It used to be that a newborn baby was permitted to travel on the passport of one of their parents. Now, however, it is a requirement that every US citizen, including a newborn, have their own individual passport. When traveling within approximately two weeks, parents may apply for an expedited American passport for newborn. Parents can do this themselves or they may go through a specialized agent.
Requirements
Getting a passport for a newborn is not quite as straightforward as obtaining one for an adult. Proof of US citizenship of the baby is required. This is usually a certified copy of their birth certificate. Proof of parental consent is also a requirement. Parents need to complete a form, pay the fee, attach two photographs of the infant and include evidence of travel intent. The procedure is a little more involved if one of the parents is uncooperative or if they are absent altogether. There are five distinct levels of a child passport – Rush, Priority, Next Day, 24-Hour and Expedited. This latter category may take between eight days and two weeks to process. The completed passport is mailed directly to the child’s parent(s).
DS-11
Form DS-11 (Application for a pasport renewal), may be obtained from an Acceptance Facility or a passport agency. It is also available online, where it may be completed and then printed or it may be printed out and completed by hand. It is important that the form remain unsigned until instructed by a passport agent.
Submission
An infant passport is valid for five years and cannot be renewed. The application cannot be submitted in the mail, it must be in person. The baby must be present at the time of submission of the application.
Photos
Requirements for the two passport photographs are rather stringent. They need to be 2 inches by 2 inches in size with a white or whitish background. The head size has to be between 1 and 1.375 inches with no had or anything else worn on the head. It must be taken no more than six months before the date of the application.
Photo Requirements
In the photograph, the baby must have a ‘natural’ expression. They must not be smiling, laughing, crying or screaming. They must have their mouth closed and must not contain a pacifier. The baby must be facing forward and looking at the camera. Only the baby must be in the picture, no parental hands, face, arms or even a car seat. Sometimes it is easier just to pay a professional photographer to get this done.
Citizenship
The infant’s parents must provide proof of their own American citizenship. This can be a naturalization certificate, a valid passport, a Consular Report of Birth, a certificate of citizenship or a certified birth certificate.
While both parents should submit the application for an expedited US passport for newborn together, it is possible for one parent to be present provided a form called ‘Issuance of a Passport to a Minor Under Age 16′ has been completed. Alternatively, a written, notarized statement from the parent who isn’t there will be accepted. Passports for children do not stay valid as long as they do for adults. This is why it’s important to pay attention to dates. Children cannot do a US passport renewal, they must apply for a whole new passport each time it expires.
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