Did anyone notice the Consent on the Passport App?

Over 25 million Italians have emigrated between 1861 and 1960 with a migration boom between 1871 and 1915 when over 13,5 million emigrants left the country for European and overseas destinations.
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NOLATom
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Did anyone notice the Consent on the Passport App?

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My appointment was set for Thursday, and I just noticed the Consent required from the other parent of any child under 18. This consent is to get my passport, not my daughter's. Even though I have custody, she absolutely refuses to sign it for no other reason but spite. How can this be? How can someone who has nothing to do with your life affect your ability to hold a passport? I can understand refusing to let the child travel, which I already have a court order that prevents her from doing just that, but this is refusing me the ability to get my own passport. Has anyone else had to deal with the this or found a resolution?

Tom
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johnnyonthespot
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Re: Did anyone notice the Consent on the Passport App?

Post by johnnyonthespot »

Unfortunately, it is a requirement.

In the US, passports cannot be issued to children under the age of 16 without the consent of both parents unless the requesting parent has court-ordered sole custody. See http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/mi ... step7minor

In Italy (and, if I recall correctly, all of the EU), even a parent cannot obtain his or her own passport if their are any minor children in the equation unless the other parent consents. I believe - but am not certain - this has to do with the fact that children used to be able to travel without a passport so long as they were with a passport-holding parent. There are a couple of threads here on this topic, one is at http://www.italiangenealogy.com/forum/topic16820.html. As you can see from this thread, the parent in question was able to resolve the issue.
Carmine

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Re: Did anyone notice the Consent on the Passport App?

Post by NOLATom »

Carmine,

I'm talking about my passport. It is not use in Italy, it is here also. Houston will not issue my passport without my daughter's mother's consent. The courts maid my ex sign for my daughter's US passport and I wasn't planning on even bothering to get my daughter's Italian passport anytime soon, because it wasn't worth the fight, but this is my own passport, I can't get. This is not right.
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Re: Did anyone notice the Consent on the Passport App?

Post by johnnyonthespot »

Yes, I understand we are talking about your passport. Look again at what I posted and the other thread I linked to.

Here is some additional useful info:

What is written consent and how is it to be submitted?

Written consent for the issuance and/or renewal of a child’s passport or his/her inclusion on a parent’s own passport is necessary when a person has minor children, regardless of the citizenship or residence of the parents or whether that they are married or not.

It must be submitted in writing by the other parent either on the passport application form itself or in a separate statement.


What if the parent required to submit written consent is not an EU citizen?

In that case the parent’s signature has to be authenticated.


What if the other parent is unable or refuses to submit written consent?

In that case it is possible to appeal to the consular office in writing. Once the case has been reviewed in the interests of the minor, the Consul, as tutelary judge, or the competent authority in the minor’s place of residence can authorise issuance of the passport also in the absence of the other parent’s written consent.

from the Italy Ministry of Foriegn Affairs web site: http://www.esteri.it/MAE/Templates/Gene ... T=Guest#11
Carmine

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