Taking Birth Certificate?

There is absolutely no need to take a birth certificate along with your passport. You already presented your birth certificate just to get your passport, so it's definitive proof of United States citizenship.

What Nancy said. There is no need. You might want to bring your drivers license though. Some places require ID as collateral to rent audio guides, etc. I would rather leave my license than my passport.

No. But a making copies of your passport, leaving one at home and carrying the other apart from your passport is worthwhile. Just in case you lose your passport.

Melissa, Where did your husband get that idea? If he's seen this listed somewhere, it would help to know what source of information he's using? I've never heard of this being a requirement for travel, and I suspect a Birth Certificate would be somewhat useless as an identification document especially in countries where English is not the primary language. It's not like an I.D.P. which provides a translation of the terms of the document. A Passport is the definitive form of ID for use when travel, and since a Birth Certificate normally has to be supplied when applying for a Passport, that requirement is already covered. Cheers!

I think your husband is thinking of the old rules of visiting some parts of North America. Americans didn't need a passport but could get away with a birth certificate and photo ID. (Canada, Mexico, Bahamas, Caribbean, etc.) However, for Europe, you always needed a passport. Now, you need a passport everywhere. Leave the Birth Certificate at home. But it is a good idea to have a photocopy of you passport with you separate from where you keep your passport should you lose it.

Would that be a long-form or short-form birth certificate? hehe Seriously, only the passport is recognized by foreign officials so the birth certificate is useless.

Get your information here and in guide books and be wary of any other European travel advice offered by your husband.

Do not need the birth certificate. The suggestion of making a copy of your passport is an excellent one. Keep that separate from your actual passport and use that in case you need to prove your citizenship if your passport gets lost or stolen. Your birth certificate is absolutely useless to foreign officials, and US embassies and consulates would work off the copy of your passport to issue a new one.
Just curious, why does your husband think you need your birth certificate? Isn't a passport essentially a travel birth certificate? You could take a copy to make him feel better, but please do not take the original. Also, do take your driver's license as previously suggested. Go have fun and don't sweat the small stuff!

Hmm, I think your husband needs to educate and inform himself a bit before he starts insisting he is correct,, how often has he travelled to Europe,. and how long ago?? I have a feeling the answers would be revealing. Like others, I do take my DL as supplemental id to leave as collateral at museums etc,, and a photocopy of my pp.

On group tours I took in high school, the group leader required a birth certificate, copy of passport, and two passport-sized photos for each person on the tour. Perhaps group tour companies suggest this?

No, group tours usually don't require it. Just the passport and any visas needed.

Bonnie, high school tours are a different thing as you usually deal with minors travelling without their parent/guardian.

As some others have suggested, your husband probably remembers the days (prior to 2009) when a birth certificate was an accepted proof of citizenship for a U.S. citizen entering the U.S. from Mexico or Canada. Now that the U.S. requires passports for all entries there's no reason to carry your birth certificate while traveling.

Your birth certificate won't help. Your passport is what you need. If you're driving, your dl along with an international drivers permit (depending on where you're driving) are needed. A copy of your passport will help you get your passport replaced in an emergency (other than that the passport copy doesn't help either).

All the siutations I can think of where taking a birth certificate makes sense when travelling into another country is where it is allowed to take it in place of a passport and a passport is not necessary. If a passport is necessary taking a birth certificate in addition does not make any sense. These days it's pretty much impossible to enter the US from abroad without a passport. And for non-EU citizens it's pretty much impossible to enter the EU without a passport. A birth certificate doesn't change any of that.

I actually think taking a birth certificate sounds risky.. its just one more thing to lose, and if you lose your passport its alot easier to replace if you have a birth certificate at home with a trusted friend or family member who could send it to you .

Thanks everyone. He is the over prepared kind of person. He just wanted to bring it "just in case" but couldnt tell me what that case might be. Anyways, i think i will photocopy mine to bring to make him feel better and leave the original at home (which is what i was worried about, losing it). I cant convince him to leave his here though, he is bringing the original

Wow, Melissa. I would really urge him to leave his birth certificate safely at home. It's of no use in Europe and wouldn't likely be understood by most officials. Birth certificates can be very hard to replace if lost - unless one was born in a county with well funded and efficient administrative services. I keep mine in a safe deposit box and would never risk losing it by taking it with me to Europe. That's why I have a passport.

Totally agree with Doug. Why take something you don't need that would be a pain to replace if you lost it? I wouldn't take a copy either - just one more thing to keep up with that could be useful to an identity thief.