How to Get Kids’ Passports: How I Easily did it

Trying to figure out how to get kids’ passports can feel surprisingly stressful when an international trip is already on the calendar. One missing document, the wrong photo, or a parent who cannot attend the appointment can turn a simple errand into a delay.

The good news is that the process is straightforward once you know the order. A child passport application for a child under 16 must be submitted in person, and both parents or guardians usually need to approve it.

If you are preparing a passport for a minor in the US, it also helps to know that the rules change once the child turns 16. Before planning your first international family trip, keep my complete guide to traveling internationally with kids nearby so the passport is only one part of your prep.

And if getting passports for kids is on your to-do list, this guide gives you the documents, fees, timing, mistakes to avoid, and exact steps to follow.

If this will also be your first trip abroad as a family, my guide to traveling internationally with kids for the first time can help you organize the bigger planning picture once the passport application is underway.

How to get kids’ passports?

• Complete Form DS-11 without signing it.
• Gather proof of citizenship and parental relationship.
• Bring parent or guardian photo IDs and photocopies.
• Get one compliant passport photo for your child.
• Apply in person with your child and pay the fees.

For children under 16, the process starts with Form DS-11. Do not sign it at home. The passport acceptance agent will tell you when to sign. You also need physical proof of your child’s U.S. citizenship, such as an eligible U.S. birth certificate, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, Certificate of Citizenship, or qualifying previous U.S. passport. Digital citizenship documents are not accepted.

The Department of State also requires proof of the relationship between the child and the parents or guardians. A birth certificate often covers both citizenship and the parent-child relationship, but adoption decrees, custody orders, or other records may be needed in some situations. Both parents or guardians generally need to appear with a child under 16. If one cannot attend, additional consent or custody documents may be required.

That is the basic framework for how to get kids’ passports without wasting a trip to the acceptance facility. Children under 16 receive passports valid for five years, so check expiration dates early even if your child has traveled before.

Once the passport is sorted, there are still practical travel-day details to think about. My family carry-on packing list is useful for keeping passports, documents, medication, and other essentials somewhere you can reach quickly instead of putting them in checked luggage.

Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Step 1: Fill Out Form DS-11

Use the State Department’s Form Filler or print Form DS-11. Complete it carefully, but do not sign it until the acceptance agent tells you to. Children under 16 cannot renew a passport with the adult renewal form, so a new in-person DS-11 application is required each time.

Step 2: Gather the Original Documents

For how to get kids’ passports, paperwork is where most of the preparation happens. Bring original or certified evidence of U.S. citizenship, proof of the parent-child relationship when needed, and photocopies. Parents or guardians must also bring acceptable physical photo identification. Photocopies should be on single-sided 8.5-by-11-inch paper.

I like getting all of the paperwork organized before I start thinking about the rest of our bags. When the trip gets closer, my international travel packing list for kids helps separate actual travel necessities from the things we can leave at home.

Step 3: Handle Parental Consent

For children under 16, both parents or guardians normally appear with the child. If one parent cannot attend but both share custody, the absent parent generally completes notarized Form DS-3053 and provides a photocopy of the ID shown to the notary.

Other family situations, including sole custody or inability to locate the other parent, have different documentation requirements.

This is one of those steps I would never leave until the night before the appointment, especially if one parent travels frequently or will not be available in person.

Step 4: Get the Passport Photo

Bring one compliant photo. For babies and toddlers, no other person should appear in the photo, the background should be plain white or off-white, and the full face should be visible. The State Department allows some flexibility if an infant’s eyes are not entirely open.

If you are traveling with babies or younger children, passports are only one part of the preparation. My guide to flying with a car seat covers another question that comes up often when families start planning their first flights together.

Step 5: Go to the Appointment

Bring your child, documents, photo, and payment to an authorized passport acceptance facility. Facilities include many post offices, libraries, clerks of court, and local government offices. Some require appointments.

After the application is submitted, you can start thinking about the actual flight. If nobody in the family has flown together before, my guide to flying with kids for the first time covers what to expect at the airport and on the plane so the travel day itself feels less intimidating.

What do you need to get kids’ passports?

• Completed Form DS-11
• Proof of the child’s U.S. citizenship
• Proof of parental relationship
• Parent or guardian photo IDs and photocopies
• One passport photo plus the required fees

The kids passport requirements are manageable when you prepare everything before the appointment. This is the paperwork core of how to get kids’ passports correctly. For a child under 16, you need a completed, unsigned DS-11, citizenship evidence, parental relationship documentation when required, parent or guardian identification, photocopies, a passport photo, and payment. Your child must also appear in person.

If you are learning how to apply for a child’s passport, pay special attention to original documents. A phone photo, scan, or digital birth certificate is not a substitute for acceptable physical citizenship evidence. The facility will review the original or certified document and the required photocopy.

Fees depend on what you order. For a child under 16, a passport book currently costs $100 plus a $35 acceptance fee, for a total of $135. A passport card is $15 plus the $35 acceptance fee, while a book and card together are $115 plus $35. Expedited processing adds $60.

However, going on international trips involving air travel means you’ll have to choose a passport book. A passport card is not valid for international air travel.

Families trying to keep the rest of the trip affordable can work on airfare while the passport application is processing. I compare options using the same strategies I share in my guide to the best websites for finding cheap flights, rather than automatically booking the first fare I see.

I also look beyond the advertised ticket price. My guide to ways to save money on flights explains why baggage, seating, schedules, and other fees matter when you are booking for an entire family.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

One of the easiest ways to complicate how to get kids’ passports is to treat the application like an adult passport renewal. A child under 16 must apply in person using DS-11, even if the child already had a passport.

Another common problem is signing Form DS-11 before the appointment. Leave the signature blank until the acceptance agent instructs you to sign.

Also, do not assume one parent can simply show up alone. If both parents or guardians share custody and one cannot attend, bring the correct notarized consent and ID copy. Form DS-3053 normally must be submitted within 90 days after it is signed or notarized.

Check names carefully, too. If a parent’s current name differs from the name on the document proving the relationship to the child, bring legal proof of the name change, such as a marriage certificate or name-change decree.

Finally, do not book around the posted processing time alone. Processing does not include mailing. The State Department says an application may take up to two weeks to reach the passport agency and up to another two weeks for the finished passport to reach you after processing.

I prefer having the travel documents settled well before I start buying extra gear. When we do need something for the kids, I compare what will actually get used against the items in my guide to travel gear for kids so we are not buying things simply because they are marketed as travel essentials.

How long does it take to get kids’ passports?

• Quick version: 2–3 weeks of processing with expedited service
• Typical: 4–6 weeks with routine processing
• What speeds it up: expedited service and faster shipping
• What slows it down: mailing time, missing information, or high demand
• Realistic expectation: allow more time than the processing estimate

As of August 2026, routine passport processing is 4–6 weeks, while expedited service is 2–3 weeks and costs an extra $60. Those estimates cover processing at a passport agency or center, not the time the application spends in the mail.

That distinction matters when planning how to get kids’ passports before a trip. The State Department says it may take up to two weeks for the application to arrive for processing and up to two more weeks for the completed passport to arrive after it is mailed. Families should therefore build in a cushion instead of assuming a routine application submitted six weeks before departure is guaranteed to arrive in time.

If your international trip is within 14 calendar days, urgent travel service requires an appointment at a passport agency and proof of international travel. For ordinary expedited applications, the extra $60 reduces the processing window, but mailing time still applies.Check the current timeline again before applying because passport processing times can change with demand.

Once you know roughly when the passport should arrive, you can start narrowing down where the family wants to go. My list of countries to visit with kids can give you ideas while you are deciding which destination fits your children’s ages, interests, and travel style.

Tools & Resources You Need

You do not need complicated equipment for a minor passport application, but a small document kit can make the appointment much smoother. Start with a folder that keeps each child’s paperwork separate. If you are applying for siblings on the same day, label each set so birth certificates, photocopies, photos, and forms do not get mixed up.

For how to get kids’ passports, I would keep these resources together:

• Form DS-11 for each child
• Original or certified citizenship evidence
• Required photocopies on single-sided letter-size paper
• Parent or guardian photo IDs
• Any consent, custody, or name-change documents that apply
• One compliant passport photo per child
• Check or money order for the State Department fee
• A separate payment method accepted by the passport facility

The State Department requires two payments when applying at an acceptance facility: the application fee goes to the U.S. Department of State, while the $35 acceptance fee goes to the facility. Payment methods can differ by facility, so check before the appointment.

Use the official U.S. Department of State passport guidance as your final checklist before leaving home. It is the best place to confirm current forms, fees, processing times, and special-circumstance requirements.

When I am putting together the rest of our travel documents and essentials, I also use my list of must-have items when traveling with kids to make sure the important things stay accessible during the actual journey.

Kay’s Real Experience Doing This

Passports have been part of our family travel routine since Aiden was very young. We started traveling with him as a baby, and international travel quickly became a normal part of our lives. Over the years, one thing I have learned is that having your child’s passport is only part of the paperwork you need to think about.

When I traveled solo with Aiden to Guangzhou, China, I made sure I had a notarized consent form from the parent who wasn’t traveling with us. This is important because even if the other parent signed off on the child’s passport, immigration officials in some countries may still want proof that you have permission to travel internationally with your child.

We learned how important that extra paperwork can be through experience. My husband was once stopped by immigration officers in Canada when he was traveling with our then-2-year-old without a parental authorization form from me. Luckily, I was traveling separately and landed shortly afterward, so the situation was resolved.

That experience is why I take travel documents seriously now. When you’re figuring out how to get kids’ passports, don’t stop once the passport arrives. Before an international trip, I also recommend checking the destination’s requirements and carrying any consent, custody, or relationship documents that apply to your family.

The goal is to have more documentation than you think you’ll need rather than discover at immigration that you’re missing something important.

The same preparation mindset applies to everything else on an international trip. I would rather have the children’s paperwork handled early so the week before departure can be spent checking our international family packing list instead of scrambling for legal documents.

Preparing for the Flight After the Passport Arrives

Once your child’s passport is in your hands, the next step is making the travel day manageable.

For long flights, I plan entertainment before departure instead of assuming the kids will sleep the whole way. I have shared the activities we use in my guide to keeping kids entertained on flights, especially for those stretches when everyone has already watched a movie and still has hours to go.

The airline itself can make a difference too. My guide to in-flight entertainment for kids explains some of the features worth looking at when comparing family flights.

During busy travel periods, airports can become much more stressful than usual, so I also use many of the strategies in my holiday flying with kids tips even when we are not traveling during the holidays.

If the kids will carry their own bags, choosing something they can realistically manage matters. I compare size and practicality in my guide to the best kids’ luggage instead of automatically choosing the cutest suitcase.

Passport sorted, flights booked, and bags packed is usually when an international trip finally starts to feel real.

Frequently Asked Questions About How to get kids’ passports

1. How long does this take?

Routine passport processing currently takes 4–6 weeks, while expedited processing takes 2–3 weeks for an additional $60. Mailing time is separate and can add several weeks to the total. If you have international travel within 14 calendar days, check whether you qualify for an urgent passport agency appointment.

2. How much does it cost?

For a child under 16, a passport book costs $100 plus a $35 acceptance fee, or $135 total. A passport card costs $15 plus $35, and a book plus card costs $115 plus $35. Expedited service adds $60, while optional faster return delivery has an additional fee.

The passport is only one line in the family travel budget. If you are trying to keep the overall trip manageable, my guide to making family travel more affordable covers some of the other expenses worth planning before you book.

3. Can beginners do this?

Yes. Parents can complete the process themselves by following the State Department checklist carefully. The main tasks are completing DS-11, gathering citizenship and relationship documents, arranging parental consent, preparing photocopies and a passport photo, and attending an authorized acceptance facility with the child.

4. What is the most common mistake?

A major mistake is arriving without the correct parental consent or original documentation. Children under 16 generally need both parents or guardians to approve the application, and the child must appear in person. Another avoidable error is signing Form DS-11 before the passport acceptance agent tells you to sign it.

5. What if it doesn’t work the first time?

Follow the instructions in any letter or email from the State Department and provide the requested information as quickly as possible. Missing or insufficient information can delay processing. If the problem involves consent, citizenship evidence, identification, or another special circumstance, use the official passport guidance to identify the additional documents required.

Ready to Get Your Kids’ Passports?

Once you understand how to get kids’ passports, the process becomes much less intimidating. Prepare Form DS-11, gather the originals and photocopies, confirm parental consent, get the photo right, and leave enough time for both processing and mailing.

Do not wait until the last few weeks before an international trip if you can avoid it. Passport timelines can change, and missing paperwork can create delays.

And remember that not every family vacation requires a passport. If you are still waiting for one to arrive or simply want an easier first trip, my guide to places you can travel without a passport can give you alternatives while you plan a bigger international vacation later.

Save this guide for your family’s next international trip. Then continue with Flying With Kids for the First Time and keep our international travel guide linked above in your planning folder. Sign up for our email list for more practical family travel tips and trip-planning guides.