How to get a US passport for a child - ForumDaily
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How to get a US passport for a child

A child born in the USA automatically acquires the citizenship of this country. Some women, including those from the post-Soviet countries, even come to give birth in the United States because of this. How to get an American passport for a newborn citizen? ForumDaily studied the whole process.

Passport for Maxim

Russian Anna Parshutkina met her American husband Evgeniy five years ago on one of the social networks. The relationship developed quickly - within two weeks of meeting Zhenya proposed to the girl. And then it started: Evgeniy, who at that moment only had a green card, received American citizenship, came to Russia and proposed to Anna. Then there was a wedding in San Francisco and the birth of their first child, Maxim, three years later.

Eugene and Anna Parshutkiny on their wedding day

Eugene and Anna Parshutkiny on their wedding day. Photos from the personal archive

Anna decided to make an American passport to her child not immediately. “We could start making a passport even the next day after receiving the social security number and birth certificate, but we decided to wait for the baby to grow up a bit. I didn’t want to have a child passport for five years, who was still with a face swollen after birth. He was born in September, and we started this process only in January, ”says Anna.

In fact, obtaining a passport for US citizens is voluntary. Many Americans don't have one at all. The main form of identification in the United States is an identification card (ID) or driver's license. A passport is only needed to travel abroad.

What documents are needed for registration of a passport:

  1. Birth certificate. It is made out automatically, on the basis of papers filled in the maternity hospital. After weeks of 6-8, you just need to pick him up either from a clerk in the office of the district where you gave birth (for example, San Mateo County Clerk Office), or in the local Health Department.
  2. Driving license or ID of both parents and their copies.
  3. Completed, but not signed form DS11 (application for passport).
  4. One color photo 5x5 see
  5. Two checks worth $ 80 and $ 25.

Where to start?

All necessary information about obtaining a passport can be found on the State Department website - Travel.state.gov.

You can apply for a passport at this page. There are two types of passport: in the form of the usual paper book (Passport book) and in the form of a plastic card (Passport card), with which you can travel to neighboring countries - Mexico and Canada. Select on the website which document you need.

You can also choose the timing of passport production and delivery. Standard processing time is 4-6 weeks. If you choose the usual production time and delivery method, you will need to pay $105: $80 for the passport itself and $25 for the organization that accepts the documents.

You can make a passport in three weeks - you will need to pay an additional $60 for this. Or even in eight days, which will also cost you $60 on top, but in this situation you can only submit documents at a special agency.

You do not need to pay for regular delivery, but delivery on the same day costs $ 20.

Where can I take a photo?

Passport photos can be made at home or photographed at the place of submission of documents. The site has examples of successful and unsuccessful photos, and all the requirements are clearly described.

Your photo should be:

  • 2x2 inch size (5x5cm)
  • printed on thin photo paper
  • done in the last six months
  • made in casual wear

Anna Parshutkina made a photo of her son for a passport in a Walgreens store. A child was taken in a car seat. They brought a white sheet with them for the background.

“We put Max on his favorite blouse, sent from Russia, with a very funny inscription: “As mom says, so it will be in my opinion!” It’s a pity that the entire inscription was not included in the frame! The store put the car seat on the counter, put a sheet under the head, and the salesperson took a photo of the child. And after a couple of minutes he already printed out two photographs for us in the required size,” says Anna.

It is not easy to photograph small children, especially for official documents. But with Max everything went perfectly. “While taking photos, we entertained our son with his favorite rattle. He behaved like an angel. The seller said that this is the first child in his long career in the photo studio who does not cry. For this he gave us a nice gift - a small discount. It’s nothing, but it’s nice!” admits Anna.

American passport office

That's the whole package of documents in your hands. Where now to take it all? In the US, there is no one institution that could be called a passport office. Here you can hand over your passport documents in the library, at the post office or at the clerk’s office in your district. In each of these items sits a special person who accepts documents for a passport.

How to choose a place where to hand over documents? The nearest point you can find here by address or zip code. “Acceptance Facility” are those organizations that accept documents.

An important point in the delivery of documents for the manufacture of a children's passport is the presence of both parents.

Ukrainian Olga Skiba has been living in California for about four years. In October, 2014, Olya and her husband Anton, had a son, Miron. A new US citizen has already received an American passport. Olga issued a passport for the child at the nearest post office. I made an appointment by phone two weeks in advance. In every post office where passport documents are accepted, there is a door to the utility room on which it is written “Have you brought your passport documents? That way". Olga was impressed after visiting the American “passport office”. “An ordinary table, littered with a pile of papers and surrounded by all sorts of things, and behind the table there is an employee in uniform, smiling and friendly. That's the whole “passport office”. At the same time, the atmosphere and impressions from the communication remained more than positive,” recalls Olga.

Olga made two passports for her son at once - paper and plastic. I paid about $100 for both. “With a passport card you can only travel to a few nearby countries, but for domestic flights it is very convenient,” she explains.

Anna Parshutkina also made out a passport for her son at the post office. "Online Travel.state.gov we looked where we could submit a complete package of documents, and I saw our mail address there around the corner. I made an appointment for a date in a month and a half - I selected a time convenient for my husband. If you need to do everything quickly, then you can find a free window in the next 2-3 weeks,” says Anna.

Your passport is ready!

The readiness status of the passport can be checked on the same site. Travel.state.gov in the corresponding section Check My Application Status.

Olga received documents for her son by mail. First, the birth certificate was returned, and then both of the child’s passports – paper and plastic – arrived separately.

Passports and booklets that came to readiness

Passports and booklets that came on readiness. Photo from the personal archive of the author

It took less than three weeks from the moment of submission of the documents to the receipt of the passports.

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