<p>I am posting this on several forums because I think it’s important with all the new travel restrictions and requirements. There are lots of cool opportunities at Rice and other colleges that are outside the United States, such as Alternative Spring Break and winter break trips/programs and May semester or summer internships or study abroad. I STRONGLY recommend that you urge your kid to apply for a passport this summer if he or she does not currently have a passport. Right now, it is taking 3 months or so to get a passport - and if he or she waits until he or she finds out about the cool trips or programs to apply, it may be too late. At best, it will be a much more costly, risky and stressful procedure. Some people are finding that they have cut it too close, and can not go on the trips they had planned. Just a word of advice to your young ones!</p>
<p>And if your student has a passport, check the expiration date. Those issued to a child under 16 are only good for 5 years instead of the 10 years for those issued to 16 and up. My d was told by a tour organizer that it was strongly discouraged to travel on a passport expiring within the next 6 months. I didn’t follow the logic, but she decided to renew sooner rather than later so it’s done now until she’s 27. Several students on her tour were paying extra to expedite the renewal since they didn’t realize the expiration date was close (or past!).</p>
<p>Yes - many countries now require that your passport expire more than 6 months after the end of the trip. My son’s passport is expired, so he will be going in person to apply for a new one. Better now, while he has lots of time on his hands! :)</p>
<p>Hmm. My kids just both got new passports within a few weeks. However, we had gotten them passports as children, so maybe renewing is easier.</p>
<p>From the college cafe post of Pink_Jade
I started this thread because our newspaper just printed a long article about the woes of people waiting in vain for their passports to come through in time for their trips. Obviously, YMMV. <a href=“Search - statesman.com”>Search - statesman.com;
</p>
<p>It’s all of the recent changes in travel regulations (with requirements for Canada and Mexico) that have caused the backup. My kids have had passports literally since birth. 2007 is the 3rd time of renewal for the 2 older kids, BUT the first time that it took 2 months (that too, after repeated phonecalls, begging and pleading).</p>
<p>You best bet, if you have less than 12 weeks before your travel date is to set up an in-person appointment at a Passport Agency, and for a well-worthwhile fee, get your passport renewed the same day.</p>
<p>Whew! We’re done. He got the instant Kinko copies photos, then we went to the post office and stood in a LOOOOONG line and paid our (my) $97.00. The post office guy told us to expect his passport around about the end of August - so about 3 months. Since DS has no special travel plans in mind, that’s fine. The woman behind us in line realized she would need to pay the extra approx. hundred dollars to get her kid’s passport expedited, and the woman in front of us in line was turned away after waiting for half an hour, since she didn’t realize that she needed to have her kids with her to get their passports. I’m glad we got one of our college things crossed off the list. 
Now on to the menactra vaccination, laptop purchase and those blasted extralong sheets ;)</p>