How To Obtain Us Passport For Child?

By Author: Nancy Mervin
Total Articles: 56
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Regardless of age every US citizen needs a passport for international trips. Filing for passport in person is a must for first time applicants. In case you are below 16 years of age also you need to apply in person at a Passport Acceptance Facility or passport Agency. While you apply for passport for child parent or guardian need to accompany children who are minors under 16 years of age. Apart from other documents minors additionally need to submit evidence of their relationship to parent or guardian.

Evidence for the minor could be any of the following:
• US birth certificate with name of both parents
• Foreign birth certificate with both parents names.
• Report of birth abroad with the name of both parents
• Adoption decree with name of the adopting parents
• To establish guardianship or custody court order is required.

To establish parent or guardian identity they need to submit any one of the following:
• Undamaged previously issued passport
• Naturalization certificate got by Applying for US citizenship ...
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• Driver’s license which is valid
• Identification of current government employment
• Current military identification

Photocopy of either one of the above need to be submitted along with the application for passport for child.Approval from parents is also required.to file application for passport for child. This can be done by any of the following ways:

1. Parents can accompany the minor to the passport agency or acceptance facility and show their consent by signing the DS-11 form in the presence of the Acceptance officer.
2. If both can’t accompany the child one parent can bring along consent of the other on Form DS-3053 complete with the consent statement, signed and certified. Parent appearing in person can sign Form DS-11 and attach that along while submitting.
3. If legal custody is with one parent of the minor that parent can sign the Form DS-11 in front of the Acceptance officer and submit along a proof for the custody.
• The evidence could be minor’s US or foreign birth certificate listing only that single applying parent.
• Else it could be the Form FS-240, Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Form DS-1350, Certification of Birth Abroad listing only the applying parent also.
• Court order granting sole custody also could be proof provided the child’s travel is not restricted in that order.
• If the applying parent is the sole adopting parent copy of the adoption decree can be submitted for evidence. Specific court order permitting the applying parent or guardian to travel with the child can also be used as evidence.
• Inability of the non-applying parent’ as a judicial declaration can also be submitted. If non-applying parent is dead the death certificate can be used as evidence. Notarized statement or affidavit from the parents can be used by the third party to appear on their behalf and sign the Form DS-11 in front of the Acceptance Officer.

Apart from copy of all the above documents, along with the completed Form DS-11, two identical passport style photographs measuring 2x2 inch should be submitted. Normally worn head gear or prescription glassed must be worn for the photos. Normal street wear is the dress code and uniforms are not allowed. Picture should be of your full front view of the face.

Filing Fee of passport for child

Compared to adults the fee is slightly less for minor children. Its $120 for both passport book and passport card if got together. For passport book alone the fee is $105. Passport card costs $40.

In case parent cannot accompany children 16 or 17 year old minors you need not bring along parents or guardian for applying for passport but you need to submit present photo identification and a written consent letter from them.

Passport application for 16 and 17 year old is same as adults viz. $165 for both passport book and card, passport book alone is $135 and its $55 for passport card. The passport for child will be issued in 2-3 week but paying an extra $60 the process can be expedited.