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Passport for baby
Hi Everyone!
We'll be PCSing to Ramstein when I'm about 21 weeks along, and then coming back for my sister's wedding when the baby is only about 6-7 weeks old. Has anyone had experience getting a passport for a newborn? I know it will need to be a no fee passport so it has a visa in it, but I wondered how long I could expect that to take. Thanks for any suggestions you have!!
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Re: Passport for baby
It could be tight. No fee passports take a while because they do a background check and obviously a newborn has no background to check so it will go a little faster but the paperwork can still take several weeks. I'd be sure to buy insurance on your plane tickets and tell your sister there's a chance you may not make it.
Keep in mind that you have to have the birth certificate and the social security number before you can apply for the passport. It took us 8 weeks to even get DS's social security card. His passport took another 2 monts.
You could probably get a travel passport done at one of the U.S. Embassies in Germany to save time (maybe the no fee one too?). I'm pretty sure that you can get a newborn passport without a SSN (I did a lot of research on this a little over a year ago, but when in doubt, check with the State Dept). Good luck!
You can't. I tried 10 months ago when I was getting DS's.
My family is a Foreign Service family. Families like mine are posted in every corner of the globe. We live our lives away from family, friends and the conviences and comforts of home. We often live and work in dangerous places among those that misunderstand our intentions and purposes. Sometimes members of our ranks sacrifice our lives to further diplomacy. Please remember that we serve too. And I'm always open to questions.
Actually, if you are overseas, you can. DS has his travel and no fee passport and he still doesn't have his SSN yet.
I doubt you will be able to get the passport in time. DS's took about 10 weeks. If you give birth at a German hospital, then this is what you have to do. First, you need to get a copy if the German birth certificate, which can take 10-12 days. Then you take that birth certificate along with the passport paperwork to get a Report of Birth Abroad and the passports. If you give birth at a MTF, you will get a US birth certificate, I think.
Try calling the State Dept and ask if there are ways to expedite it.
You would be very surprised but it truly isn't that difficult. My husband and I are currently stationed in Vilseck, Germany and I did give birth to my son in 2010.The 1st processes that you will go through is to obtain the birth abroad certificate, these are obtained at the Rathaus in the city you gave birth in, at this time you will have the option of registering your LO as a German citizen. Once you have the BAC you will take this and all tricare paperwork to the passport offices on RAB. You will be given the option to obtain a NF passport as well as a civilian passport. Everything is sent off in one packet to the US Embassay in Germany. I did both for my son because without official travel orders you are unable to use your NF passport on commercial flights unless you chose to fly space-A back to the States. Not to mention you do need your civilian passport for all military trips arranged through Outdoor Recreation Facilities.
Once you have babies passport you can fill out all the paperwork to send off for their official social security card. I did travel back to the States while DH was deployed and just waited until I arrived home to fill out for my son's. Going through the Social Security Administration in the States was a bit easier for me.
I do hope this helps you though. Make sure to ask your patient liasion all of the necessary questions you may have in case the procedure does differ from Air Force to Army!