Child Passport: What Do You Need To Know?

If you need to get a child passport for your son or daughter, you need to know what the rules are for applying. All children, even infants, need to have a passport for traveling abroad. There are extra requirements if the child is between 16 and 18.

Minors below 16 years of age need to apply for passports with both parents/guardians present. You must show proof of the child's citizenship, which will be returned. Among the documents you can use for proof are an U. S. Passport which is not damaged, a certificate of birth, abroad or in the U. S., and either a citizenship or naturalization.

It will be necessary to prove the relationship of the parents or guardians to the minor. Acceptable proof is a birth certificate, either U.S. or foreign, which has both parents' names, an adoption decree listing the adopting parents, or a court order which establishes guardianship or custody.

If there are documents which are in a language other than English, they will need to be translated. This translation can be done either informally or formally. These translations, as well as the originals, need to be submitted with the application for the passport.

You cannot use previously issued passports to prove your relationship with the child. If a name has been changed since the issuing of the original documents, you need to submit proof of that legal change. For example, you can submit a copy of your marriage certificate. Also, current identification must be shown by the parents or guardians, like a driver's license, an undamaged US Passport, a naturalization certificate, or a military/government ID.

Both parents need to consent for a child below 16 years of age to get a passport. They must appear with the child when making the application. If they are not both able to appear, at least one must go as the form needs to be signed in front of the passport agent. Meanwhile, a Statement of Consent for the other parent must be turned in. This form needs to be notarized within the last three months.

If custody is held by one parent, the application needs to be signed by that parent in front of a passport agent. The parent must appear with the minor and prove that he or she has sole authority. Some documents that can establish proof are certificates of birth (U.S. or foreign) or consular reports of birth abroad which list just the one parent’s name. Other types of proof can be an adoption decree, a declaration of incompetence, a court order, or death certificate of the absent parent.

If need be, a third person may make the application for the child's passport. Said person needs to appear with a statement from both of the parents or the guardians, which must be notarized. In the case of sole custody, proof should be supplied, as well.

Besides the application and evidence for identification, custody, and relationship, you must supply two photos and pay a fee. If the child is between 16 and 18, he or she will also need to show a photo id. If none is available, the photo identification of the parents or guardians can be substituted. Whichever is used, a copy must also be submitted with the application. As with any passport, a child passport should be applied for before it is a necessity.