How to Get Your Baby a U.S. Passport, According to a New Mom
Going abroad with an infant is daunting, but this mom has your first step covered.
The fact that I started thinking about applying for my daughter's passport well before she was born is perhaps the most significant testament to my love of travel. Even as certain breastfeeding products remained a mystery to me, I found myself scouring the internet for any available passport intel and — once she arrived — spending the better part of an afternoon trying desperately to snap a passable photo of my neo-nascent globetrotter. While I can only wish you luck with the baby portraiture, here's everything else you need.
First, a quick overview: Getting a passport for a child who's younger than 16 and never had one is not — unfortunately for parents short on sleep and time — a mail-order proposition. When you're ready to apply, both parents must accompany the child to an authorized facility such as a post office. (If only one can go, there's a solution, but more on that later.) You'll need to take a DS-11 passport application, proof of your baby's citizenship, both parents' IDs; the baby's passport photo, a $100 check, and a $35 acceptance fee.
Related: The Best Destination to Take Your Kids at Each Age — From Infants to College Graduates
You can pay more for extras, such as expedited service, but we'll get to those later, too. For now, know that the secret to a painless experience is having everything ready and organized in advance. And if you happen to have had a summer baby — or you're simply thinking about baby's first passport in September — things may be even easier: September is National Passport Month, when special passport acceptance fairs pop up across the U.S. for first-timers. Regardless of when you apply, though, this is the step-by-step process of getting your baby a U.S. passport.
1. Fill out a Form DS-11.
Anyone applying for a passport for the first time must fill out the two-page Form DS-11. You can either complete the application online and print it, or download, print, and fill in the PDF version by hand. Either way, make sure you print a single-sided page and don't sign the form until you're at the appointment.
2. Gather the required documents.
The U.S. Department of State requires proof of your baby's citizenship, proof of your parental relationship, and proof of identification from both parents. A U.S. birth certificate, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or certificate of citizenship are accepted as evidence of your baby's citizenship. If you use a birth certificate, that will also provide proof of parental relationship. If you don't, a foreign birth certificate, adoption decree, or divorce or custody decree will also work in addition to the document that proves citizenship. You will need to submit both the original and a photocopy of each document, and the Department of State will mail the birth certificate back at the end of the process.
When you go to your appointment, each parent or guardian will also need to take a driver's license, passport, or other form of authorized identification. Again, have the original and a photocopy (and make sure you get both sides of your driver's license).
3. Get your baby's passport photo ready.
The requirements for passport photos are the same no matter what age you are. The gist is that your baby must be facing the camera with both eyes open. I put down a white sheet and took my daughter's photo from above, then used Walgreens' passport photo service to crop and print the image. The Walgreens team member who printed out my child's photo even helped by Photoshopping out the wrinkles in the white sheet I used as the backdrop. This was by far the hardest part of the process, so if you live near a passport acceptance facility that will take the photo for you (some do, so call or go online to find out), consider availing yourself of that option.
4. Make an appointment, if necessary.
Find a local passport agency, post office, or another authorized facility that accepts passport applications. Some accept walk-ins, while others require an appointment. Both parents or guardians must be present with the infant, but if that's impossible, the parent not in attendance must fill out and submit a notarized DS-3053 consent form and a photocopied ID. The Department of State provides other options when one parent can't be located or has no legal authority and when neither parent can be present.
Related: Here's How Long It Takes to Renew a Passport
5. Submit the application and pay in person.
Once an agent confirms that the baby in the photo is indeed yours and staples the photo to the form, you'll sign the DS-11 and provide two separate payments — a $100 check made out to the U.S. Department of State and a $35 acceptance fee that you pay the agency. If you want a passport card instead of a book, the fee is $15 instead of $100. The acceptance fee is the same whether you purchase a book, card, or both. If you want an expedited passport, it's an extra $60 (plus an additional $21.36 if you want the completed passport shipped to you within a day or two of issuance).
6. Wait for your baby's passport to come in the mail.
The processing time is six to eight weeks, not including mailing times. Expedited processing takes between two and three weeks. Either way, you can track the application status. One excellent use of that wait? Dream big about how you'll break in baby's brand-new passport.
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