To get a passport for an infant, both parents bring the baby in person to a passport acceptance facility with a completed Form DS-11, a certified U.S. birth certificate, both parents’ photo IDs, a 2×2 inch passport photo, and $135 for a passport book. Newborns need their own passport for any international trip, and because everyone under 16 is treated as a minor, the process has extra steps adults don’t face.
What to Bring to the Appointment
Start with Form DS-11, the application for first-time passport applicants. Download it from travel.state.gov or pick it up at an acceptance facility. Fill it out in black ink, but leave the signature line blank. You’ll sign in front of the acceptance agent.
For citizenship proof, bring a certified U.S. birth certificate with a registrar’s seal. A photocopy will not work. If your child was born abroad to U.S. citizen parents, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240) or a Certificate of Citizenship takes its place. The original document gets mailed to the State Department with the application and comes back separately from the finished passport, so don’t be alarmed when it leaves the facility with your paperwork.
Both parents need a valid government-issued photo ID. A driver’s license is the usual choice. If yours was issued in a different state from where you’re applying, bring a second photo ID.
The Social Security Number Question
The DS-11 asks for the child’s Social Security number. Most newborns don’t have one yet at the time parents start the passport process. If that’s your case, write 000-00-0000 on the form and attach a signed, dated statement: “I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the following is true and correct: I (or my child) have never been issued a social security number by the Social Security Administration.”1U.S. Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions About Passport Services Acceptance agents see this constantly with newborns and it won’t slow processing.
If your baby already has a Social Security number, put it on the form. Leaving it blank when one exists can trigger a $500 IRS penalty.2U.S. Embassy in Sweden. Information to Applicants Who Do Not Have a Social Security Number
Getting a Usable Passport Photo
The photo must be 2×2 inches, in color, taken within the past six months, against a plain white or off-white background. The State Department’s Foreign Affairs Manual acknowledges that photographing an infant to those standards is genuinely hard and allows some leeway.3U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual. 8 FAM 402.1 – Passport Photographs
What’s specifically allowed for infants:
- The baby’s eyes can be partially or completely closed. Adults must have both eyes open; babies get a pass.
- Some head tilt is fine, and you can prop the baby in a car seat with a white blanket draped behind, or lay them on a white sheet.
- No other faces or hands can appear in the frame. You can support the baby from below or behind the sheet, but you can’t be in the picture.
The easiest setup is usually laying the baby flat on a smooth white sheet near a window for even, natural light. Skip the flash, which throws harsh shadows. Shadows on the face or background are among the most common reasons infant photos get rejected. If the State Department rejects your photo after you’ve submitted the application, you have 90 days to send a corrected one before the application is canceled.
Both Parents Must Appear
Federal regulations require both parents or legal guardians to appear in person and consent to the passport for any child under 16.4eCFR. 22 CFR 51.28 – Minors The rule exists to keep one parent from taking a child abroad without the other’s knowledge. Both sign the DS-11 in front of the acceptance agent and show photo ID. The birth certificate you bring for citizenship also establishes each parent’s relationship to the child.
If One Parent Cannot Come
The absent parent fills out Form DS-3053, the Statement of Consent, and signs it in front of a notary public. It must be accompanied by a photocopy of the front and back of that parent’s government-issued photo ID.5U.S. Department of State. Statement of Consent – U.S. Passport Issuance to a Child The notarized consent is only valid for 90 days, so don’t have it done too far ahead. The parent who does attend brings the notarized form, the ID photocopy, and everything else the application requires.
When You Can Apply Alone
You can skip the two-parent requirement if you can document one of these:
- Only your name appears on the birth certificate.
- You have a court order granting sole legal custody, with no travel restrictions that conflict with passport issuance.
- You have a court order specifically allowing the child to travel or authorizing you to obtain a passport.
- The other parent has died, and you have the death certificate.
- A court has declared the other parent legally incompetent.
If none of those fit and you still can’t get consent, Form DS-5525 lets you explain the circumstances directly. It may work in a time-sensitive situation where the child’s health or safety is at risk, or where the family situation makes consent exceptionally difficult or impossible.6U.S. Department of State. Statement of Exigent/Special Family Circumstances for Issuance of a U.S. Passport to a Child Under Age 16 The State Department reviews these case by case. If the other parent is incarcerated, submit proof such as a court order or an inmate locator printout.
Where to Apply
Infant applications have to be submitted in person at a passport acceptance facility. Those include post offices, clerks of court, public libraries, and certain other local government offices.7U.S. Department of State. Passport Acceptance Facility Search Page Search for the nearest one on the State Department’s website. Most take applications by appointment, and post offices often have passport hours that differ from regular business hours.8USPS. Passport Application and Passport Renewal
Your baby has to be physically present. This isn’t waivable, even for a one-week-old. The acceptance agent verifies the child’s identity in person. Bring everything in one trip: the completed but unsigned DS-11, the citizenship document, both parents’ photo IDs, the photo, and payment. You’ll sign in front of the agent, who reviews the package before sending it to the State Department.
Fees and Processing Time
Two fees apply. The application fee goes to the State Department; the execution fee goes to the facility taking your application.9U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
- Passport book (under 16): $100 application fee plus $35 execution fee, $135 total.
- Passport card (under 16): $15 application fee plus $35 execution fee, $50 total.
- Both book and card: $115 application fee plus $35 execution fee, $150 total.
- Expedited processing adds $60.
Pay the application fee by check or money order to “U.S. Department of State.” Most facilities don’t take credit cards for the federal portion. Pay the execution fee separately to the facility; accepted methods vary. Neither fee is refundable, even if the passport isn’t issued.
Routine processing runs six to eight weeks. Expedited processing runs two to three weeks, not counting mailing time either direction.10U.S. Department of State. How to Get My U.S. Passport Fast You can check status online using your last name, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security number.11U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Application Status
One note on the passport card: it cannot be used for international air travel at all. It only works for land and sea crossings between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and certain Caribbean countries.12U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport Card For a family flying anywhere with a baby, the book is what you need.
Valid for Only Five Years
Passports issued to children under 16 are valid for five years, not the ten years adults get.13eCFR. 22 CFR 51.4 – Validity of Passports There’s no mail-in renewal. When it expires, you go through the full in-person process again: new DS-11, new photo, new fees, both parents appearing or providing consent. A passport issued to a newborn expires before they start kindergarten.
If You Need to Travel Soon
If your international trip is within 14 days, book an appointment at a regional passport agency instead of an acceptance facility. These agencies handle urgent cases by appointment only and are separate from the post offices and libraries that take routine applications.14U.S. Department of State. Make an Appointment at a Passport Agency You can also use an agency appointment if you need a foreign visa within 28 days.
For a life-or-death emergency involving an immediate family member outside the United States, there’s a separate expedited process.15U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport if You Have a Life-or-Death Emergency All the same documentation rules for infant passports still apply, so gather your materials before calling to schedule.