How To Apply For US Passports For Children

Passports for children? Yes, minors who are traveling into or out of the United States with or without their parents need a passport. This applies for children of all ages including newborns and infants. Each child MUST have their own passport.

If you are a foreign national planning to visit the United States check with your national passport office for rules and application forms.

If you are a citizen of the United States, the best place to start is on the U.S. Department of State website. When it comes to passports for children under the age of 16, there are special requirements. The requirements are slightly different for minors who are 16 and 17, see the government website for the differences.

Passports for children are valid for five years instead of the adult ten year validity. All children must apply in person whether it is a new passport or a renewal. And both parents or guardians must be present (with certain exceptions….)

The child’s proof of citizenship must be submitted with the application. They will keep it during the issuing process and return it to you. This proof can be an old undamaged passport for older children. It can be a certified birth certificate, a consular report of birth abroad, a naturalization certificate or a certificate of citizenship.

Parents must submit evidence of their relationship to the child. For instance the birth certificate with both parent’s names or a court order establishing custody. And the parents must submit proof of identification. A previously issued undamaged U.S. passport can be a form of identification for the parent, but it does NOT provide evidence of relationship. A driver’s license, government employee ID or current military ID can also provide proof of identity.

Parents must provide parental consent for the government to issue passports for children. If you are a single parent, you must have a notarized statement of consent from the other parent, or a court order granting sole custody or a death certificate if one parent has died. There is a list of scenarios, so as always… these are general guidelines… check with the government.

You must pay the applicable passport fee and supply two passport photos. Same rules as for adults… two identical photos, in color, 2×2 inches. They should have been taken within the last 6 months. This is especially true for children because they change so fast… the photos should show them as they look now.

It can take four to six weeks to get a passport even in slow travel times. If you need passports for children in less than two weeks, you should make an appointment to apply in person at a regional passport agency.

This is all general advice and it all sounds very onerous…. It puts a lot of burden of proof on parents, but in today’s world, it’s important to ensure children’s safety, so passports for children take time and effort to obtain. But look at it this way, once you have them, that trip abroad will be the best education your children can have!