Travel Tips Travel Warnings How to Get Your Baby a U.S. Passport, According to a New Mom Heading on an international trip with a baby in tow? Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to get your baby a passport. By Evie Carrick Evie Carrick Instagram Website Evie Carrick is a writer and editor who's lived in five countries and visited well over 50. She's skied out of a camper van in the Japanese Alps, overcome dengue fever in Indonesia, lived in a tent on a beach in Martinique, and studied yoga in India. Evie began writing for Travel + Leisure in 2019 while living in Paris. She started as a daily news writer and has since transitioned to becoming a regular contributor, covering everything from après-ski hot spots to tips for camping with your dog. Her true passion is affordable travel and travel hacks, especially when it comes to pricier destinations like Paris and Tokyo, two of her favorite cities in the world. She now splits her time between a small town outside Telluride, Colorado, and Paris, France. In addition to Travel + Leisure, Evie covers travel for BuzzFeed and Outside, and was a regular contributor to Vice. She is also the editorial director for magazines in Jackson Hole, Park City, and Telluride. * 10+ years of experience working as a writer and editor * 5+ years of experience covering travel — specifically ski destinations, flights, travel hacks, mountain town lifestyle, and all things Japan and France * Editor for print magazines in Jackson Hole, Park City, and Telluride * Studied journalism at the University of Denver and publishing at New York University Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 14, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email The fact that I started thinking about applying for my daughter's passport before she was even born is perhaps the most significant testament to my love of traveling. That's right, while certain breastfeeding products were still a mystery to me one week out, I had grand plans to get my newborn a little blue book long before she entered this world. That's how I found myself scouring the internet, trying to figure out how to get a passport for a baby. And it's why I spent the better part of an afternoon standing above my infant daughter, phone in hand, trying desperately to snap a decent baby passport photo. Getty Images/Flickr Select It turns out, applying for a passport for a child under 16 who has never had one before requires a few added steps. For starters, you can't just order one through the mail. Also, both parents must be present with the child at the time of application, which has to occur at a passport agency or authorized passport acceptance facility, like a post office. (If one parent can't be present, there's a solution, but more on that later.) Here's what you need to apply: a DS-11 passport application (see here), proof of your baby's citizenship (a birth certificate makes it easy), the parents' IDs (a driver's license does the trick); the baby's passport photo, an $80 check for the U.S. Department of State, and $35 for processing. The secret to a pain-free experience is having everything filled out and organized in advance. Here's how to get your baby a passport, step by step. 1. Fill out the two-page DS-11 form. You can either complete it online and then print it, or print the PDF and fill it out by hand. Either way, make sure to print it as a single-sided page and don't sign the form until you're at the appointment. 2. If your baby has a U.S. birth certificate, get the original document and make a photocopy. You will need to submit both the original and the photocopy to get the passport (they'll mail the birth certificate back). If you don't have a U.S. birth certificate, a consular report of birth abroad or certificate of birth will work, as will a certificate of citizenship. See the State Department site for more information. 3. You and your partner must both be present with your baby at the appointment. If this is not possible, see the State Department site to review your options. Related: Why You Should Check Your Passport's Expiration Date Right Now 4. Both parents need to bring their driver's license and a photocopy of it, front and back. If you don't have a driver's license, a passport will work (valid or expired). For a list of other acceptable methods of identification, visit the State Department site. 5. Bring a photo of your baby that meets all the requirements. (The gist: They must be facing the camera with their eyes open.) I put down a white sheet and took my daughter's photo from above, then used Walgreens' passport photo service to crop and print the image. The Walgreens team member who printed out my child's photo even helped by Photoshopping out the wrinkles in the white sheet I used as the background. This was by far the hardest part of the process, so keep in mind that some passport acceptance facilities will take the photo for you (although it can be tricky for an infant). 6. Book an appointment at a passport agency or local post office that accepts passport applications. 7. Once you get in front of the person accepting the passport application, they'll confirm that the photo is indeed your baby, staple the photo to the form, and have you sign the DS-11 in their presence. You'll give them two separate payments — an $80 check made out to the U.S. State Department and a $35 processing fee that you pay the agency or post office. If you want the passport expedited, it's an extra $60. 8. Typically, it takes four to six weeks to get the passport (and the documents you submitted) in the mail, but at the time of writing, it was expected to take eight to 11 weeks. You also can track the application status online. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit