Children under the age of 16 who are citizens of the U.S. or Canada are exempt from the passport requirement for land and sea border crossings.

Whether a child needs a passport for a cruise in 2026 depends on the cruise's itinerary and the ship's "loop" type. For "Closed-Loop" cruises (voyages that begin and end at the same U.S. port and stay within the Western Hemisphere), U.S. citizen children under age 16 can typically travel with just an original or certified copy of their birth certificate. However, if the cruise is "Open-Loop" (starting and ending in different ports) or visits international regions like Europe or Asia, a valid passport book is mandatory. Even on closed-loop cruises, travel experts and the U.S. State Department strongly recommend a passport. This is because if an emergency occurs (such as a medical evacuation or a family crisis) and the child needs to fly home from a foreign port, a birth certificate is insufficient for air travel; only a passport book allows for international flight. Furthermore, some individual countries—and certain cruise lines themselves—may require a passport regardless of U.S. border policy. Always check the specific documentation requirements of your cruise line at least 90 days before sailing.