Getting an Infant Passport

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Getting an infant passport is as important as getting your own. If you are traveling abroad, you will not be allowed to travel without a passport for your infant. Even if you are not traveling, it’s a good idea to get it made and keep it ready just in case you need to travel.

You must apply for the passport as soon as you can. The basic requirements to apply for the infant passport are:

Passport size photographs- you need 2 similar photographs of two inches by two inches. The photo should have a light background and the baby’s face should be clearly visible. No pacifiers, hats or other accessories.

Next thing you need is your infant’s birth certificate. This has to be official certificate and the one issued by hospital is generally not accepted. You also need to take the social security card. These two documents are the most important. You get baby’s social security number four to six weeks after you apply. So, you cannot apply for the passport until then.

You can either get the application form in person or take the printout from the internet. Fill up the application form but sign up only when you have reached the passport agency. For infant passport, both the parents must be present at the passport office.

After you have applied for the passport, all you can do is to wait. It usually takes four to six weeks. In case you need it before that, you need to pay $35 extra fees.

If the child was born outside US, then you need to present the child’s naturalization certificate or the citizenship certificate. The infant need not be present in person but person applying for the passport should be able to vouch for child’s identity.

Passport is not only mandatory for traveling, it also provides a picture identification of your child which can be helpful for various other purposes later, such as school admissions.