Can you travel with a birth certificate instead of a passport in the US?

U.S. citizens under age 16 may present a birth certificate or alternative proof of citizenship when entering by land or sea. All travelers must have a passport book for international air travel. Please note that hospital-issued birth certificates, voter registration cards, and affidavits cannot be used.



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Identification
  • Driver's licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent) ...
  • U.S. passport.
  • U.S. passport card.
  • DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
  • U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents.
  • Permanent resident card.


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U.S. Passport. Trusted Traveler Program card (NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST) (see below) U.S. Military identification card when traveling on official orders, or. U.S. Merchant Mariner document when traveling in conjunction with official maritime business.

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If your passport's time is almost up, don't wait — start the renewal process now. You can't travel while your renewal application is being processed, and you need to make sure your travel documents are valid for at least six months past the dates of any planned international trips.

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If you are traveling when you run out of passport pages, you will still likely be able to return to the U.S., but you won't be able to continue on to other countries. If you need to travel on to other countries and are running out of pages while abroad, you should visit the local U.S. embassy or consulate.

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In the United States, you need a valid U.S. government-issued photo ID or a passport from your country of origin to travel through security. You must show that the name on your boarding pass matches the legal name on your unexpired government-issued ID.

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Generally, it is necessary to have a valid passport if you want to travel abroad. Depending on the country and your citizenship, you may also need to show proof of a valid eVisa, online visa, or visa.

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The airlines may require an age proof to ensure infant qualifies for infant fare. If you don't provide a proof, you may need to pay full fare to travel. A birth certificate is universallly accepted (from experience).

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You do not need a physical passport to book a flight. Instead, what you need is the passport number. As such, you can book a flight even if your passport has expired, is damaged, has alteration, or does not have enough blank pages.

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If your travel date is less than 5 days away: Call (877) 487-2778 for an 'Urgent Travel Service' appointment with a local passport agency. Again, call as soon as they open at 8am Eastern Time.

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But as for the gate period for renewal, you can renew an expired passport five years after it expires. If you fail to file for renewal after five years, the passport can no longer be renewed, so you will need to apply for a new passport from scratch.

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If you are traveling within the next two weeks, you may be able to visit the U.S. Passport Office for same-day or next-day processing. Please contact my office for additional assistance. My office is always available to assist you with the issuance or renewal of your passport.

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