Becoming a parent comes with a whole host of questions and queries in every aspect of your life, not least when it comes to travel**! Arranging for your baby first passport so that you can start traveling as a family is likely to be on top of a lot of frequent travelers lists.**
Discovering how to get a passport for baby is something you should get on top of as soon as possible, even if you don't have any immediate plans for traveling. It will mean that you won't need to rush the process when you do travel and are in a better position to snap up any last-minute deals that you happen to come across.
Read below to discover your complete guide to applying for a USA baby passport.
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How do You Apply for your Babys First Passport?
When working out how to get a passport for baby, you will find that if you prepare in good time and have all of your documents in order the experience is actually quite straightforward and seamless.
What Do You Need to Apply for a USA Baby Passport?
Before you can apply for your baby first passport, you will need to pull together some supporting documents.
Your baby's birth certificate (which serves as proof of your baby's United States passport.) Please note, this should have been sent to you a few weeks after your baby's birth.
if your child was born outside of the US you will need to provide a Consular Report of Birth Abroad.
- Your child's social security number (if they have one.)
- Copy of the ID of the applying parents (a valid driver's license or your own passport will serve the purpose.)
- Your child's passport photo.
- How to get a Passport for Baby - A Breakdown of the Process
- You will need to apply in person for your baby's first passport and you should make your passport application appointment in good time, as you will usually need to book a few weeks ahead before you are granted a date and time.
- If applicable, both applying parents or legal guardians need to be present to submit the application at a passport acceptance appointment.
- Once you have submitted your application, you can expect to wait between seven to ten weeks for standard processing time. If you decide to go for expedited processing this can be shortened to four to six, or even two weeks.
Once you have received the USA baby passport, it will be valid for a period of five years.
How to Make an Appointment for your Babys First Passport
Your first task is to make your appointment with an acceptance agent at a passport acceptance facility, you will need to apply in person for your babys first passport. You can use this page to check where your nearest facility is. Passport acceptance centers can be in post offices, county clerk offices, and libraries amongst other locations.
Your actual appointment shouldn't take more than about ten minutes if there are no complications. But remember you may need to wait a while based on how busy the acceptance agent is.
Filling Out an Application for a USA Baby Passport
**You will need to complete ** Form DS-11 . You can do this by downloading or printing the form or completing the form online and then printing it. (Please note that if you go for this option you will not be able to make any changes by hand once the form is complete.)
If only one part is able to attend the passport appointment, then the absent parent will need to complete the Form Ds-3053 statement of consent.
Getting a Suitable Photo for your Baby's First Passport
- You will also have to take a passport-sized photo of your baby to submit with the application. The requirements for adult and child passport photos are the same and you must adhere to the following requirements.
- It must be a color photo that was taken within the previous six months.
- It should be a clear image with no filters applied.
- The photo should be taken against a plain white sheet or background.
- You can find more guidelines regarding size and format here.
How to get a Passport for Baby - What are the Costs?
The processing fee for your acceptance appointment will be $35 and can be paid in cash or by credit or debit card.
A USA baby passport card will be $15.
- Your babys first passport book will cost $100.
- If you want to speed the process up you can pay an extra $60 for expedited service.
- You can also choose to pay more to have your babys first passport mailed back by priority mail.
- Check with your passport acceptance facility which methods of payment are suitable before you arrive.
You Can Track the Status of your USA Baby Passport Application
You can use the link here to track the progress of your baby's first passport application. Standard processing should see you receiving your baby's passport in the mail from the US Department of State within seven to ten weeks.
Summary: Applying for Your Babys First Passport - Your Complete Guide
As you can see above, the process for how to get a passport for baby isn't all that complicated. You just need to make sure that you give yourself enough time to apply for your appointment and wait for the process to complete before you start planning for your first trip.
To make sure that you have all the time you need, we suggest applying for your USA baby passport well ahead of time. You could even apply before you have any family trips booked, to make sure you don't run into any trouble when your baby's first vacation abroad comes around.
Make sure that you have all your documents and ID ready for your passport acceptance appointment and you should find that applying for your babys first passport should be a seamless exercise.
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