Press release
Children's entries in parents' passports valid from26 June 2012 June 2012invalid due to European requirements, there is an important change in German passport law:
From 26 June 2012, children's entries in their parents' passports are no longer valid and no longer entitle the child to cross borders. This means that from this date, all children (from birth) must have their own travel document when travelling abroad. For parents as passport holders, however, the document remains valid without restriction.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior recommends that parents affected by the change apply for new travel documents for their children at the relevant passport authority in good time if they are planning to travel abroad. Children's passports, passports and - depending on the destination - identity cards are available as travel documents for children.
Background information:
The amendment results directly from Regulation (EC) No 444/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 May 2009 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2252/2004 on standards for security features and biometrics in passports and travel documents issued by Member States (EU Passport Regulation).
The background to this is the "one person - one passport" principle enshrined in the EU Passport Regulation for security reasons, which must be implemented throughout the EU by 26 June 2012 and is recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). However, due to the ten-year validity period of passports, documents with a child entry (invalid from 26 June 2012) may still be in circulation until the end of October 2017.
It is therefore recommended that you apply for new travel documents for your children from the relevant passport authority in good time if you are planning to travel abroad. Children's passports, passports and possibly - depending on the destination - identity cards are available as travel documents for children.
This also applies to travelling within the European Union or the so-called "Schengen area". "Schengen area". Even if border controls are suspended in this area, this does not release travellers from the obligation to carry a valid document.
Contact:
Olaf Sinnigen
Federal Ministry of the Interior
Division IT 4
Passport and ID card system,
Identification systems
Alt-Moabit 101d
10559 Berlin
Internet: www.bmi.bund.de
Source photo: © Claudia Hautumm / PIXELIO