandtk]

6rugrats is exactly correct with one minor correction;

However, if there was an emergency and you had to fly back, you are SOL if you don't have the card or book.

The card will not work for flying back, only the book. http://www.getyouhome.gov is the DHS website.

[6rugrats]

6rugrats is exactly correct with one minor correction; The card will not work for flying back, only the book. www.getyouhome.gov is the DHS website.

 

You are correct! You need a passport to fly back, not the card. Type in haste, repent in leisure.

[lollylew]

Not to hijack this thread but does anyone know what needs to be written in the the notarized letter from the other parent? I will be traveling with my 4 yr old son this coming May but daddy is not coming with us (only grandma and aunt).

[crusinmama06]

Not to hijack this thread but does anyone know what needs to be written in the the notarized letter from the other parent? I will be traveling with my 4 yr old son this coming May but daddy is not coming with us (only grandma and aunt).

 

Here is the one I use when I travel without hubby...

 

 

LETTER OF CONSENT TO TRAVEL

 

I __________________________________________________ _provide my consent for

NAME OF PARENT

 

my child(ren) ____________________________________________ to travel with

NAME OF CHILD(REN)

 

________________________________ to ____________________________ from

NAME(S) OF ADULT TRAVEL COMPANION(S) COUNTRY/COUNTRIES

 

________________________________ to ____________________________ .

DATE DATE

 

(List specific travel information in the space below such as airline, flight number, cruise line and ship or tour operator.)

__________________________________________________ _________________

__________________________________________________ _________________

__________________________________________________ _________________

 

Signed____________________________________________ _________________

PARENT'S NAME

 

Telephone/Contact:__________________________________________ ________

Address:

__________________________________________________ _________________

 

__________________________________________________ _________________

 

__________________________________________________ _________________

 

Signature of Notary:___________________________________________ _______

 

Notary's Printed Name: ____________________________________________

 

Notary Seal:

[lollylew]

Thanks! :D

[SelectSys]

... but we are considering only getting cards for kiddos...

 

Passport cards were really designed first and foremost to facilitate quick movement across land borders for US citizens. It is almost like a commuter card for those living in the border southern and northern border regions.