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Child & newborn passport answers

Child Passport FAQs

Clear answers on getting a U.S. passport fast for a child or newborn: parent consent, Form DS-3053, documents, photos and fees, backed by official State Department sources.

Reviewed by Philip Diack, Founder· Updated October 22, 2026· 32 questions· Official sources linked

Your child passport: speed & price
+ $186.87 government fee for a child’s passport, plus the $35 acceptance fee paid where you sign
Business days, from when we receive your documents
Start my child passport →
Since 1992500K+ travelers servedPrivate company, not a government agency
Child passport questions: quick answers
How fast can I get a passport for my child?
With us, as fast as 3-4 Days, counted in business days from when we receive your signed application.
Full answer ↓
Does a newborn need a passport to travel?
Yes, for any international flight. Every U.S. citizen, including a newborn, needs their own passport to fly abroad.
Full answer ↓
Do both parents need to be there for a child’s passport?
Usually, yes. For a child under 16, both parents or legal guardians appear in person with the child.
Full answer ↓
How much is a passport for a minor?
Three parts: our service fee (Emergency $449, Rush $349, Priority $249, Essential $199), the government fee ($186.87) and a $35 acceptance fee where you sign.
Full answer ↓
What documents do I need for a child’s passport?
The child’s certified birth certificate, each parent’s photo ID, photocopies, one photo and the unsigned DS-11.
Full answer ↓
How does your child passport service work?
Order online, sign in person with your child in about 15 minutes, send it to us, and we do the rest.
Full answer ↓
Do it yourself
Fill in Form DS-11, gather both parents’ consent and IDs, sign in person with your child and wait. Routine processing currently takes 4–6 weeks, or 2–3 weeks expedited, plus shipping each way.
Let us handle it
We prepare your child’s DS-11 and check the birth certificate, parent consent and photo before you sign. You sign in person with your child, send it to us, and our courier takes it to a passport agency, as fast as 3-4 Days.
Let us handle my child passport →
From $199 + government fee

How fast can you get a child passport?

How fast can I get a passport for my child?

With us, as fast as 3-4 Days, counted in business days from when we receive your signed application.

Our speeds are Emergency 3-4 days, Rush 6 days, Priority 8 days, Essential 12 days, the same as for adults. Every speed includes preparing the DS-11, checking the documents and consent before you sign, courier submission to a passport agency and tracked overnight return.

How long does a child passport take right now?

The State Department currently quotes 4–6 weeks routine or 2–3 weeks expedited, plus shipping time each way.

Child applications take the same time as adult ones. Through us, your child’s application is couriered to a passport agency instead, as fast as 3-4 Days.

How far ahead should I renew my child’s passport?

As soon as you book a trip, check the expiry date: a child passport lasts only 5 years.

Many countries require at least 6 months of validity left when you arrive. If your child’s passport expires within about 9 months of a trip, apply for a new one now. With an expedited service it takes days, not weeks.

Can I get my child’s passport in a few days for an urgent trip?

Often, yes. Our fastest speed, Emergency Expedited, returns it in 3-4 Days from when we receive the application.

Have the certified birth certificate and both parents’ IDs or consent ready, sign in person, and send it to us the same day. If you fly very soon, call us at 800-860-8610 before you order so we can tell you honestly what’s possible.

Trip coming up? Our fastest speed gets your child’s passport back in 3-4 Days.See child passport speeds →

Passports for newborns and babies

Does a newborn need a passport to travel?

Yes, for any international flight. Every U.S. citizen, including a newborn, needs their own passport to fly abroad.

For land or sea travel to Canada or Mexico, U.S. children under 16 can usually use a birth certificate instead. A baby can’t travel on a parent’s passport.

How do I get a passport for my newborn?

With Form DS-11, in person, like any child under 16.

You need your baby’s certified birth certificate, both parents’ photo IDs (or a notarized consent form from a parent who can’t come) and a passport photo of your baby. We prepare the form and check everything, you sign it in person with your baby present in about 15 minutes, then you send it to us and our courier takes it to a passport agency.

What is the fastest way to get a passport for a newborn?

Order the certified birth certificate first, then use an expedited service.

Your baby needs a certified copy from the state or county vital records office, not the souvenir certificate from the hospital. Once you have it, we prepare the DS-11, you sign in person with your baby, and our fastest speed returns the passport in 3-4 Days from when we receive it.

How soon after birth can a baby get a passport?

As soon as you have the baby’s certified birth certificate; there’s no minimum age.

The birth certificate is usually what takes longest, so order it as soon as the birth is registered. Some states can expedite certified copies.

How do I take a passport photo of a newborn?

Lay your baby on a plain white or off-white sheet and take the photo from directly above.

No hands, toys or pacifier in the picture, and your baby must be the only person in the photo, facing the camera. For newborns, it’s acceptable if their eyes aren’t fully open. We check the photo before you sign so it doesn’t hold up the application.

New baby and a trip ahead? We check the birth certificate, consent and photo before you sign.Start my baby’s passport →

Parent consent for a child passport

Do both parents need to be there for a child’s passport?

Usually, yes. For a child under 16, both parents or legal guardians appear in person with the child.

If one parent can’t come, there are approved alternatives: a notarized consent form, proof of sole custody, or a death certificate. The child must always be there in person.

What if one parent can’t come?

They sign Form DS-3053, the Statement of Consent, in front of a notary.

The parent who can’t come also provides a copy of the front and back of their photo ID. The parent who attends brings both with the application. We check the consent form before you sign so it doesn’t get the application sent back.

What is Form DS-3053?

The Statement of Consent a parent signs when they can’t attend their child’s passport signing.

It must be signed in front of a notary, ideally close to when you apply, and sent with a copy of that parent’s photo ID. A consent form that isn’t notarized, or is missing the ID copy, is one of the most common reasons child applications are held up.

What if the other parent isn’t on the birth certificate?

If you’re the only parent listed on the birth certificate, you can apply alone with it.

The birth certificate itself shows you’re the only legal parent on record, so no consent form is needed. Bring your own photo ID and a photocopy of it.

What if I have sole custody or the other parent has died?

Include the court order granting you sole legal custody, or the other parent’s death certificate.

Either document replaces the other parent’s consent. It must be an original or certified copy. Tell us your situation when you order and we’ll confirm exactly which document to send.

We’re divorced or separated. What do we need?

Both parents still consent, unless a court order gives one parent sole legal custody.

Either both of you attend, or the parent who can’t come signs a notarized Form DS-3053. If your custody order gives you sole legal custody, it replaces the other parent’s consent; joint custody still needs both.

Consent is where child applications go wrong. We check yours before you sign.Start my child’s passport →

Child passport cost and fees

How much is a passport for a minor?

Three parts: our service fee (Emergency $449, Rush $349, Priority $249, Essential $199), the government fee ($186.87) and a $35 acceptance fee where you sign.

Our service fee depends on the speed you choose. The government fee goes to the U.S. Department of State and already includes its expedite fee and 1–2 day return delivery. You see our fee and the government fee before you pay.

What is the government fee for a child passport?

For a child’s passport book with expedited service, it’s $186.87, plus the $35 acceptance fee.

It’s made up of the State Department’s $100 application fee for children under 16, its $60 expedite fee and its 1–2 day return delivery fee. The $35 acceptance fee is paid where you sign.

Do I pay separately for each child?

Yes. Each child has their own application, so each has its own fees.

Families can still sign together in one visit, and we handle every child’s application at the same time, at the same speed.

Our fee and the government fee are shown separately before you pay.See my child passport price →

Child passport documents and photo

What documents do I need for a child’s passport?

The child’s certified birth certificate, each parent’s photo ID, photocopies, one photo and the unsigned DS-11.

Bring the birth certificate (or Consular Report of Birth Abroad or naturalization certificate) with a photocopy; each parent’s photo ID with a photocopy of the front and back; Form DS-3053 if a parent can’t attend; one passport photo of your child; and a copy of your trip itinerary. We prepare the DS-11 and check the rest.

What ID do the parents need?

A valid photo ID for each parent who attends, such as a driver’s license or passport, plus a photocopy.

A parent who isn’t a U.S. citizen can use their foreign passport as ID. A parent who doesn’t attend sends a copy of their ID with the notarized Form DS-3053.

Does my child need their own ID?

No. For children under 16, the parents’ IDs and the birth certificate are enough.

If your child already has an ID, such as a previous passport, bring it too. It can help, but it isn’t required.

How do we prove we’re the child’s parents?

Usually the child’s birth certificate, which lists both parents.

If it doesn’t, an adoption decree or a court order establishing custody or guardianship works. If a parent’s name has changed since the birth, bring the marriage certificate or court order linking the names.

Will I get my child’s birth certificate back?

Yes. The birth certificate is returned to you, sometimes separately from the passport.

Don’t worry if they arrive in different envelopes. The State Department returns original citizenship documents after processing.

We check every document and the photo before you sign, so nothing comes back.Get my documents checked →

How our child passport service works

How does your child passport service work?

Order online, sign in person with your child in about 15 minutes, send it to us, and we do the rest.

First, tell us about your child and choose your speed. Second, we prepare the DS-11 and tell you exactly which parent documents you need. Third, you sign in person with your child, then send the application to us with our prepaid label. Our courier takes it to a passport agency and the passport comes back by tracked overnight delivery.

What do you do, and what do we do?

We prepare, check, submit and track. You sign in person with your child and send the application to us.

We prepare the DS-11 and check the birth certificate, both parents’ IDs or consent form, and the photo. You attend the signing with your child, which takes about 15 minutes, and send everything to us with our prepaid overnight label. Approval is always the State Department’s decision.

Where do we sign our child’s application?

At a passport acceptance facility, such as a post office, county clerk’s office or public library.

Your child must be there in person, along with both parents or the attending parent and the consent documents. Leave the DS-11 unsigned: parents sign it in front of the acceptance agent; children under 16 don’t sign.

Can we get passports for the whole family at once?

Yes. Each person has their own application, but we handle them together, at the same speed.

Adults who can renew use Form DS-82 with no in-person step; children and first-time adults sign their DS-11s in the same visit. Tell us everyone who needs a passport when you order.

We prepare the DS-11 and check everything before your family’s 15-minute signing.Start my child’s passport →

Child passport renewals, teens and travel

Can I renew my child’s passport?

Not with a renewal form. Every new passport for a child under 16 is a fresh Form DS-11, signed in person.

It works at the same speeds as any other passport with us, and we prepare the form for you. The same consent rules apply each time.

My child is 16 or 17. Which form do they need?

At 16 or 17 they get a 10-year adult passport.

If their last passport was issued before they turned 16, they apply in person with Form DS-11, and a parent should show awareness, for example by coming along or giving a signed note with a copy of their ID. If their last passport was issued at 16 or older, they may be able to renew instead.

Does my child need a passport for a cruise?

Not always. On a closed-loop cruise, U.S. children can generally travel with a birth certificate.

A closed-loop cruise starts and ends at the same U.S. port. A passport is still the safer choice: if your child has to fly home from a foreign port, they can’t board without one. Check your cruise line’s own rules before you sail.

Can my child get a U.S. passport if we’re not U.S. citizens?

Yes, if your child is a U.S. citizen, for example because they were born in the U.S.

The child’s citizenship is what counts. Parents who aren’t U.S. citizens use their own passports as ID and give consent the same way. We can also help with visas for the rest of the family, for any nationality.

Child passport expiring? Every renewal is a new DS-11, and we prepare it for you.Start my child’s passport →
Need your child passport fast?
We prepare your application, check every document before it’s submitted, and courier it to a passport agency, as fast as 3–4 days.
Start my child passport →
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PassportsAndVisas.com is a private company and is not a government agency. Government fees are set by the U.S. Department of State and are shown separately from our service fee.