If you’re traveling overseas with your family, the following information on passport services for children will help you secure the documents you need to take your kids on an international adventure.
If I’m traveling outside the US, does my child need a passport?
In most cases, yes. Even infants need a passport to travel outside of the country. The only exception is for children under the age of 16 traveling by land or sea between countries covered by the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and most Caribbean nations). Here, children under 16 traveling can use a birth certificate or other proof of citizenship to re-enter the US through a port or a land border crossing. However, if you’re traveling internationally by plane, your child needs a passport even if you’re only going to Mexico or Canada.
How Do I Get a Passport for My Child?
Passport service for children is somewhat different than passport service for adults. Children must apply for passport services in person. Like adults, children must fill out the US passport application form DS-11 and provide proof of citizenship. However, in most cases both parents must consent before a child can be issued a passport. So, there are extra steps that need to be taken when applying for a child’s passport, depending on the circumstances:
- Both parents can appear with the child to submit form DS-11. Both parents must have identification, and you must bring proof of your relationship to the child, such as a birth certificate or court order granting guardianship. The proof of relationship should have both parents’ names on it.
- One parent can appear in person with ID and proof of relationship, and bring a notarized copy of Form DS-3053 signed by the other parent.
- If you have sole legal custody, you can appear in person with ID, proof of relationship, and legal evidence that you have sole legal custody of the child in question.
- Have a third party appear with the child with a notarized statement from both parents authorizing the third party to apply for a passport for their child.
- 16 and 17-year-olds can use either their own photo ID or their parents’ photo ID if they don’t have any of their own.
- You must also submit 2 acceptable passport photos of the child.
- Pay the $85.00 passport fee to get a passport book for minors under 16. Expedited service through the government is available for an additional $60.00, and can cut your wait time to 2 weeks.
If you need to get expedited passport services for your child, your best bet is to use a private passport expediting company. Companies like RushMyPassport.com work with the government to get your child’s passport application processed quickly. If necessary, we can get your child a passport in as little as 24 hours!
Tags: child passports, passport application
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Don’t you need a passport for travel to mexico now (for a child or
January 21st, 2009 at 6:11 pmanyone for that matter..?) I saw this was posted on the 5th of 2009…
Hi, and thanks for your question!
Currently, you don’t need a passport to travel to Mexico if you’re traveling by land or sea. You do need a passport if you’re flying. However, the second phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel initiative is set to go into effect on June 1, 2009. Once it does, all adults traveling to Mexico by land or sea will also need to have passports. However, at this time, the government is saying that children under the age of 16 traveling with adults will still be able to use birth certificates or other proof of citizenship to travel to Mexico by land or sea after June 1, 2009. They will need passports if they are traveling by air, just like they do now. For more information about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, go to this page: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html
That being said, if you’re traveling out of the country with your children, it’s best to go ahead and get them passports. That way, you’re covered if you have to fly home with them unexpectedly!
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:54 amHello my name is Elijah Jeong and I have a unusual circumstance for my child.
I live in Korea with my life due to my work, and my children live over in Seattle.
My youngest child who is 13, his passport expired this year. This summer we are going to probably going to need him to come out due to his grandmother being ill, and probably the last time he will be able to see her. Both me and my wife due to work and taking care of my mother will not be able to take the trip to the United States. Is there any other way to get the passport?
Like can I get something notarized from Korea, for both parents will it work?
January 29th, 2009 at 8:00 pmHi Elijah,
First of all, I’m so sorry your mother isn’t well! I definitely understand needing to get your son to Korea to see her. To get his passport renewed, you’ll need to have someone take him to a passport acceptance facility to apply for a new passport in person. Have them bring a notarized written statement or affidavit from both you and your wife. The statement should give the person who is taking him to the acceptance facility permission to apply for his passport on your behalf. As long as the person who takes him has a notarized statement from both parents, he shouldn’t have any problems getting a new passport.
February 2nd, 2009 at 10:43 am[...] Obtaining a passport for a child under the age of 16 is a little bit more time-consuming than obtaining a passport for an adult, because both parents have to provide consent. This link will give you more details about obtaining a child passport. [...]
February 25th, 2009 at 12:18 pm[...] both parents are unable to appear at the acceptance agency to give consent, read this post on getting a child passport to learn about other options for meeting the parental consent [...]
March 17th, 2009 at 12:32 pm[...] from the absent parent, or evidence that the parent who brought the child in has sole custody (see Passport Services for Children for a list of what the US Passport Agency will [...]
April 3rd, 2009 at 1:35 pmHi.i like to know.how i can travle out of country wid my 3 years old
June 7th, 2009 at 2:44 amdaughter .coz her father not respond me,n he not ler my sign the passpor
.so pls tell me what is the any legal way in which i can trval wid my
3 yars old dauthter.with out sign her father.,becoz we not live togther
he have other marrige.,now.
so pls tell me what is any passible way
will wait for u fast rply
Best regard,.
Omee
Hi
June 7th, 2009 at 2:53 amim USA CITIZEN.I LIVE WID MY 3 YEARS OLD DAUGTHER,MY EX-HUSBAND
GOT OTHER MARRIGE N LIVE WID HER,
SO I LIKE TO KNOW,HOW I CAN TREVAL OUT OF COUNTRY WID MY 3 YRERS OLD DAUGTHER
COZ HER FATHER NOT SIGEN MY PASSPORT.
SO PLS TELL ME WHAT IS FASTEST N EASY WAY TO TRVEL WID MY DAUTHER
BEST REGARDS,.
OHNI
Hi Ohni,
Well, it depends. Do you have sole custody? If you have sole legal custody, just bring the court order that granted you custody in when you apply for her passport. If you don’t have sole legal custody, you can try to get a court order specifically permitting you to travel. For more information, check out the US Department of State’s webpage: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/minors/minors_834.html
Best of luck to you!
June 9th, 2009 at 12:10 pmhi im only 16 years old and im illgitimate child i just went here like lastt year im immigrant and my father is american citizen,can i apply for us passport??
thanks.
July 16th, 2009 at 12:47 amHello,
My children (14 and 12 yrs. old), both US passport Holder will be travelling to US from Canada with their Maternal Grand Mother, who is a Canadian Citizen. If we provided a consent letter to them, will that be enough for the immigration officer or border security to not question my children or their grand mother. My wife and I will not be able to go with them due to our work load at this time. Please advise. Thanks in advance.
Vilour
July 29th, 2009 at 12:15 pmMy friend had a boyfriend for a few years and she got pregnant. She put her boyfriends last name and afew weeks later, he stop helping her. She moved to Maryland where her brothers are staying. She has all the records of the immunization of the child and the WIC documents that she sighns. She also has all the medical records and just proff that she is takeing good care of her daughter. The daughters father dont do nothing for her or the child. She wants to send her daughter over seas to see her grandma. The passport agincy told her that she needs the fathers signature, but the problim is that the father dosn’t want her daughter to get a passport, besides he lives all the way in California and she lives in Maryland. What can she do to get her daugher a US Passport. The child was born in California and she has the birth Certificat and all the documents needed. How can I help my friend on the whole passport issue.
August 1st, 2009 at 5:23 pmhi im 16 now, but when i go on a cruise its just to the western part of the caribbean and me and my friend were wondering if we need a passport for just around the caribbean
August 10th, 2009 at 6:03 pmHello,
August 19th, 2009 at 2:20 pmI am planning to take my 14 year old daughter to Jamaica in October.
I have had sole custody since the day she was born.
I was informed that her father who is in her life and does pay minimal
support would need to sign agreeing to get her pasport. Is this true?
He is reluctant to do so. Since I have sole custody is his signature
truely needed? Thank You.
@ Kalee-it depends on whether your cruise is a “closed-loop cruise.” If your cruise ends in the same American port it began in, then you can just use photo ID and a birth certificate. If it ends in a different port than it started from, you need a passport or a passport card.
@ Chris- If your friend has been given sole custody of the child in court, she can submit documentation of that. If she doesn’t have that, she can try submitting a signed, notarized copy of form DS-3053 stating why she cannot get the father’s consent.
@Vilour, according to US Embassy Canada, that should be fine, but make sure both you ands your wife sign it. For more information: http://www.consular.canada.usembassy.gov/enter_canada.asp
@Kristina-If you are a US citizen, you can apply for a passport.
August 19th, 2009 at 2:37 pmcan my 10-year old sign his own passport?
November 13th, 2009 at 6:08 amHi Lily,
Yes, just make sure you have all of the correct documents.
November 19th, 2009 at 9:42 pmI would like to get passports for my child. Though i was told I need to have both parents signatures on the application. The problem is the father’s name is not on the birth certicate and i have no contact with him in several years. What can i do to get a passport for my child?
January 22nd, 2010 at 8:17 amIf the birth certificate only lists you, you can just bring a certified copy of the birth certificate with you. See the Department of State’s page on passport services for children.
January 27th, 2010 at 3:45 pmThe clerk at the post office told me my son would never be allowed to obtain a passport with his buio fathers consent. The father is listed on birth certificate. However, he left the state in 2002, never heard from him, no support from him, we were never married. I have no idea where he’s at. I do have a letter from a lawyer indicating in 2002 we looked for him (I was changing my son’s last name to mine). However, I have nothing stating I have sole custody. I filled out a DS-3053 as well and has been notarized. Can my son still be denied a passport? Is there something I else I could do?
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:23 pmThank you!!
Hi Andi,
Filling out Form DS-3053 was the right thing to do. It’s up to the Department of State now. The only other thing you could do would be to go to court and either get sole legal custody or just get a court order permitting your son to travel. If they turn down the DS-3053, you might try that.
Hope that helps!
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:36 pmHi,
I want to get my passport just to have. I was first issued a passport when I was six years old. So, it expired when I was eleven. My father has since misplaced it. Should I check the box that says I was issued a passport?
Also… since I am sixteen years old, do I need my parents to go with me to get my passport? Or can I go by myself?
February 11th, 2010 at 5:32 amHi Stephanie,
Go ahead and check the box that says you’ve been issued a passport, and fill out Form DS-64: Statement Regarding a Lost or Stolen Passport in addition to your passport application. Yes, if you’re 16 you do still a parent to go with you.
February 21st, 2010 at 5:12 pm