It used to be that a newborn baby was permitted to travel on the passport of one of their parents. Now, however, it is a requirement that every US citizen, including a newborn, have their own individual passport. When travelling within approximately two weeks, parents may apply for an expedited pasport for newborn. Parents can do this themselves or they may go through a specialized agent.
Requirements
Applying for an infant’s passport is a little more complicated than obtaining one for a grown-up. The child’s birth certificate is required, along with proof of parental identification and consent for the infant to travel. Also required are the Social Security Numbers of both parents, proof of travel intent, completed application form, two photographs and payment of the necessary fee. There are five urgency levels for an infant passport, 24-Hour, Next Day, Priority, Rush and Expedited. It requires approximately two weeks for processing and the passport is mailed directly to the parent or parents.
DS-11
The application form is called a DS-11 (Application for a American pass port renewal). This may be obtained from a passport agency or an acceptance facility. It may be filled in online and then printed or it may be printed out first and then filled in by hand. It is essential that the form not be signed until instructed to.
Submission
The application must be submitted in person. The baby must also be present and the passport is valid for five years and may not be renewed.
Photos
There are very stringent specifications for the child’s photographs. The baby must be looking directly at the camera against a white or an off-white background. Their head size must be no smaller than one inch and no larger than 1-3/8 inches. The photograph must be less than six months old when the application is submitted.
Photo Requirements
The look on the child’s face must be natural. This means there can be no smiling, laughing, screaming or crying. Their mouth must be shut and must not contain a pacifier or anything else. The child should face the camera straight on and looking directly at it. Nothing apart from the infant can be visible in the photo. This includes the parent’s hands, face or arms. There cannot even be a car seat in the picture. It may be easier to pay extra and have this done by a professional photographer.
Citizenship
Proof of United States citizenship of the parents is also required. This may be a valid passport, certified birth certificate, Consular Report of Birth (Form DS-240), Certification of Report of Birth (Form DS-1350) or a naturalization certificate or a certificate of citizenship.