How Long Do Child Passports Take?

As revenge travel is still in full force, and the world is wide open, I am sure people are still looking to spread their wings a bit. Maybe it feels like it is time to finally push those travels outside of your comfort zone a bit, and head out of the country. The problem is that while you may already have your passports locked and loaded your kids are still left wanting. So, how long do child passports take these days? What is the entire process like anyway? It could have been years since you did one after all. I'll share all of those details, and a recent timeline for a child passport to be processed (as I recently did just that), in this write up.

Rules For Getting a Child Passport

If your child is under the age of 16 then then need to get the standard child passport. Unlike adult passports that are good for 10 years, these child passports are only good for 5 years. Child passports are also not eligible to be renewed online, like adult passports are now eligible for. That means jumping through all of the same hoops once more if this is a renewal.

You will need to apply for your child's passport in person, with them present, and both parents (or legal guardians) need to also be present when filing the paperwork. If both parents (or legal guardians) can not be present, you will need to have extra documents explaining the absence.

You can apply for a passport a few different places, but most people go to the post office to do it. I recommend securing an appointment ahead of time to make the process as smooth as possible. You can do that HERE.

What Will You Need When Filing For Your Child's Passport?

You will need to get a few things together before heading out to your local Post Office (or other option) for your child's passport application. They are as follows:

• A filled out DS-11 Form
  • It is best to fill this out online and print it off.
    • You should only need the last 2 pages that were filled out
• Evidence of U.S. Citizenship PLUS a black and white photo copy of it
  • A birth certificate
  • Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth
  • Certificate of Citizenship
  • Full validity, undamaged U.S. passport
• Prove your relationship to the child
  • U.S. birth certificate (also evidence of U.S. citizenship)
    • Best option since it takes care of 2 & 3 requirement
  • Foreign birth certificate
  • Adoption decree
  • Divorce or custody decree
  • A court order
• Parents / Guardians need their photo ID PLUS a black & white photocopy of it
  • If doing it for multiple children remember to bring a copy for each child
    • Valid or expired, undamaged U.S. passport book or passport card 
    • In-state, fully valid driver's license or enhanced driver's license with photo
    • Certificate of Naturalization 
    • Certificate of Citizenship 
    • Government employee ID (city, county, state, or federal)
    • U.S. military or military dependent ID
    • Current (valid) foreign passport
    • Matricula Consular (Mexican Consular ID) used by a parent of a U.S. citizen child applicant
    • U.S. Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) used by a parent of a U.S. citizen child applicant
    • Trusted Traveler IDs (including valid Global Entry, FAST, SENTRI, and NEXUS cards)
    • Enhanced Tribal Cards and Native American tribal photo IDs
• If both parents / guardians can not apply then they need to bring extra documents
  • You can see the requirements HERE
• Provide a photo of the child(ren)
  • You can get these done at CVS etc. or there are some apps to do it for less.
  • Remember to have them in clothing with no design or lettering on it.
  • Do not staple it to your form etc.
• Bring a check for payment
  • If doing it at the USPS you can buy a money order with your debit card as well for a small fee.

Here is the US Government site that has all of the needed info and links for this process. I think that a birth certificate is the easiest option, since it covers two needs, and getting the photo done at a photo center is quick and easy. Remember to get an appointment to save time and make this stressful situation go as smoothly as possible. Also, remember to bring copies of stuff for each kid, since their information will get sent out separately. You will also need to mail out their birth certificate (or other option) with the application (both the copy and original). They will mail it back to you separately from the passport.

How Much Does A Child Passport Cost?

Here are the fees that you can expect when applying for a child passport.

Document	Form	Application Fee	Execution (Acceptance) Fee
Passport Book	DS-11	$100	$35
Passport Card	DS-11	$15	$35
Passport Book & Card	DS-11	$115	$35

There could be an additional fee for expedited processing or shipping:

• Add $60 to your application fee if you want expedited service.
• Add $21.36 to your application fee if you want us to ship your completed passport in 1-2 days after we issue it.  

Child Passport Application Timeline

Here is my recent experience grabbing new passports for our kids. We decided to do it in a small town post office to improve our chances of having no one else around. We set up the appointment and everything, but I don't think that mattered. There was someone else ahead of us also doing a passport application, and she didn't ask if we had an appointment. Maybe this plan backfired, since many major metropolitan areas have someone that focuses just on passport appointments each day.

How long did our kids' passports take? Here is our timeline:

• Application at the USPS July 26th
  • The process took about 30 minutes
• We received the finished passports in the mail on August 9th or 10th (we were out of town those days)
• Their birth certificates came back to us in the mail on August 13th

That is an amazing turn around, and I was pretty shocked that we received them so quickly. We did not pay for expedited shipping or anything. We didn't have a planned trip upcoming either.

How Long Do Child Passports Take: ToP Thoughts

I know that this is just a snapshot in time, but it gives you idea of how long child passports take to be processed. The public stance is that they should take 6-8 weeks for a regular processed passport. Although, it seems like even adult passports are moving a bit quicker than normal right now. It has been good to see!

Hopefully this guide gives you an idea on what to expect when applying for your child's passport as well. You should feel a bit more comfortable about the process, and what is needed, after reading it. You should also have a good idea of what it will cost and how long you can expect it to take.

If you have any questions about the process or the kid's passport timeline, be sure to come on over to the ToP Facebook Group and we can help you out.