You and your family want to take a trip abroad to celebrate a vacation or holiday. You and your spouse already have passports. Those documents are valid and ready to go, but, what about your child? What are the requirements for an infant passport?
You probably already know that all travelers abroad need a passport. All ages and all nationalities are included in this, including infants and toddlers. Follow the below suggestions and you will have few issues. Perhaps the most important component of this is the photo. It needs to look good because it's the only evidence used by immigration officers to check against the person in front of them. Certain regulations must be followed.
The photo should be in full color, not black and white. It should be a forward-facing head shot, as well. No shoulders should be displayed and the background must be white. The photo should measure two inches by two inches. Two photos must be presented when applying and the photo must be submitted within six months of being taken. Fortunately, the photo will be good for international travel for five years.
The rules are stringent and any deviation will see the passport application denied. Only the child's head should be showing. No parents' hands for support, no toy, no hat, not even the child's own hands. The child's attire should be normal, everyday clothing. No pacifier or sunglasses are allowed. The child has to be awake and alert, with eyes open and looking straight ahead. The child is not allowed to cry or smile.
It is suggested that the best way to get a perfect passport photo of your child is having it professionally done. Places where adults normally can get passport photos taken, such as drug stores and post offices, aren't always receptive to doing infant photos. Regardless of who does it or where it is done, it just has to be done according to the rules and regulations as issued by the government.
Adults must follow certain steps in order to obtain their passports. As for anyone below age sixteen, there are more steps and they are often more strict. Parents have to submit evidence that the child is an American citizen. This is no more than a birth certificate. The parents have to then present proof that they are, in fact, related to the child applicant. This can be the birth certificate where BOTH the name of each parent is evident.
Next, the child's parents both have to submit valid identification in accordance with the guidelines. This can be a simple case of showing a valid driver license. Each parent then has to present identification document photocopies for the application of each child. And, finally, the parents have to present parental consent, which is signing another form after all previous steps are done. If for some reason only one parent is present, the other parent has to also send in a statement of consent that's notarized.
It's a fact that there are more steps to getting an infant passport, but the process is not really that difficult. The right photo and all necessary documentation is all that is required. Of course, the parents have to pay the passport fees and be present along with the kid at the time of applying.