Renewing Child's Mexican Passport

[TimyMaggie 0]

Does anyone have any experience renewing a child's Mexican passport? In my situation, this is for my Mexican wife's daughter. The birth father lives in the U.S. and is on the birth certificate. He and my wife were never married and she has always had sole custody.

Did some research online and read something that stated if one of the birth parents are not present, a signed form "OP-7" by that parent can be submitted. However, my wife went to the passport office and said the clerk there said the birth father would have to come to Mexico, present ID and sign the papers. That sounds pretty unreasonable to me especially since he has not been in the picture for 10 years.

Any advice appreciated!

Tim

[Lia792 5]

The Mexican government is not known for being reasonable.

Here's something that might help you:

http://www.sre.gob.mx/pasaportes/preguntas.htm

El permiso podrá otorgarse en cualquier Delegación de la SRE ubicada en la República Mexicana o ante Notario Público y deberá hacerse válido dentro de los 30 días naturales siguientes.

En el extranjero el permiso correspondiente podrá otorgarse ante cualquier Representación de México en el Exterior y deberá hacerse válido dentro de los 45 días naturales siguientes.

If you don't speak Spanish, or anyone is curious, it says:

The permission can be granted in any delegation of the SRE (Secretary of the Exterior) in the Mexican Republic or before a Notary and will be valid for the following 30 natural (as opposed to business) days.

In a foreign country, the corresponding permission can be granted before any Representation of Mexico outside the country and will be valid for 45 natural days.

There also is a note below:

9. ¿Qué requisito adicional necesito para tramitar el pasaporte de mi menor hijo si su padre o madre perdió la patria potestad o la tiene suspendida?

Deberá exhibir copia certificada de la resolución judicial en la que se decretó la pérdida o suspensión de la patria potestad y del auto por el cual haya causado ejecutoria.

What additional requisites do I need to obtain the passport of my minor child if his father or mother has lost parent rights or they are suspended?

You should exhibit a certified copy of the court resolution in which the loss of suspension of the parental rights was decreed and the judicial decree by which it may have been carried out.

So if you read that, you might want to consider getting either permission from the father, or a copy of the court documents, translated if they are in English.

This is the website for the Secretaria of Relaciones Exteriores so they need to uphold this information. If they won't help you at one office, go to another. I've never tried the talk to a supervisor technique in Mexico, but it might work. If my husband and I have children, we are going to try to avoid registering them with Mexico because of all that ridiculous paperwork and especially due to the mandatory military service.

Good luck!

[Lia792 5]

I don't know if this would be any help, but if you read further down, it talks about single mothers:

10. Si registré a mi hijo, menor de edad, como madre soltera y deseo tramitar su pasaporte ¿Me requerirán el consentimiento del padre?

No, en este caso la presencia del padre no es necesaria para realizar el trámite de pasaporte del menor, únicamente necesita el consentimiento materno, ya que es la persona que ejerce en exclusiva la patria potestad

Question 10. If I registered my child, a minor in age, as a single mother and I wish to get a passport for him, will the consent of the father be required?

No, in this case, the presence of the father is not necessary to obtain a passport for the minor. Only the maternal consent would be necessary, as she is the person who exclusively holds parental custody.

So even if he was registered in the US with an Amerian father, was he ever registered in Mexico? And was he registered with her as a single mother? Those are also things to consider. You might want to find a day when your "friend" the clerk is not there and see if someone else can be more helpful. And there are also the ones who are waiting for a "mordida," not that I think it is a good idea, but it is always possible that someone is trying to use extortion on you.

[TimyMaggie 0]

Thanks so much for the link, translations and advice Lia792! Very, very helpful. Going to try some of your suggestions.

Tim