Should our 17 year old son renew his passport before the expiration date for an upcoming trip?

by Nancy
(Vienna, VA (USA))

Question: We are taking a family vacation April 15. 2011 to Barcelona, Spain. Reservations have been made. Our 17 year old son's passport expires two months AFTER the trip (June 2011).

Is it still considered current? If he needs to renew it before the trip (or even after), do both parents need to be with him since he was a minor when it was issued back in June 2006? I guess the real question is can he use his current passport?

Answer: While your son's passport is valid up to the date of expiration, it is not acceptable for travel to Spain. Since Spain is party to the Schengen Agreement, Americans can only enter the country if their passports are valid for at least 3 months beyond their time of stay.

Your son need to apply for a new passport using form DS-11. He must appear in person at an application acceptance facility. Parents do need to appear although parental consent may be requested.

With a departure date in mid-April, he should have no problem obtaining his passport in time if he applies right away. Routine service takes 4-6 weeks. For a complete list of requirements, click the link below.

New Passport Requirements