Friday, September 3, 2010

Ways To Obtain An Infant Passport

January 8, 2010 by erin · Leave a Comment 

infantYou’re going to go on a trip abroad with your family. It’s a vacation you and your spouse have been thinking about for a while. The two of you have your passports, but how about your infant son or daughter? What do you do to get his or her infant U.S. passport?

As you probably already know, all international travelers must have a valid passport. This includes all nationalities and ages, including those of infant age, and there are no exclusions.

Perhaps the most important component of this is the photo. It needs to look good because it’s the only evidence used by immigration officers to check against the person in front of them. Certain regulations must be followed.

You will need a full color photo. It should a head shot, forward-facing and straight on. The measurements of the photo should be two by two inches. No shoulders ought to be showing and the background should be solid white. When applying, two photos must be presented. The photo will be valid for traveling abroad for five years and must be taken within inside a six month period from the date on which the photo was shot.

For whatever reason, the rules are stringent for infant passport photos and nothing against the regulations will be accepted. Nothing but the child’s head should show. No hands to support him or her, no toy, not even the child’s hands. Clothing should be normal, everyday wear. No hats, earmuffs, or pacifiers are allowed. The infant should be awake, not asleep, the eyes open, and no smiling or crying is allowed either.

It is suggested that the best way to get a perfect passport photo of your child is having it professionally done. Places where adults normally can get passport photos taken, such as drug stores and post offices, aren’t always receptive to doing infant photos. Regardless of who does it or where it is done, it just has to be done according to the rules and regulations as issued by the government.

Adults must follow certain steps in order to obtain their passports. As for anyone below age sixteen, there are more steps and they are often more strict. Parents have to submit evidence that the child is an American citizen. This is no more than a birth certificate. The parents have to then present proof that they are, in fact, related to the child applicant. This can be the birth certificate where BOTH the name of each parent is evident. Make sure to pay all of the passport fees of course.

Next, the child’s parents both have to submit valid identification in accordance with the guidelines. This can be a simple case of showing a valid driver license. Each parent then has to present identification document photocopies for the application of each child. And, finally, the parents have to present parental consent, which is signing another form after all previous steps are done. If for some reason only one parent is present, the other parent has to also send in a statement of consent that’s notarized.

It’s a fact that there are more steps to getting a infant United States passport, but the process is not really that difficult. The right photo and all necessary documentation is all that is required. Of course, the parents have to pay the American passport fees and be present along with the kid at the time of applying.

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