Can Newborns Get a Passport? | Rules, Fees, Timing

Yes, a baby can receive a U.S. passport after an in-person application with parents, ID, a photo, and a birth record.

Yes, newborns can get a passport in the United States. In fact, they need their own if they’re leaving the country. A baby cannot travel on a parent’s passport, and the first application is always an in-person filing.

This article uses U.S. passport rules, since each country writes its own process. If your family has a trip on the calendar, the safest move is to start as soon as the certified birth certificate arrives. Waiting until the week before a flight can turn a simple errand into a scramble.

Can Newborns Get A Passport? What The Rule Means

The rule is simple on paper: every U.S. citizen, no matter the age, needs a passport for most international air travel. That includes a baby who is only a few days old. The age of the child does not change the need for a separate passport.

What does change is the application process. Children under 16 are handled under a tighter set of rules than adults. Parents or guardians must show approval, the child must appear in person, and the passport is only valid for five years instead of ten. That shorter validity catches plenty of parents off guard later, so it’s smart to expect another in-person application before kindergarten.

Why The Process Feels More Involved

The government is trying to match three things at once: the child’s citizenship, the child’s tie to the applying adults, and the adults’ legal right to request the passport. That is why a newborn passport packet is more than one form and one photo.

• Your baby needs proof of U.S. citizenship.
• You need proof that you are the parent or legal guardian.
• The parents or guardians must show ID and consent.
• The baby must appear with the applying adult or adults.

Newborn Passport Timing Before The First Trip

Parents often ask when they can start. The practical answer is: once you have the papers that make the application complete. For most families, the longest early wait is the certified birth certificate. Some states issue it quickly. Others take longer. Without that record, the passport file usually stalls before it starts.

Name choices matter too. If your baby’s legal name is still being settled, sort that out before filing. A passport should match the child’s travel booking and citizenship record. Tiny mismatches can cause annoying delays later, especially when airline reservations have already been made.

1. Request the certified birth certificate as soon as you can.
2. Fill out Form DS-11, but do not sign it at home.
3. Get a passport photo that fits the current rules.
4. Book the acceptance facility appointment early if your area fills fast.

If you already know the travel date, count backward and leave room for mailing time too. The passport agency may finish its part, yet your envelope still needs time to move through the mail both ways.

What To Bring To The Passport Appointment

The appointment goes much smoother when your papers are stacked in the same order the agent will ask for them. Parents who walk in with originals, photocopies, the unsigned form, and the fee ready tend to move through with far less friction.

Here is the checklist most families need for a newborn’s first U.S. passport application.

Item	What To Bring	Why It’s Asked For
DS-11 form	Completed on single-sided paper, unsigned	The agent must witness the signature
Citizenship record	Certified U.S. birth certificate or other accepted proof	Shows the child is a U.S. citizen
Photocopy of citizenship record	Single-sided copy of the same document	Sent with the application file
Parent relationship proof	Birth certificate, adoption decree, or court paper when needed	Shows the link between child and applying adult
Parent ID	Driver’s license, passport, or other accepted photo ID	Confirms the adult’s identity
ID photocopies	Front and back copies of each ID	Added to the packet
Baby passport photo	One recent color photo that meets size and background rules	Used on the passport
Fees	Payment for the application and the acceptance fee	Both charges are due at filing
Extra consent paper	DS-3053 or custody record if one parent cannot appear	Shows legal permission to issue the passport

The State Department page for children under 16 lays out the in-person rule, approval rule, and the list of papers in one place. If you are checking costs before you book the appointment, the current passport fees page spells out the child book, card, and acceptance charges.

One small detail trips up a lot of parents: the child’s photo still has to pass. Newborn photos can be fussy because babies slump, squint, and turn their heads. It’s worth taking extra shots before you head to the appointment. A rejected photo can force a second stop.

What Happens At The Appointment

Once you’re at the counter, the process is usually plain and fast. The agent checks the child’s form, reviews your IDs and copies, looks over the citizenship paper, and takes the application packet for mailing.

1. The baby appears with the parent or parents.
2. The agent reviews the documents and copies.
3. The applying adult signs DS-11 in front of the agent.
4. The fees are collected.

<>The fees are collected.

5. The packet is sent to the State Department for processing.

If both parents attend, that part is easy. If one parent cannot attend, the paperwork must cover that gap cleanly. A notarized consent form may be enough in many cases. In others, a sole-custody order, death certificate, or similar court paper is needed. That is one of the areas where families lose the most time, since the missing paper is often discovered only at the counter.

There is also a choice between a passport book and a passport card. Most families planning air travel want the book. The card is cheaper, but it does not replace the book for international flights.

Fees And Wait Times For A New Baby Passport

Costs and timing are not guesswork. The State Department posts both. As of April 2026, routine service is listed at 4 to 6 weeks and expedited service at 2 to 3 weeks, with mailing time added on top. The current processing times page is the one to check right before you apply, since those numbers do move.

Option	Current Amount Or Time	What Parents Should Know
Child passport book	$100 + $35 acceptance fee	Needed for international air travel
Child passport card	$15 + $35 acceptance fee	Not valid for international air travel
Book and card	$115 + $35 acceptance fee	Useful if your family also crosses land borders
Routine service	4 to 6 weeks	Mailing time is extra
Expedited service	2 to 3 weeks	Adds a $60 fee
1-3 day return delivery	$22.05	Applies to the passport book after issuance

A tight booking window changes the math. If your departure is close, routine service may be too slow even when the application is flawless. In that case, parents usually need either expedited service or an urgent passport agency appointment if travel is very near.

Mistakes That Slow A Baby Passport Down

Most delays come from a short list of avoidable mistakes. None of them are dramatic. They are the boring little misses that can still knock a week or two off your margin.

• Signing DS-11 too early: the form must be signed in front of the agent.
• Using the wrong birth paper: a hospital keepsake is not the same as a certified birth certificate.
• Forgetting photocopies: originals alone are not enough.
• Showing up with one parent and no consent paper: this is one of the most common appointment failures.
• Booking flights before checking current wait times: mailing time can stretch the real clock.
• Submitting a weak photo: newborn photos fail more often than parents expect.

The best way to avoid a second appointment is to build your packet the night before and then check it once more in the car. Form, originals, copies, photo, IDs, payment, and any consent papers. That simple stack can save a lot of stress.

Special Cases That Change The Paperwork

If One Parent Cannot Attend

This does not always stop the application, but it does change what you need. A notarized statement of consent may solve it. If one parent has sole legal custody, bring the court record or other paper that shows that right clearly.

If Travel Is Only Days Away

Urgent travel can move you out of the acceptance-facility route and into passport-agency territory. Parents in that spot should gather proof of travel, the baby’s papers, and the fee money before trying to book the appointment. The closer the flight, the less room there is for a missing page or name mismatch.

If The Child Already Had A Passport

A passport issued to a child under 16 cannot be renewed with the adult mail-renewal form. Once it expires, parents apply in person again with DS-11. That catches many families on the second round because the old passport feels like it should make renewal simple. It does not.

After The Passport Arrives

Open the envelope and check every detail right away: the child’s full name, date of birth, sex marker, and the document type you requested. Store the passport in a dry place and watch for the baby’s citizenship paper to arrive separately if it is mailed later.

For most families, the smoothest path is plain: wait for the certified birth certificate, line up both parents if you can, bring copies with the originals, and apply well before the trip. A newborn can get a passport. The trick is giving the application enough time and giving the agent nothing to question at the counter.