Q. My 10-year-old granddaughter, a US citizen, came to Jamaica for the summer holiday. She has a plane ticket to return to the United States on Saturday, but I noticed yesterday that her passport expired while she was here. Will she be able to use the expired passport to return to the United States? If not, how do I get a travel letter for her from the US Embassy?

A. All US citizens are required by law to enter and exit the United States using a valid US passport. Travel letters are not issued for US citizens, so it is important for all US citizens to carefully check the validity of their passports before travelling.

Airline officials will not allow your granddaughter to board a flight back to the United States without a current, valid US passport. She can apply for a new US passport through the US Embassy in Kingston or through the Consular Agency in Montego Bay, depending on her location in Jamaica.

All non-emergency services are provided by appointment. You may schedule an appointment online through the “US Citizen Services” section of the embassy’s website. After the appointment date, passport processing in Kingston typically takes 8-10 days, and processing in Montego Bay takes 3-4 weeks, if all required documentation has been presented.

Because your granddaughter is less than 16 years old, she must appear in person for her passport application and all parents listed on her birth certificate must give permission for her to obtain a new US passport. If her parents are not physically present at the time of the passport application, they must each provide notarised consent forms, copies of their driver’s licences or passports, and notarised letters authorising you by name as the person who may assist your granddaughter in obtaining her passport. The authorised consent form is available at our website under the link for ‘Minor Applicants’. If her parents are in Jamaica, they must appear at the US Embassy or Consular Agency for the scheduled interview.

All this and more information regarding US passports is available on our website. Please check there for the latest information on fees, photo requirements, and available appointment times. We encourage parents and guardians to ensure that children always have current passports; it is important to note that children’s passports are valid for five years, unlike adults’ 10-year passports. Check those passport dates well before beginning travel to ensure that this important document will be valid for the length of the trip.

For more information, please visit our website, jm.usembassy.gov and the Department of State’s travel website, travel.state.gov.