Expedited American Passport For Newborn – Simple To Obtain

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 pass port for newborn. Parents can do this themselves or they may go through a specialized agent.

Requirements

Getting a passport for a newborn is not quite as straightforward as obtaining one for an adult. Proof of US citizenship of the baby is required. This is usually a certified copy of their birth certificate. Proof of parental consent is also a requirement. Parents need to complete a form, pay the fee, attach two photographs of the infant and include evidence of travel intent. The procedure is a little more involved if one of the parents is uncooperative or if they are absent altogether. There are five distinct levels of a child passport – Rush, Priority, Next Day, 24-Hour and Expedited. This latter category may take between eight days and two weeks to process. The completed passport is mailed directly to the child’s parent(s).

DS-11

The necessary form, DS-11 – Application for a pass port renewal, may be completed online and then printed or it may be downloaded, printed and then completed by hand. Form DS-11 is also available at a passport agency or from an Acceptance Facility. It is important not to sign the form until instructed to do so.

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 expression on the baby’s face must be ‘natural’. This means they cannot be smiling, crying, laughing or screaming. They have to keep their mouth closed and must not be sucking on a pacifier. Only the baby can be visible in the photo and there must be no parental face, hands or arms. There must not even be a car seat. It may be quicker to engage the services of a commercial photographer with experience in taking passport photos for infants.

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.

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