Family passports | Imamother

Log in / Sign Up

List of Forums + New Post Recipe Box Usergroups Following My Posts Bookmarks

Private Messages Advanced Search Rules New User Guide FAQ Advertise Contact Us

Forum -> Vacation and Traveling

Family passports

View latest: 24h 48h 72h

amother

Tue, Sep 22 2020, 9:42 pm

I think it is in the realm of hishtadlus that we should have valid passports but now that there's the "passport card" for traveling to Canada--is that "enough" It's much more likely that we'll travel to Canada than Europe/Israel in the next 5-10 years. I have 5 kids ka"h and my passport is more than 15 years old so I would have to start from scratch also. I just have a hard time justifying the expense of the full passport with no actual plans to travel

amother

Magenta

Tue, Sep 22 2020, 10:12 pm

To me passports are important.
Everyone has different priorities tho

amother

Blush

Tue, Sep 22 2020, 11:55 pm

Honestly, the way the world looks right now, I would recommend that everyone have a valid passport. I think the expense is very justified. While a passport card is something, I wouldn't take the risk. To me, the writing on the wall is clear.

amother

Apricot

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 12:09 am

Just this week did passports for 3 kids plus husbands renewal.
The cards seemed too limited, we did the book.

amother

Babypink

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 2:43 am

The hishtadlus of having a passport is not because you might take a family trip to Israel in the next 5 years. It is for emergency situations. Personally we all have passports and with the current state of affairs I am working on getting my children dual citizenship but everyone needs to decide for themselves what they feel is right.

amother

Seashell

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 2:48 am

Jews should be able to travel to Israel on a moment's notice.

I'm not talking about border permission. I'm talking about knowing where the center of our lives should be.

amother

Blush

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 2:49 am

amother [ Seashell ] wrote:

Jews should be able to travel to Israel on a moment's notice.

Israel should let them in. Doesn't mean America will let them out.

imasinger

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 2:58 am

This seems some about passports and some about finances.

OP, maybe it would help to think concretely.

One year, when I was very pregnant, and relatively new to making Pesach, my IL's (a"h) generously paid for us all to go to a Pesach hotel. Afterwards, I said to D H, "while it was nice this year, it cost as much as a small new car. Unless they loved it, let's not do it again, I don't think it's worth it for an experience that's only a week long."

For us, the cost for the time was not worth the benefit, and comparing it to the cost of a car helped me realize that. It didn't even have to be my personal expense to make the impact.

So, how much more would the passports be than the cards? Can you compare that expense to something else? Is there anything you'd give up or any extra work you'd take on in order to make the investment of freedom of movement (iy"H, once people can travel again)? Or does it make more sense to wait, since these documents only are good for a certain length of time, and even less time for children, and you already know that some percentage of that time will get lost to the pandemic?

singleagain

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 4:14 am

Someone mentioned emergency travel. If there is an emergency, and you have to get one or more passports overnight or same day, will that cost hurt you more?

I imagine when car seats became law a lot to people didn't want to spend the money. But if God forbid there was an accident, they would end up spending a lot more in hospital or funeral expenses.

Sometimes a chunk of change now will prevent a lot more expense later.

amother

Apricot

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 4:24 am

singleagain wrote:

Very well said

shmosmom

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 6:36 am

I do each child's passport as soon as they're born. I also check the dates and start the renewal process about 6 months before it expires. I never traveled internationally with the kids, but I need to know that we're free to do so if we wish.
It's not such a big expense when done separately.

amother

Wed, Sep 23 2020, 7:17 am

Finances have always been super-tight for us. It's hard to justify the $800+ for our family, but with this impending election, I think it is necessary.

Page 1 of 1