This is a complete guide for availing passports for babies in the U.S.
This guide includes
What is a baby passport
Frequently asked questions
How to apply a passport for baby in the U.S.
So if you are someone who wants to get a passport for your baby, this guide is for you. So, let’s dive right in.
A baby passport or child passport is a passport that is given only for children under the age of 16 in the U.S.
Children who travel along with their parents must take their passport as proof to show their identity in other countries.
Children under the age of 11 will not be permitted to travel alone in the U.S.
Once your child reaches the age of 12 (or 15 on some airlines) then, they are considered as a young adult by the carrier but, have to request and in most cases, pay the unaccompanied minor fee.
Note: If these procedures are not proper, then the airlines will not be responsible for your child’s inappropriate actions
Based on the age, a child can travel alone or needs to be accompanied by an adult while travelling in the US. You can use the below table to check if your child can travel or alone or needs to be accompanied.
| Age | Restrictions | Unaccompanied travel Procedure |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | Cannot travel alone | N/A |
| 5 through 7 | Can travel alone on nonstop and through flights | Mandatory |
| 8 through 11 (8 through 14 on some airlines) | Can usually travel alone on any flight | Mandatory |
| Domestic flights 12 through 17 (15 through 17 on some airlines) | Can travel alone on any domestic flight without restrictions | Only on request |
| International flights: 12 through 17 (15 through 17 on some airlines) | Can travel alone , but most carriers require one to follow unaccompanied minor procedures | Required by most carriers. Please check with your airline before booking |
Although these are the age requirements set by the airlines, you as a parent are in the best position to decide whether your child is ready to travel alone.
Frequently asked questions on baby passport
Here are some of the more common questions when it comes to taking the passport for baby in the U.S.
1. Can babies travel without a passport?
No, babies can’t travel without a passport. A valid passport is required when travelling to other countries regardless of age.
Even for domestic travels, a passport card is a must for a baby to travel inside country boundaries.
2. How much it costs for a children passport?
The total cost of the baby passport in the U.S will be around $90 (for both the passport book & the card) and other $35 is added as an execution fee for the passport.
You can also apply only for either a passport book or a card alone ($80 for passport book & $15 for passport card) as per your preferences excluding the execution fee.
3. Documents required to apply for a children passport
Applying for a baby passport in the U.S is very simple the documents which are needed are;
A birth certificate of your child: which should mention the baby’s full name, parent’s full name, date & place of birth, along with the place where the certificate is issued.
Consular report of American birth abroad
The parent of the baby should submit their proof of U.S citizenship such as citizenship certificate.
A pair of your child’s passport photo.
Note: You can’t submit digital evidence of your child as proof of U.S. citizenship such as an electronic birth certificate.
You must submit physical evidence of U.S citizenship and a photocopy of that document.
4. The validity of a baby passport
A U.S baby passport is valid only for 5 years. If the passport is expired or lost during the meantime, then you must renew the passport to travel abroad.
5. Can I take baby passport photo myself?
Yes, you can take a passport photo of your child on your own. But, make sure that you fulfil all the requirements of a baby passport photo. You can get baby passport photo from our website (www.makepassportphoto.com)
6. Can I apply for a baby passport online?
You can either download the DS-11 form or apply online for children passport by filling the DS-11 form online from the travel.state.gov website.
But, should come directly with your child to the passport office for submitting and verifying their document.
How to apply for a passport for baby in the U.S?
Now that we’ve clarified everything about baby passport, we now show the step by step process on how to apply for children passport in the U.S.
Here is the step by step process.
Step 1: Fill in the DS-11 form either by downloading or by online by visiting travel.state.gov website.
Step 2: Provide U.S citizenship evidence by submitting the necessary documents such as a birth certificate of your child and certificate of citizenship also provide a photocopy of these certificates to the government.
Step 3: Show the parental relationship evidence that lists the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of the child. A birth certificate can also be taken as evidence to show the parental relationship.
Step 4: Both the parents/guardians must authorize the issuance of the child’s passport. The best way to do this is for both parents/guardians in person to apply for the passport.
Step 5: You must provide one passport photo of your child along with the application.
Note: The passport photo submitted must not be over 6 months old and should follow the guidelines set by the government.
Step 6: Pay the application fees for the passport.
Step 7: Submit your completed application in the office.
Step 8: Now that you’ve applied the passport for your children you can begin tracking the application after 7-10 business days after submission.
Now we'd like to hear from you
So, now that you learnt about children passport in the U.S. Now we’d like to hear what you have to say:
Is this guide really useful for applying the passport for your child?
Does this guide clarify all your doubt’s you had about baby passport?
Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below right now.
