Knowing What To Bring With You For A Passport For Kids Application

It used to be a trust issue for children to travel in the United States and abroad to a certain age level. However, now with increased security and issues of child welfare, all travelers of any age are required to have photo identification when traveling within the United States and also a passport if traveling outside of the country. Even to Canada and Mexico you will need a child passport, even for an infant.

It is not that difficult to get a child passport. You just need to be prepared ahead of time before you go in and apply for one. You will only need to renew a children’s passport every five years and the photo can be added every six months to update, as your child will change in their look as they grow.

Your children’s legal birth certificate will be needed. It needs to be the actual certificate with the seal and not a copy or the little card that you may have. They will submit it with the application so know this in advance. You will get it back but you might want more than one copy so you have one on hand while they keep it.

You will also need proof that you are the parent. You will need to prove this with a birth certificate or custody papers if it is an adoption. If one parent is not present and both have custody you will need a notarized signature on a form you get from the post office or download online of the absent parent. If you have sole custody and the other parent is not in the picture you will need your signed court documents to prove it when applying for a passport for your child.

Also will be needed is your child’s social security number. It is put on the DS-11 application you can get from the post office or print from an online source. Bring the card with you when you go to apply just in case.

You will also need identification for yourself as the parent. A passport, driver’s license or military identification is an example of the accepted forms of identification that is accepted. You can also look online at their official site for all of the accepted forms of proper identification.

Many sites will take your photo but you can also bring your own. You just need to meet their requirements. Many photo shops will take a passport photo for you and give you two copies of the picture for the application.

Know that a American passport cost around eighty dollars. Be prepared to pay this fee and extra fees for photos if you need those as well to obtain a child passport. Check the acceptable modes of payment before you arrive to submit the application. Being prepared can make the application process go smoothly for you, the person who works there, and everyone else in line. You can get a childrens passport easily when you are prepared and have all the necessary pieces of legal material needed to submit an application smoothly that will be approved.