Traveling with your family, including toddlers, needs a lot of preparation in terms of documentation and packing for the trip. One of the most frustrating things for any traveler is facing delays due to the lack of proper documents. Although it is common knowledge that every adult must have a valid passport to book a flight, the rules are a bit confusing when it comes to children. So, is a passport required for newborn babies?
Domestic travel
Domestic travel is not too demanding for newborns. All you need is some documentation to show the identity of your child. This can be a birth certificate or any other useful document to act as a proof of citizenship. Ensure that you contact the relevant authorities a few days before you travel to confirm the kind of identification needed for your child.
International travel
Unlike domestic travel, where you don’t need a passport for your child to travel from one state to another, you will need a passport for your newborn if you are planning to travel to a different country. It is a requirement for every person, whether an infant, child or adult, to have a valid passport for international travel. The parent or guardian needs to ensure that the infant goes through the process of applying for a passport in plenty of time. The baby’s birth certificate is also required, because it acts as a proof of parentage and the child’s age.
Requirements when applying for a newborn’s passport
When applying for the passport for your newborn, be ready to provide the following documents:
• Two passport photos of your newborn
• Proof of the child’s citizenship (birth certificate, previous passport, certificate of citizenship or naturalization certificate)
• Photocopy of the parents’ or guardian’s ID
• The person applying for the newborn’s passport is required to fill in Form DS-11
• If one parent is absent, the one applying for the child’s passport must provide a written letter that shows approval from the other parent. This letter must not exceed three months from the time it was written
Ensure that you get the right documents to avoid last minute inconveniences. If you are wondering how to go about taking the right passport photos for your newborn, visit paspic.com (https://www.paspic.com/us/) for professional assistance.
