LMUK

Hi

I'm expecting a baby in the next few weeks and we're planning to go back to the UK for Christmas but I'm getting a little worried about how long it will take to get him a passport.

I looked up the passport application form online and that says you need an SSN. I just checked the Social Security website and that says it can take up to 12 weeks to verify the birth and get you a card.

With potentially looking at weeks for the SSN and then however long for the passport I'm starting to get worried, never mind thinking about how I'm going to take his passport photo!

Does anyone know what a realsitic time frame is for getting all this done? Should 3 months be plenty of time?

Thanks

Lesley1020

Hi there,

I am looking into the same thing right now, baby due October, travelling Nov/Dec.. and I found additional info here... http://travel.state.gov/passport/get...first_831.html

It seems that if you pay an extra $60 on top of the regular $89 fee, then you get the passport in 2 weeks.

I got all the info I had from the travel.state.gov website, and hadn't looked at the application form, so I didn't realize would need the SSN before applying, but I do know that when my friend applied for one for her baby recently she got it in around 10 days, so if you do the expedited service and do the application for SSN in person etc.. perhaps a timeframe of a month or so might be something to hope for!!

Hope that helps All the best with your new little one!

JAJ

Your child will need a U.S. passport to enter and leave the United States.

Assuming you are a British citizen and born or naturalised in the United Kingdom, your child will also be British (by descent). As soon as possible you should also get the child a British passport and British-style birth certificate from the British Embassy in Washington DC. The birth certificate costs an additional USD200 but gives your child a lifetime proof of citizenship and will save hassle/delay renewing British passport in future.

It's ok to bring the child into the United Kingdom on an American passport if the purpose of the visit is a short vacation. But it is best to get the child's British passport sorted out as soon as possible, lots of people get a nasty surprise when they think their child is British and it isn't. Sometimes they only discover this too late to register the child.

LMUK

We were going to hold off on registering his birth and getting a British passport for the time being - I thought the British Embassy here actually advised you not to bother getting one until they're older.

Your post kind of implies that if we don't register his birth in time he won't be classed as a British citizen - I was under the impression he would be just by virtue of being my son whether we register the birth with the embassy or not. Am I wrong? I know registering the birth will make life easier in the long run but $200 is a lot for us at the moment for something that isn't really necessary. If it is neccessary I would defnitely do it though, as I want him to have duel citizenship.

FlyergirlUK

We got our son's US passport first which took about four weeks.

The UK passport, (no registration whatsoever) took about six weeks.

JAJ

Don't listen to front-line embassy staff telling you "not to bother" with something.

A British parent is not enough *in itself* for a US born child to be a British citizen (despite popular myth otherwise). All you need are some complications like parents born outside the UK, or father not married to mother, and child *might* not be British without an application being made to the Home Office for a Certificate of Registration.


Sorry, you can't assume the child is British unless the child has a British passport or British consular birth certificate. You don't have to get both at the outset - you can get either, and follow up with the other later one.

Why not get the consular birth cert now and hold off on getting a passport until later on?