All children under age 16 must apply for a passport in person with two parents or guardians using Form DS-11. You cannot renew your child's passport. Passports for children under age 16 are only valid for 5 years.
DS-11: Application for a U.S. Passport
Please note:
You must submit one of the following U.S. citizenship documents for your child. Your evidence must be an original or certified, physical copy. Photocopies and notarized copies are not acceptable.
If you cannot submit one of the above acceptable documents for your child, or for more information, please see Citizenship Evidence.
Please note you cannot submit digital evidence of your child's U.S. citizenship such as a mobile or electronic birth certificate. You must submit physical evidence of U.S. citizenship and a photocopy of the document.
Submit a photocopy of the front (and back, if there is printed information) of the U.S. citizenship evidence you’re submitting.
Photocopies must be:
If you don't want to submit a photocopy of your citizenship evidence, you may submit a second certified copy of your citizenship evidence, which we will keep. If you don’t submit a photocopy or a second certified copy of your citizenship evidence, your passport processing could be delayed.
You must submit documentation that lists the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of the child applying for a passport.
The following may be used to show parental relationship:
Please note: Some documents, like a U.S. birth certificate, show both U.S. citizenship and parental relationship. These documents must be originals or certified copies (not photocopies).
The parents/guardians must present one of the following identification documents (IDs) to the acceptance agent:
If you cannot present one of the IDs above, or for more information, please see Identification.
Please note:
Submit a photocopy of the front and back of each ID that you present to the acceptance agent.
Requirements:
Both parents/guardians must authorize the issuance of the child's passport. The best way to do this is for both parents/guardians to go with the child in person to apply for the passport.
What if both parents/guardians cannot appear in person?
If... | Then... |
---|---|
You have sole legal authority | You must submit evidence of this with the application. Examples include:
|
One parent unable to appear | If one parent/guardian cannot go with the child to apply for the passport, they can give permission by completing Form DS-3053 “Statement of Consent." You must submit the completed form with the child's passport application. The parent that cannot go with the child must:
Please note: In certain countries, a DS-3053 must be notarized at a U.S. embassy or consulate and cannot be notarized by a local notary public. Currently, these countries are Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Moldova, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Panama, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Yemen. |
You cannot locate the other parent | You must submit Form DS-5525 “Statement of Exigent/Special Family Circumstances."
|
Neither parent able to appear | A third party may apply for the child's passport with a Form DS-3053: "Statement of Consent" or a notarized statement from both parents/guardians giving that third party permission to apply for the child.
|
Please Note: Written authorization from the parent that cannot appear in person must be less than three months old.
You must provide one photo of the child with the application.
Please note:
Tips for taking photos of infants and newborns:
To avoid processing delays, be sure the photo meets all photo requirements.
Child Applicants:
Product | Form | Application Fee | Execution (Acceptance) Fee |
---|---|---|---|
Passport Book | DS-11 | $80 | $35 |
Passport Card | DS-11 | $15 | $35 |
Passport Book & Card | DS-11 | $95 | $35 |
Please note: The application fee and the execution fee are paid separately.
For information on forms of payment and a full list of fees and services, please see Passport Fees.
Inside the United States:
Outside the United States:
Please contact your U.S. Embassy and Consulate for how to submit your child's documents, since processes vary.
You can track your child's application status online or by calling the National Passport Information Center. Status updates are generally available 14 days after you applied.
No, children applicants under 16 are not eligible to mail in their passport applications. Additionally, the Department of State does not currently have the option to submit passport applications online.
Some acceptance facilities require appointments and others do not. We recommend calling the acceptance facility ahead of time to verify their hours, acceptable forms of payment, and appointment requirements. Find your acceptance facility.
When completing your child's passport application, we recommend you add your name in the “In Care Of” part of the Mailing Address section on Form DS-11.
Passport Book Only: You may receive your newly-issued passport and your citizenship documents in two separate mailings. Please contact the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) if you do not receive a second mailing within 10 business days of receiving the first. We can send your passport book via a 1-2 day delivery service.
Passport Card Only: You may receive your newly-issued passport card and your citizenship documents in two separate mailings. Please contact NPIC if you do not receive a second mailing within 10 business days of receiving the first. We only send the passport card via First Class Mail. We do not send cards via 1-2 day delivery services.
Passport Book and Card: You may receive three separate mailings; one with your citizenship documents, one with your newly-issued passport book, and one with your newly-issued passport card. Please contact NPIC if you do not receive the second or third mailing within 10 business days of the previous mailing.
If the mailing address you provided on your child's application has changed and you're waiting for his or her U.S. passport book, passport card, or return of citizenship evidence documents, please contact the National Passport Information Center. You do not need to contact us if your address changed after you received your child's passport.
When completing your child's passport application, we recommend you add your name in the “In Care Of” part of the Mailing Address section on Form DS-11.
Families may write one check or money order to the U.S. Department of State for their passport application fees if they are applying in person at the same time. The check or money order must include the name and date of birth of each applicant.
All other applicants must submit individual checks or money orders to the U.S. Department of State for their passport application fees. Please include the applicant's name and date of birth on the check or money order.
You and your child may have different last names, as long as the parental relationship document lists your full name. If your name has changed from that on the parental relationship document, please submit proof of your legal name change (e.g. marriage certificate or court order).
Parents may enroll their U.S. citizen children under the age of 18 in the Children’s Passport Issuance Alert Program (CPIAP), one of the Department of State’s most important tools for preventing international parental child abduction. If a passport application is submitted for a child who is enrolled in CPIAP, we attempt to alert the parent(s) to verify whether they approve passport issuance.
If you choose not to submit a photocopy, you may submit a second certified copy of your child's birth certificate. We will keep this second certified copy for our records.