Passports for toddlers

[mruhaak]

Just wondering if anyone has gotten passports for the young children. It looks like passports will be required after Jan. 1. Is it the same process as it is for adults?

[Onessa]

Passports for children (under 16, I believe) expire in 5 years, rather than 10. They cost a bit less though as well. We got our daughter's just before she was three, and reapplied about two years ago (technically you do not renew a child's passport, you reapply)

 

Paperwork - form is the same, need authorized copy of Birth Certificate.

 

Photo requirements are the same as well.

 

If possible, both parents and child should be there at time of application. If you are a single, you need to have legal documenation that you have sole custody, other parent deceased, etc. If only one parent is available, they will require proof that the other parent is aware and approves.

 

Some officials are fussier than others about the paperwork - call ahead to make certain you have what your office wants.

[merela]

for my almost 6YO DD's 2nd passport. The prices have gone up:

 

 

Information on passport application for minors:

 

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/minors/minors_834.html

 

 

for kids under 16:

 

$40 Passport processing fee

$12 security surcharge

$30 passport office fee (unless you go directly to the main passport office, you can't escape this fee) Usually it's the post office or the city clerk's office.

 

Go here:

 

http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/

 

and type in your zip code and it'll give you a list of passport acceptance offices near you.

 

Like the previous poster said, kids under 16 have 5-year passports, but since there is a 6-month validity (from the expiration date) to all foreign countries and it takes 4-6 weeks for new passport, basically, you'll need to apply for their 2nd passport when the 1st passport have a year to go before expiration.

 

Get back to how to apply for a passport for toddler. The paper work is easy. 1. You'll need to fill out a form (beforehand or fill it out at the passport office).

2. Both parents need to be present, as well as the child, to sign the passport application. But if only one parent can be there, this is what the state department says:

 

A. One parent appears, signs, and submits second parent's notarized statement of consent authorizing passport issuance for the child ( Form DS-3053, Statement of Consent: Issuance of a Passport to a Minor Under Age 14, or a written statement with the same information on a sheet of paper from the non-appearing parent that includes the child's name and date of birth, as well as parent's identification information or a copy of his/her ID may be used for this purpose) or

 

B. One parents appears, signs, and submits primary evidence of sole authority to apply (such as one of the following):

 

* Child's certified U.S. or foreign birth certificate (with translation, if necessary) listing only applying parent; or

* Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240) or Certification of Birth Abroad (Form DS-1350) listing only applying parent; or

* Court order granting sole custody to the applying parent (unless child's travel is restricted by that order); or

* Adoption decree (if applying parents is sole adopting parent); or

* Court order specifically permitting applying parent's or guardian's travel with the child; or

* Judicial declaration of incompetence of non-applying parent; or

* Death certificate of non-applying parent.

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So to make this simple, you will need:

 

1. Passport application form.

2. Two checks: one to the Passport office and the other to the processing agent (the place where you are submitting the application.

3. Both parents need to be present and provide a valid ID (driver's licenses will do).

4. The child's birth certificate

5. TWO passport photos.

 

--------------------

The passport photos are a bit tricky. A lot of photo places won't take a passport photo unless your child can stand on his/her own. But a toddler should be OK. I had trouble with my kids because they were less than a year old and they just didn't listen to command. For my oldest, I just took the photo myself (according to the photo restrictions outlined on the application) and trimmed it to size. But we had white walls and DH had to hold her hoist her up while he lies on the floor.

 

That wasn't an experience I want to repeat, so for my son, we just went to Costco. But they refused initially to take his passport photos because he can't stand on his own (at the time, he just woke up from his nap and wanted mommy to hold him), but later we kind of coerced the baby into standing and the photographer just snapped the photo quickly.

 

Costco has the best passport photo prices around ($5.99 for two) and you get them within 30 minutes. But like I said before, if your child can't (or doesn't want to) stand on his/her own, the photographer may not want to take his/her photo. I would just go back another time and try another Costco photographer.

 

Since toddlers rarely have any photo ID and if you plan to travel outside the US in the next 6 months or so, just get the passport for your child. You won't have any hassles from anyone when you travel. It's worth it.

[mruhaak]

Thanks so much for all the information!!

 

The photos should be no problem for us as my husband is a professional photographer and has had to take photos for people.

 

Getting the three of us to the passport office together will be the biggest challenge. :-)

[Onessa]

. . .Getting the three of us to the passport office together will be the biggest challenge. :-)

 

Better when your child is a toddler than when they start school! We had to wait for over a month for an "early release date" and then get the sitter to meet us downtown at the Post Office - lots of phone calls to get us all there at the same time!

[mruhaak]

I suppose that would be true! The problem in this case is not the toddler... but the busy lives of the parents!

[scottcaps]

We just got our son's new passport a couple of weeks ago for a cruise in October. Besides needing it for travel, it is just good to have that sort of ID for children. It only took about 5 weeks before we recieved it after turning in the application.

 

For the picture, Ritz Camera had no problems taking it for us. My husband just held him up and away enough that my husband was out of the shot.

 

If both parent's can't go to submit the application, there is a consent form that the non-available parent can sign to be turned in with the application. Although the form itself does not say ANYWHERE on it about being notarized, it does indeed have to be notarized. We didn't realize this, and I submitted the form & application at our local post office on a Thursday afternoon, during their posted passport hours. Luckily, it is a very small post office, and she went ahead and took the application, checked my ID, looked at my son, and took the checks. She just held the application till my husband could come in on Saturday during normal counter hours to show his ID and sign the application in her presence. I doubt many post offices will be that nice about it, though.

[CASkippr]

We obtained a passport for our youngest daughter when she was just a few weeks old. The photo is not on of her finest...she was not in a good mood and was screaming. We get comments on it everytime we pass through customs. :)

 

We made an appointment at our local post office to complete the application. It worked out very well since we were able to book a time that worked into our schedules and we didn't have to wait at all.

[skoolmom]

Our three year old's passport picture is the worst! He kept sticking out his tongue! :eek: Before getting the passport, we had gone to the DMV (Driver's License) and bought a photo ID for him. He was so little (2 months old)- we had to fudge his weight and height as the computer wouldn't allow us to put in less than 20 pounds or 30 inches! We used it when we went to resorts out of the country (before we discovered cruising!)

 

Different post offices have different rules about getting passports. Ours doesn't do appointments but has certain hours. We also had our post master do the photos right there. It simplified things. We applied for the passport on August 1st and it arrived September 1st. Both parents had to sign for it. This is different from the last time I got passports for my other boys.

 

A recent visit to the passport web site shows the date for mandatory passports has been change. And there are different dates for air, sea, or car travel. Most are December 31, 2006.

 

Personally I prefer to have passports for the boys and 5 of my 6 travel on civilian passports. The oldest travels Military but it looks like he will need a civilian passport on top of his military for private trips.

 

I know it's a pain to have to reapply every five years but if you plan to travel- it's best to have it on hand.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Our daughter got her first passport at age 3, back in 2000. I don't think she even came with me to the post office to process it.

 

Things have changed since then. Now both parents have to come with the child to renew. Checked out the requirements on the passport agency's website. Had hubby taken photo of her on the digital camera and it took him several tries to print out according to the instructions (eyes have to fall at a certain point, head has to be a certain size, etc). Our local post office does process passports but you have to be in line by 3pm. We could have gone on a Saturday but we decided we'll just take her out of school a half hour early (I just said she had an appt.) and we got there in plenty of time. We thought.

 

There was one woman in front of us but she was having a major problem: her expedited application had been sent to the NO office which of course is not in operation. So now she needed another application sent but she didn't want to pay for another expedited order. It took about a half hour before she gave up (the clerk had been on the phone with the main office all this time) and decided to pay the fee again.

 

Finally it was our turn. The clerk commented that our photos might get rejected because of the quality. She also said that it shouldn't take long -- maybe 6 weeks to get processed on a regular basis. So we paid for the regular basis and kept our fingers crossed that we won't have to get new photos. As it turned out, it took three weeks and she's now official for five years.

[rkmnw4]

We are cruising Carnival Liberty (in and out of Miami) in 2 weeks and I was told by the Carnival rep at booking that a birth certificate would be fine for my 2 and 3 year old. But as I prepare for this trip I keep seeing now that a passport is needed... Can anyone tell me if I will be ok with just their birth certificates?!?! (my husband and I do have passports)THANKS for your help!

[Essiesmom]

You will be fine with birth certificates, as long as it is a closed loop cruise (leaves from and returns to same port) and the BC is official, not the souvenir from the hospital. EM

[cherylandtk]

?....But as I prepare for this trip I keep seeing now that a passport is needed....

;) That's because you happened to pick up on a SIX YEAR old thread, and the rules have been modified since they were first proposed. Here is the link to the current rule:

 

http://getyouhome.gov/html/lang_eng/eng_sa.html

[rkmnw4]

Perfect, thanks for your help!