Passport for an Infant

[notentirelynormal]

We live in the L.A. area and need to get a passport for a 1 month old. Does anyone have experience in this? Who will do the picture and how did you keep the head up to take the picture. We did it for my 9 MO GS, but he could sit up and even then Costco was the only one we could find to do it and they were reluctant. Since then though passports are required for everyone so I'm hoping there is hope on getting this done.

[Paleochick]

When I was calling around about passports for my 1yo, one store said they would remove the white background from the wall and put it on the floor if they had to. They would have stood over my baby to take the photo. We didn't need that since my baby sat in the chair. Call around...try Kinkos, AAA, ...

 

Actually, since you have to go to the passport office anyway, have them take the photo. Make sure they photograph kids first.

[NoelsCat]

AAA took the picture of our two month with a sheet over his carseat carrier. Our cousins had their baby's picture taken laying flat on a white background.

 

Don't worry!! It can be done. :)

[notentirelynormal]

We'll check out AAA tomorrow! Never thought of the car seat. We'll let you know if that works.

[Eclipsepearl]

My children were born in France so we applied for their American passports immediately after birth (American citizens cannot enter the U.S. on any other passport).

 

The Consulate gave me the name of a place which used a bouncey chair to take the picture. I think it works better than a carseat because you can cover it more smoothly with a white sheet. It has to have a white background and make sure you can see both ears and that the eyes are open. Don't accept any photo which doesn't.

 

The French didn't accept her picture for my daughter's French nationality card. I jumped into a photobooth and did it myself there in the building. She could hold her head up by then but you can see my hand a little on the bottom of the photo and she's all scrunched up. I was actually holding her up to take the photo. She has this funny "What the heck is my mom doing to me?" look on her face. This is not recommended ;)

 

It isn't so easy with a newborn. One girlfriend had the picture taken of her newborn after popping the bottle out of his mouth, right before he let out a wail. Just getting them to look without crying is a challenge.

 

Although I know of people who have done these pictures themselves with a digital camera, I didn't dare. If you're resourceful, it might work...

 

Good luck!

[notentirelynormal]

Too funny. I told my DD we can just grab my GD firmly around the back of the neck and hold her up and then right when they snap the picture just let go so our hand isn't in the picture. She was horrified. Thought I was really gonna do it.... like I would drop a one month old. It will be a challenge just to get a picture with her eyes open though - she's only three weeks old right now. But with the delaly in getting passports and the fact that we'll be cruising in March we have to get on it, since we also need a visa. I guess they are going to have to come up with some solution for infants if they want them to have passports.

[Debbers]

When my friend needed a passport for her newborn, the mother covered herself in a white sheet and held the baby against the white background. It probably looked very odd in the studio, but the picture met the requirements and the baby was safe.

[live4vacation]

Try going directly to the passport office to get the picture taken that way they determine on site if the picture is going to work or not. We went to our local post office and it worked out great! Check out the offices below

and it will tell you if they have photo onsite or not. Good luck.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

[sas80]

We did ours at a CVS, or Walgreens (cant remember which)

 

They actually had us put the white sheet behind his head, and smooth out as many wrinkles, while he was sitting in the car seat. Take a few shots and pick the best set out of the ones you get. Be sure to send in two of the same shot.

[cruisewith2kids]

Just wanted to remind you that there are some new rules on kid's passports. Both parents need to be present or one parent needs to sign a special form giving consent for the passport. If you can't both make it to the passport office, you can download the forms on the passport website.

 

My son's first passport photo was taken at just a couple of weeks old. I took him to AAA. He screamed and screamed and so his first passport has a photo of him screaming. Every time we went through passport controls, the agent would see the picture and laugh. :)

[notentirelynormal]

Forgot about the both parents thing, thanks for the reminder... and I can just imagine the screaming photo, too funny!

[sharktums]

We live in Valencia, CA and did this for our 6 week old back in April. (it took that long to get the Birth Certificate and SS Card!)

 

Our local post office (Main Post Office for Santa Clarita) does the pictures and all the forms right there. The baby stayed in her car seat, and we put a white burp cloth behind her. That was it! We chose the expedited service since we were going to Spain 6 weeks later and got the passport in 3 weeks.

[notentirelynormal]

Well, I guess that's one good thing that came out of everyone needing a passport. 1-1/2 short years ago we had a heck of a time getting my 1 YO GS's passport picture taken. No one wanted to do it because of his age - and that included the post office/passport section.

[hooked-on-travel]

We applied for my 2 y/o's passport 2 weeks ago. We got it yesterday. We didn't pay for expidited anything. I think it just went quickly b/c her forms were in order, she had no criminal record, we are only going to Canada (in May!), and we got very lucky. GOOD LUCK!

 

As a word of warning, if you go to the post office to apply, make sure you don't fill out your check ahead of time. They will want two checks. One for themselves for processing it and another for the passport fee and security fee for the passport office. We had our check written out for the whole amount (and it was the last check in our check book...and we hadn't noticed before going to the post office), so we had to try again the next day (since I only got a lunch hour to run to the post office and it took long enough the first day that there wasn't time to try again.) Anyway, either write out two checks or don't write anything ahead of time...you can be TOO prepared.

[PINKY&THE BRAIN]

We Had Problems At The Post Office With Them Trying To Take The Pic. Finally I Went Home With The Form, Used A White Sheet On A Chair (laying Him On The Ground On The White Sheet Is One Of The Many Unsuccessful Poses They Tried) And Played With Multiple Pictures And Photosmart Until I Got One That Fit Their Parameters-

 

For Future Reference- It Is Easier To Take A Pic From Further Away And Crop To Get The Right Size Of The Whole Face.

 

Have Fun!!!!

[TropicalSnowflake]

I don't know why anyone would make it so difficult as trying to keep the baby's head UP...

 

I took my 4 week old to the Mailboxes Etc. We laid him on the floor with a white board behind him. The lady stood over him and took the picture. It looked just like he was standing up. It was perfect.

 

Of course, then it took 17 WEEKS from the time we applied to get the passport back in the mail from the Government,

 

but I digress....