# 2.5 year old has passport with photo taken at 3 months - any issues?



## berlininvest (17 Nov 2009)

My son is 2 and a half, his passport is still valid but dates from when he was 3 months.  It was not a great photo at the time (bit over exposed and washed out) but they accepted it without any quibble.

Anyway, between that and the changes that come in the first 2 years of life, he doesn't look much like his photo at all.  

I know people will say - who does?  But could there be an issue when it comes to passport control?  

Or is this all par for the course and they just simply don't expect a child on their first passport to look like their picture?


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## Towger (18 Nov 2009)

No problem


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## eggerb (18 Nov 2009)

Can't see any problems. Apparently they look at the eyes a bit to see a resemblance.


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## niceoneted (18 Nov 2009)

No problem at all. I have seen where people have gotten a recent passport photo and stapled it to the opposite page. You could also carry a birth cert for extra safety.


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## berlininvest (18 Nov 2009)

Great stuff, thanks all!


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## SOM42 (21 Nov 2009)

niceoneted said:


> No problem at all. I have seen where people have gotten a recent passport photo and stapled it to the opposite page.


 
Yes I agree that the passport is fine but I fail to see what good stapling a recent photo to the passport achieves..


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## Towger (21 Nov 2009)

niceoneted said:


> No problem at all. I have seen where people have gotten a recent passport photo and stapled it to the opposite page. You could also carry a birth cert for extra safety.



Staple a photo to a passport, you must be mad. I once spent the best part of an hour in CDG watching the passports been checked from passenger fron flights fron Nigera and China, every seam and edge around the photos were being checked at passport control and they were turning people back for the slightest problem/mark/hole. BTW the passengers from Nigera also had their passports check before then could even exit the skyway from the plane in to the airport!


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## niceoneted (22 Nov 2009)

Working in the airport I have seen it done many times where a person has changed in appearance like in this example where a child has grown from a baby photo. They can carry the photo with them if they do not want to staple it. 
What they were doing in CDG was checking for fraudulent passports. no harm stapling or carrying a newer photo in this instance to an opposite or blank page (use one staple only).


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## berlininvest (22 Nov 2009)

Thanks for the advice, but I must admit I don't really see what it proves to have an up to date photo stapled on.  I might carry a couple of older photos to show the age progression, although judging by most of the comments we should be ok.  WIll carry the birth cert too as a precaution.


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## mystry4all (22 Nov 2009)

Hi,

I do travel with my kids....their passport were made when they were babies. Just a few days old. My son is now 3,5 years and my daughter is 1 year old. My son does like the baby photo a bit. But my daughter doesnt look a like the photo even a slight. She had other colour eyes when she was born and had very bit hair. She was 16 days ld when we made her passport. Now she has dard brown eyes and head full of hair and doesnt match with the photo. We havent any problem until on the airports in dublin, amsterdam, middle east and asia. We do travel alot.


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## aisling o'b (23 Nov 2009)

mystry4all said:


> I do travel with my kids....their passport were made when they were babies. Just a few days old. My son is now 3,5 years and my daughter is 1 year old. My son does like the baby photo a bit


 
If you got your 3.5 yr old son's passport when he was a few days old then that passport is invalid or you haven't travelled in 6 months!



mystry4all said:


> We havent any problem until on the airports in dublin, amsterdam, middle east and asia. We do travel alot.


 
Wow - you do!


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## Bluebells (23 Nov 2009)

Do not staple, or otherwise adhere _anything_ to your passport. 

You may not make any alteration whatsoever to your own or any body else's passport, and stapling in pictures is an alteration.

Additions  to your passport can only be done by people who have the authority to do so.


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## minkydog (23 Nov 2009)

Just a word I think it still stands that if travelling to the USA your passport must be valid for six months form the date of your return. Could be wrong on this but double check it if going to the USA


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## berlininvest (23 Nov 2009)

Thanks mystry, I appreciate your post, good to hear from an experienced traveller, thanks also minkydog and bluebell, useful stuff.


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## mystry4all (23 Nov 2009)

Hi aisling...Passport is still valid....Passport is for 5 years...I havent a irish passport....We have Dutch passports from the Netherlands....They are also European Passports


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## brodiebabe (25 Nov 2009)

minkydog said:


> Just a word I think it still stands that if travelling to the USA your passport must be valid for six months form the date of your return. Could be wrong on this but double check it if going to the USA


 
This information is incorrect.  A passport needs only be valid for the duration of travel in the States.


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## mystry4all (25 Nov 2009)

This is only correct if you do require a visa from any embasy otherwise you can travel with it...


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## Bluebells (26 Nov 2009)

brodiebabe said:


> This information is incorrect.  A passport needs only be valid for the duration of travel in the States.



The rule  must have been relaxed in the recent past.


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## SOM42 (30 Nov 2009)

niceoneted said:


> What they were doing in CDG was checking for fraudulent passports. no harm stapling or carrying a newer photo in this instance to an opposite or blank page (use one staple only).


 

This is a really bad idea.  

A.  What good does stapling/carrying another photo achieve?

B.  Altering or attempting to alter or add any thing to a passport renders it invalid.


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