Parents can sometimes get caught in the trap of thinking that their small child is immune to the law and that they do not have to worry about silly things like passports. If there is an international family trip planned in the near future, that philosophy is going to have to be rethought. However, there is no need to hit the panic button, because an is all that is needed.
As with any type of passport, it is important to become familiar with U.S. passport law before acquiring a child passport. First of all, passports are required for any non-government international travel by U.S. citizens. This includes all citizens, even children and infants.
While there is one set of rules as they pertain to adults and there are specialty laws that pertain to children. One of the concerns of authorities is that a parent will unknowingly flee the country with a child. This is why both parents must sign a consent in order for the child to be able to get their passport. Doing this gives a little more reassurance that both parents know about the travel, even if the child is only traveling with one parent.
This special passport law means that an additional step has been added to the process, but other than that, the process is pretty similar to adults. Once the consent forms have been signed, the application process will go as a new passport application would. Just make sure that the consent form is properly done so that there will be no snags as the process moves forward.
Everyone has to have their photo taken for a passport before they apply, and a child is no different. To speed things up, it may be best to go to an establishment that takes the passport photos right on the spot and returns them right away. There are plenty of one-hour photo shops in malls that do this express passport service and the photos can be returned before the applicant finishes their shopping.
Before actually heading to the local passport center, make sure the consent form is filled out properly and that both parents have signed it. If not, the application will be refused and it is back to square one. Believe it or not, this is the reason that many parents end up having to get an expedited passport for their child. By the time they get everything together, the trip is right around the corner.
The U.S. Department of State currently estimates that a normal passport application will take four to six weeks to process. Any child that needs a passport in less than six weeks should most definitely apply for an expedited passport. The State Department estimates that an expedited passport will arrive in two to three weeks.
Most people have a fairly large warning of when they are going to be traveling internationally. It is always recommended that passport acquisition get started the moment that plans are even being made. Otherwise, the fees of getting an are surely in your future. If it is an an emergency, there are services available to help.
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