Summer vacation is almost here and that means family travel season. Once the children finish the school year, they will be eager to embark on a family vacation. If the family is planning to vacation outside of the United States (U.S.), each vacationer must obtain a U.S. Passport. Plan ahead because there are special requirements for those wishing to obtain a passport for minors.
All of the children within the family, no matter their age, must have their own passport and this even includes the infants. The application process must be completed in person with both of the parents or guardians present. This is a requirement for any minor 16 years of age or younger, without exception. The parents or guardians must show proof of their relationship to the minor along with providing a copy of their own identification to submit with the minor’s application.
The parents will need to locate an office that accepts in person passport applications locally and this can be either a Passport Acceptance Facility or a U.S. Regional Passport Office along with any U.S. Consulate or U.S. Embassy office. The minor will need to have with them a completed passport application along with proof of U. S. citizenship. Photo identification, if it is available, will have to be presented for the child and if it is not, then the parent may be required to show theirs and provide a photocopy with the application. Parental consent will either need to be stated on the application or a separate consent form filled out at this time.
As with everything else in life, there is a fee that accompanies the application but the good news is that the minor’s fee is normally lower than an adult fee when applying for a passport. The fee includes a passport charge and a processing charge that will be needed at the time of application. There are different accepted methods of payment at each location and the correct one may be determined once there.
Occasionally, the need arises for an expedited passport and there are several ways to make this happen. The standard government time frame for expediting is 2 to 3 weeks for an additional charge, whereas the private services providers can make this happen in one to two business days if needed. This comes with an additional fee above what the government charges for the passport to be issued.
When applying for a passport for babies, minor applicants must also present two identical color photos of themselves. The photos must meet specific size and quality requirements in order to be considered valid. The requirements may be found online. Some pharmacies provide passport photo services, so check in your local community before paying the extra money to have the photos taken professionally.
Passport renewals for minors fall into two categories, one is if they are still under 16 and the other is if they are over 16 but the passport was issued while they were under the age limit. If the minor is still under 16 when the renewal comes due, they must appear again in person to affect the renewal. Should the minor have passed the age of 16 when the renewal comes up, they are eligible to complete the process by mail. They will be required to fill out the renewal application, return the old passport, pay the fee and again, provide two new pictures in either case.
Any way you look at it, a passport for babies has to be applied for in person if they are under the age of 17. If they were lucky enough to be 16 when their initial passport was issued, then the renewal options are greater by being able to either go online or through the mail. If having the passport expedited is the only option they have due to scheduling, then either the government option or the private services may be utilized, depending on the speed that the passport needs to be returned.
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