Passports and Global Entry for Kids: A Step-by-Step Survival Guide

The twins first passport photos. Yes, one is wearing a shirt saying “I love Daddy”.

When the twins were less than a year old, we took them on their first international trip. We went somewhere easy -- an all inclusive resort in Jamaica called Jewel Grande. 

But before we went, we knew that we would need to get the twins passports -- and it isn’t as easy as an adult getting a passport. 

To get the twins a passport, we had to make an appointment at our local post office. This was pre-pandemic, and even then it was not easy to get an appointment. It took some trying and searching to find a day and time that works.

Then, both parents had to arrive for the appointment. That was important as passports are not issued to children without both parent’s consent. 

We brought birth certificates and social security cards and our passports. 

Passports for little ones are only valid for five years. They can be renewed every five years, but renewals also require a trip to the post office. 

After processing our paperwork, the post office employee came around from the desk and took the twins’ passport pictures. The post office in Nashville had clearly done this before as the post office employee had a set up that helped keep babies in place to take the photos. 

The twins passports arrived about six weeks later via mail and we were on our way. 

A few years later, we were returning from the Dominican Republic and ran into a very long immigration line after landing in Fort Lauderdale. While we as parents both had Global Entry, it is not transferable like TSA Precheck to children when you are traveling with them. Meaning we had to wait in a long line to get through and nearly missed our connecting flight. 

After that experience, we vowed to get the twins Global Entry. Global Entry gives the kids Precheck access and renews every 5 years. This process is similar to adults going through the process -- but now it is free for those under the age of 18. You apply online and then after you are conditionally approved, you make an appointment online and show up for the interview. with Homeland Security. Sadly our twins got interviews on different days so we had to visit the airport twice for the interview. 

You are probably wondering what Homeland Security is going to ask a toddler during the interview, but the questions were directed towards us as parents and we were in and out in a few minutes. 

If you or your family plan to travel even once over the next five years, I would highly recommend getting it. It has saved hours of time since we received it. And especially since we don’t check luggage and are carry on twins, we are usually able to get into the United States in less than 10 minutes after landing from abroad. That allows us some additional connection options to avoid significantly longer layovers. And more importantly it is a far less stressful travel experience.