Passports / traveling with newborns

[threekidsareyoumad]

My baby will probably only be about 4 weeks when I plan to fly to Italy at the end of October - anyone know if this is allowed? Also whether you can get passports for such tiny ones?

yes and yes you'll need a passport

Yes it's allowed and yes you will need a passport.

DS2 was 6 weeks when we went away to France (should have been older, but he was very late, something to think about!) and yes he had his own passport.

yes, and allow plenty of time as a 'first passport' takes longer to get. use the post office 'check and send' service, i found it very good.

get the photo's done at a high street photographer, we used snappy snaps, where they take the pic on a digital camera, and will take as many shots as necessary to get a useable picture.

Thanks a lot for all that - the passport picture has got to last 5 years aswell!

Remember you will need to get someone in a position of authority to sign the back of the photo to say that it is really your baby. And you will have to send his/her birth certificate too.

I was going to say you should get a move on but if your baby is only going to be 4 weeks at end Oct, they're not actually born yet are they?! Doh

I'd get the forms and do all the filling in, identify your person, find the photographer and get that all ready so you can do it as soon as you can after they're born.

I think you're going to have to use the rush service which is ££££

Make sure when you register the birth you get a FULL birth certificate, you have to pay for them but it's the only thing the passport office accept.

I took my DD away when she was v.young and had to do the week service as the 2week check n send doesn't actually guarantee it coming within two weeks!

Ryanair accept infants from 8 days of age (tho getting a passport that quickly is doubtful)

we got our ds pic done at photographer when he was 2 weeks old they laid him on a white background for photo, and we got passport week before we went to italy. hes now 2 yrs old and looks nothing like his passport pic and were off to holland on 26th sept lol

I got my daughters passport when she was 5 weeks old. We used the check and send service at the post office and we recived the passport back 6 days later. As long as you are quick off the ball, you'll have no problem getting the passport back before you have to travel.

agree with metmoo - get it done professionally. did the photo booth thing with dd and spent about 12.00 trying to get it right.

and don't bother with the extra cost of getting documents checked at post office. i've heard so many stories of them getting it wrong.

btw not what you asked but some airlines make it a right palaver to add infants on (especially the no-frills ones) - we flew to Italy last week with BA and they charged 60quid (the taxes i think) to add an infant on to an existing booking - as obv you probably wont know the name before the baby comes out unless you're really organised...

BA allow them a luggage allowance as well and a car seat and a buggy to the door of the plane as long as its not too huge - ie a techno xt will be fine...