how to get a passport for your baby
As someone with a British husband, half of our kids’ extended family lives a plane ride and customs passage away from our home in San Francisco. Because of this, we wanted and needed to get them (we have twins) passports as soon as possible. It wasn’t easy or fun, but the end result is global travel and some seriously cute passport photos — both of which we’ll treasure forever.
Here is the process I went through to get passports for my babies at four months old (and some obstacles I ran into so you don’t have to!).
First things first: birth certificate
The first big mistake I made when beginning the passport application process was a misunderstanding. After I gave birth (in California), bleary-eyed, exhausted, and itching to leave the hospital, I accepted a manila folder of documents that I assumed included my children’s birth certificates. Feeling very organized and ready to make an appointment, I grabbed the folder and, lo and behold, there was no birth certificate in sight.
In California, you must apply for a birth certificate. You can do this either in-person or by mail.
In-person
This is going to be San Francisco-specific, but should be easy enough to Google based on your city and the following information. Here’s what you’ll need:
Completed in-person birth certificate application
$29 per copy (you can pay by Visa, MasterCard, cash, or money order)
An unexpired government-issued photo ID for the person applying (parent)
Show up to the Department of Public Health Office of Vital Records (101 Grove Street, Room 105) with your documentation.
By mail
If there’s one thing I did not want to do postpartum, it was wait in line at a government office, so I applied for my children’s passports by mail. The downside is less control over timing. Fortunately, everything went smoothly and we received the birth certificates by mail within a few days. Here’s what you’ll need:
Notarized sworn statement*
Prepaid and addressed return envelope
A money order for $29 per copy
OK*, the notarized sworn statement is a complete pain. I actually did this part in Texas at my parents’ local HEB (grocery store). Some UPS stores offer notary services, or you can search for a mobile notary who will come to you (which may be well worth it depending on how young and/or wiggly your child is…!). You can get a money order from the USPS, where you can also get a prepaid and addressed return envelope. For this part, I paid for Priority Mail Express and as I mentioned, had the birth certificates in hand just four days later. (I also paid for the expedited service, which is a $30 fee to speed up the application processing. And yes, with twins, I had to pay it twice!).
OK! Once you have the birth certificate, you’ll need to schedule an appointment at the post office.
Scheduling your passport appointment and getting passport photos
While some cities (including San Francisco) have passport agencies, it’s easiest to make your child’s passport appointment at a USPS location. (And don’t be fooled by the word ‘easy’ — these appointments book up quickly.)
To give you an idea of timeline, I just did a quick search (today is May 9) using my zip code and the earliest available appointment at my nearest post office is for June 5.
You can select “New Passport Only” or “New Passport with Photo Services.” I selected “New Passport Only,” thinking it would be a faster appointment and thus get us in earlier, but when we went to Walgreens before our USPS appointment to get the photos taken, they did not have the special table for the babies to lie on in order to take the photos. Fortunately, it was no problem for the post office employee to take photos of my children. TL;DR, just in case, don’t wait until an hour before your appointment to take the photos at the drugstore around the corner!
At the passport appointment
The passport appointment itself was the easiest part of the process. Here’s what you’ll need to bring:
Both parents must be present at the passport appointment
Fill out and print a Form DS-11 (do not sign it)
Your child’s birth certificate (it will be returned to you up to 8 weeks after you receive the passport). This ticks the boxes for both citizenship and showing your relationship to your child.
Physical, photo ID for each parent and a photocopy
A photo (if you selected “New Passport Only” for your appointment)
Fees (check or money order). To get a passport book expedited for one child came out to about $200.
eyes on the prize
As you can tell, applying for a passport for your child(ren) is a fairly involved and bureaucratic process. Reading between the lines, it’s a bit of a nightmare, so get organized, take a deep breath, and start dreaming about the amazing memories you’re already starting to make for your family.