NAHA (Oct 12, 2004) -- If you saw Tom Hanks in "The Terminal," you know the importance of having a valid passport. If you plan to travel soon, if anyone in your family will be applying for a U.S. passport or if you have a new baby, then read on.

We've just had a baby!

Congratulations! You are happy and your baby is happy. What could be missing? What about a passport and Consular Report of Birth Abroad? Without these your child cannot go home with you.

Starting Dec. 1, the consulate here will give priority to babies born after Nov. 1, but there is typically an annual holiday rush, so it is important to start the passport process as soon as children are born. It typically only takes a month to receive a child's passport, and all military and SOFA personnel must start the process at the U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa on Camp Lester.

The first step is to make an appointment with the hospital's Birth Registration Office at 634-7516 to attend a mandatory, one-hour birth registration and passport application process briefing. Briefings are held every first and third Wednesday at 1 p.m.

After the birth, you will need to submit several documents to the hospital. The hospital will forward the documents to the U.S. Consulate in Naha. The State Department will then create the baby's CRBA and passport.

By law, the consulate cannot process a baby's passport and CRBA application until the following original documents are complete:

• Parent(s) proof of U.S. citizenship
  
• Proof of their baby's birth
  
• Proof of parents' marriage
  
• Proof of termination of all prior marriages of both parents
  
• Application for a Consular Report of Birth (DS2029)
  
• Passport application (DS11)
  
• Baby's two identical photos and fees.
  

Child's Passport

In making U.S. passports, the photos have to be scanned into the computer. These state-of-the-art passports are called "photo-digitized" and are difficult to counterfeit. The consulate must have clear and focused passport photos, despite the difficulty faced when photographing children.

• Please make sure to prepare 2" x 2" (5cm x 5cm) photos with a white background
  
• The head size measured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head should not be less than 1 inch and not more than 1-3/8 inches.
  
• Your child's eyes should be open in the photo.
  
• The baby's face in the photo should be clear and well focused.
  Remember that children's passports are valid for only 5 years. Please make sure your child's passport is still valid when you plan to go on vacation.
  

Adult Passports

Active duty servicemembers may be able to travel with just an identification card and military orders, but some countries still require a passport. Check the Foreign Clearance Guide to see if a passport is required. It will take about a month to receive a passport after applying.

All family members need a valid passport to travel. Regardless of status or age, a military dependent ID card is not sufficient to travel abroad. If current U.S. passports are expired, or will soon, it's time to apply for a new one.

To apply for an adult passport, all SOFA personnel must start with their military passport office, typically located at respective administration centers. For additional information, check out the local U.S. Consulate's Web site at http://naha.usconsulate.gov.