Sep 9 2010
Child Passports: Learn About The Rules
If you need to get a childs 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.
Passports for children under 16 must be applied for in person with both parents or guardians present. You must supply proof of American citizenship, which will be returned to you. Acceptable types of proof include a U.S. Or foreign birth certificate, a prior U.S. Passport which is undamaged, or proof of citizenship or naturalization. You must also provide a social security number.
The accompanying parents or guardians need to prove the relationship they have to the child applicant. This proof may be in the form of a foreign or U.S. birth certificate, a decree of adoption, or a court order that establishes guardianship or custody.
If any furnished documents are in another language, they must be translated. It can be formally or informally translated. Both original and English translation must be submitted with the passport application.
Prior U.S. passports may not be used to prove relationship. If a parent or guardian has changed his or her name since any original documents were issued, proof of the legal name change must be submitted. An example of such proof is a copy of a marriage certificate. In addition, both parents/guardians must show current identification such as: undamaged US passport, certificate of naturalization, drivers license, government ID or military ID.
Both parents must consent in order for a minor below 16 years of age to get a passport. Therefore, they must both appear when the application is made along with the minor. If they are not able to appear together, one parent must attend, and submit a notarized Statement of Consent from the absent parent. The consent form must not be older than 3 months.
If complete custody is with only one parent, that parent must go with the minor to the passport agency and sign the form before the agent. Proof of sole authority must also be furnished. This can be a birth certificate or consular report of birth abroad, which lists only the one name. Alternative proof may be an adoption decree, a court order, an incompetence declaration, or a death certificate.
If necessary, a third party may apply for the minors passport. This person must appear with a notarized statement from both parents or guardians. If there is only one parent or guardian, proof of sole custody must also be furnished.
Besides the application and the documents proving your relationship, custody, and identification, two passport-sized photos and the application fee must be provided. Minors between 16 and 18 should bring photo identification. If they do not have any, the parents or the guardians must show their photo id. Whatever identification is used, a copy must be submitted. It is a smart idea to apply for the minor passport before you really need it, as is the case with all passports.
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