Traveling With Children
Traveling with a child who needs a US passport? Every US citizen, including infants, must possess his or her own US passport to travel internationally. You are not allowed to represent other members of the family inside your US passport. Your child must be 15 years old or younger to apply for a child's passport and be recognized as a US citizen.
Important Information for Obtaining a Child Passport
- How long is a child passport valid? If the child passport was issued when your child was 16 years of age or older, it will be valid for 10 years. If the child passport was issued when your child was 15 years of age or younger, it will be valid for 5 years.
- How long will it take VisaCentral to process my child’s passport?
For most passport services VisaCentral has a variety of processing times: in as little as a day.
- Do my children need travel visas to travel abroad?
Travel visa requirements are the same for all travelers, regardless of age. Visit Visas and select your destination country to see the travel visa requirements for your children.
- My spouse and I are divorced. Do our children have to meet special passport requirements since we are no longer married?
The passport application requirements for US children of divorced parents vary depending upon the details outlined in the custody arrangement. As a result, each application may be subject to different processing requirements. For more information regarding your specific parental responsibility requirements, contact a VisaCentral specialist by email at [email protected].
- What are the US passport requirements for children who reside with guardians other than their natural parents?
There are additional legal requirements for children who are in the care of, or are placed with, foster parents or legal guardians. All children under the age of 15 must have an adult sign their US child passport application, regardless of circumstance. Contact a VisaCentral specialist for specific guardianship information by email at [email protected].