Unlike adult passport applicants, children have special passport
requirements that will have to be accomplished on top of the regular
passport application process. According to the United States Department
of State, children are those who are under the age of 18. Meanwhile,
children 16 to -17 years old have different special requirements from
those required of those under 16.
In this article, we will be
talking about the special passport application requirements of children
under age 16. Included in these requirements are newborns or infants.
There are several of these requirements that we'll discuss further
below.
The first and the most basic requirement would be the
completed DS-11 form. This is the form filled in by all first-time
passport applicants, whether children or adults. You can download this
form online and fill it on your computer, but you will have to submit
this form along with the other requirements in person.
Aside from
the DS-11, applicants will also be required to submit a proof of their
citizenship. To accomplish this, you must present any of the following
as proof of US citizenship: a previously issued passport that's in good
condition, a certified birth certificate, a consular report in case the
child was born in another country, a certificate of naturalization, or a
certificate of citizenship. Any of these documents will prove the
child's citizenship.
The parents or guardians of the child also
must present required documents in this type of passport application.
For one, you should present a proof of your relationship with the child.
Aside from that, you will also need to provide an identification
document, as well as a photocopy of this document.
And since we're
talking about minors applying for a passport here, a written parental
consent will also be required to be submitted to the passport office.
There are different procedures for this for parents, a single parent,
and a guardian who stands in place of the parents. Check out which
category you fall under so you'll know the type of procedure you'll have
to follow.
The applicant will also have to submit two copies of
color photographs. Photographs submitted for passport applications have
stringent guidelines; so make sure that you are familiar with these
guidelines even before having your photograph taken. Once you have
accomplished all of these requirements, you can now submit your passport
and pay the applicable fees. Check with your local passport office in
order to see what fees you may be required to pay.
If it's about knowing where to go for child passport applications that you want to know about, all you need to do is visit your local passport
office. They will assist you with your application, from providing you
with information on how to get started, to making sure that you have
accomplished all the special requirements that are need for child
passport applications. With their help, applying for a passport for
minors will be a lot easier and free from stress.
