Dreaming of international travel with your family in tow? First thing's first – you need to get your child a passport. While it may seem like an arduous task, crossing it off sooner rather than later means its one less thing to think about when it comes time to actually planning your trip away. Luckily, parents can begin the process as soon as your child has a birth certificate, and we outline the next steps below.
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If born in the Cayman Islands to expat parents, your newborn will not automatically become a Caymanian citizen and will, therefore, have to take one of their parents’ nationalities at birth. Luckily, parents can begin the process of obtaining a child passport as soon as their child has a birth certificate.
American Passports
If you are a US citizen who recently had a child in the Cayman Islands, you need to apply for a 'Consular Report of Birth Abroad' before you can apply for a passport for your child. The US Consular Agency also handles passport renewals but they do not deal with US visas. People are asked to email: CaymanACS@state.gov in order to receive an auto response, which provides all of the requisite information and links for booking and making appointments. Those seeking a Consular Report of Birth Abroad are directed to an online portal, where you are placed on a waiting list for officers from Kingston, Jamaica, to come over to conduct an interview with you.
US Consular Agency: Suite 202B, Smith Road Centre, 150 Smith Road, George Town. Tel: (345) 747 8172. Opening hours: Monday-Friday 8am-12pm (closed on all Cayman and US holidays).
Australian Passports
Obtaining an Australian passport for a child born in the Cayman Islands can be complicated as there is no online and postal application process available after registering for the child’s Australian citizenship. Residents of Cayman should contact the Australian High Commission in Trinidad and Tobago. They will then advise where an in-person application (including an interview) by one parent can be submitted. The child does not need to attend the interview. For more information, visit www.trinidadandtobago.embassy.gov.au or Tel: 1 (868) 235 7950.
Helpful Tip
Ensure you child has a valid passport during hurricane season, just in case you and your family need to leave the island quickly.
British Passports
Visit www.gov.uk/get-a-child-passport to apply online for your child’s first British passport. You will need a digital photo of your child, supporting documents and a credit or debit card, plus you will need to identify someone who can confirm your child's identity; they will act as a countersignatory. The cost to apply online from the Cayman Islands is £85.36, which includes courier fees to get the passport back to you. You will then be issued a unique number and you will be asked to quote this when you mail the original documents to HM Passport Office. A child passport is valid for five years and the processing time takes up to 11 weeks.
Canadian Passports
There is no longer a Canadian Honorary Consul in the Cayman Islands, so you must now download the paperwork for citizenship or passports from www.cic.gc.ca. Once all your paperwork is filled in and you have either original or notarised documents ready you need to mail the application by courier to the High Commission of Canada, 3 West Kings House Road, Kingston 10, Jamaica. If you have questions you can email: KNGTN-CS@international.gc.ca or call1 (876) 926 1500. For 24/7 emergency help, contact the Emergency Watch and Response Centre: sos@international.gc.ca or call 1 (613) 996 8885.
Caymanian Passports
Caymanian passports (also called British Overseas Territories Citizen passports) are processed at the Passport & Corporate Services office in George Town and then sent to the UK passport office to be printed. The processing time is six to ten weeks. Application forms and a list of required documentation for a BOTC passport can be downloaded from www.gov.ky (see Passport & Corporate Services tab). Passports cost CI$75 for children, CI$100 for adults and the fee is waived for those over 65. Emergency passports, issued in the event of a medical air evacuation, are produced in Grand Cayman and can be turned around within a day. Unlike the US, those born in the Cayman Islands are not automatically eligible for citizenship or a Cayman Islands passport unless they can prove a connection to the Islands. This usually means that one parent must be Caymanian.
Passport & Corporate Services Office: 2nd floor of Sussex House, 128 Elgin Avenue. Tel: (345) 943 7678. Opening hours: Monday-Friday 9am-3pm.
For any other nationalities visit www.gov.ky and select Consular Agents for contact details of the consular representatives.
