Jun 11 2010
Minors Passport – Please Dont Put Off, Get Hold Of One At This Moment
The days have passed where a parent could simply carry an infant on to a plane and not prove who child it was. With the increased security at airports, it is now required that all U.S. citizens have a passport when leaving the country for business or pleasure. The little ones need theirs too and it is up to the parent to acquire the baby passports before travel.
The first requirement of all new applicants is that they make an appearance at a U S passport acceptance facility. The Post Office is the most common of these and number over 9000, so finding one should not be difficult. There are also secondary locations such as courthouses and libraries in some areas that serve the same function.
The government requires that both of the childs parents appear when applying for the childs passport. The only exception to this is that if the parent is a single parent, they must provide proof to that effect. Should the second parent be unable to attend, there will need to be a signed consent form stating as much.
To save time, download the passbook application from any one of a number of online sources. Fill it out before arriving at the acceptance office, but do not sign it, the signature must be completed in front of an authorized agent. If the trip has suddenly come up and there are two weeks or less, it will be necessary to go to one of the passport centers, they are in 14 different regions, mostly in urban areas.
There will be a need to prove the babys citizenship and this can be done with a copy of the birth certificate. The birth certificate should contain the names of both of the parents along with the locations seal where the baby was born. The date on the birth certificate must reflect that it was filed with the records bureau within one year of the babys birthday.
In order to facilitate the application process, the parents will also need to have copies of their ID to accompany the paperwork. A drivers license or state issued ID card usually suffices in these cases. As with any passport, photos will be necessary and they will need to meet the governments requirements for passport pictures.
Children in particular are a bit of a handful when it comes to them sitting still for a picture. The government guidelines are rigid and it may be preferable to have a professional take the pictures. This will ensure that the photos presented are accepted by the issuing agent and not rejected, causing yet another trip back.
The childs passport, like any other passports, have fees attached to them. There is a onetime fee of $82.00, which is divided between the issuing agency and the Department of State and gets baby a pass port that is good for 5 years before renewal is needed. The form of payment may differ from location to location so research that before going in.
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