All US citizens are required to travel outside the United States with a passport. However, getting a passport can be a tedious process as it requires you to comply with the specific rules and regulations in order to successfully obtain or renew a passport. Complying with these requirements can be even more difficult, particularly for minors, even more so if the parents are divorced. So, here is a comprehensive guide for minors looking to obtain expedited passports.
All children under the age of 16 should appear in person to apply for an expedited passport. Parents, preferably both, should be present and should sign the passport application. Make sure you follow the step-by-step process for children under 16 for the State Department. This will help ensure that you have the proper forms and documents and also help determine the fees.
Remember that passports for children ages 16 and under are valid for five years. Also know that a minor’s passport cannot be renewed. So, if your child’s passport will expire soon, you need to submit a new application in person for a new passport.
Applying for Expedited Passport for Minors
To apply for a passport for a minor or a person under sixteen years of age, the application for an expedited passport should be submitted in person, and both parents should be present. In case one parent is unable to be present to apply for their child’s passport, they can give consent by completing a ‘Statement of Consent’ form. Sign the form, have the form notarized and submit the form with a copy of the front and back of any government-issued ID.
You also need to submit proof of United States citizenship for a minor child to obtain a passport. The parents can provide the child’s original certificate, certificate of citizenship or previously expired passport to the emergency passport service for minors in case of renewals. Along with this, make sure you also provide a photocopy of the same documents.
What Documents Should Parents Submit?
Additionally, both parents should provide proof of their parental relationship with the minor. This can be done by providing an original copy of the birth certificate of the child or certified copies of an divorce or adoption decree. Submitting a birth certificate will provide proof of the child’s citizenship and also proof of the parental relationship. However, make sure you submit the original copy of the birth certificate.
The parents should also provide proof of identification and a photocopy of the same. These documents could be:
- Valid driver’s license issued in the state where the parent’s side
- Valid United States passport
- United States military ID card
- Green card issued by the United States
Passport application for Unique Parental Situations
The process of obtaining a passport for a minor child is more difficult if the parents are divorced. There are other requirements to be fulfilled to apply for a minor’s passport, depending on custody orders or the willingness of one parent to participate. Let us now see the different situations that may make it difficult to obtain the expedited passport of a minor.
If One Parent has the Sole Legal Custody:
A parent with sole legal custody of the child can make passport decisions without the consent of the other parent. You should submit all the necessary documentation mentioned above, along with the evidence that you have the sole authority over the child. The acceptable evidence includes:
- Certified copy of the complete court order granting you sole legal custody, whether a custody order or a divorce judgment.
- A complete court order that specifically permits you to apply for your child’s passport.
- A certified copy of the birth certificate of your child or adoption decree that lists you as the only parent
- A certified copy of the death certificate or a judicial declaration of incompetence of the parent who is unable to appear in person.
When Both Parents Share the Legal Custody but One of them cannot be Reached:
In case both parents share legal custody but one is unable to contact or locate teh other for receiving parental consent, you can submit a ‘Statement of Exigent or Special Family Circumstances’ form. This form should illustrate how many attempts you made to contact the other parent to receive their consent through various ways.
This form also requires you to answer questions regarding whether the non-present parent is incarcerated and if any court in the US or abroad has made custody orders regarding you and another parent. If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then you need to provide additional proof, such as a child custody order or proof of the other parent’s incarceration. You need to submit this form along with additional proof regarding incarceration or child custody with the child’s passport application.
What If One Parent is Not Cooperative?:
If one of the parents does not consent to the issuance of a passport to the minor, you may file a Request for Order with the court requesting to resolve the disagreement. While a family court will not issue or revoke a passport, it can order that the consent of both parents is not required to obtain the child’s passport.
What Happens After You Have Successfully Submitted Your Expedited Passport Application?
Once your order is placed, the expedited passport service will call you within 1-2 hours to your provided phone number to review your order. They will answer any questions you may have during this time, and you will then be provided with a checklist, the shipping label to ship your documents to the passport service and a letter of authorization that should be signed in order to allow the services to get the expedited passport processed for you. Your child’s passport will then be hand-delivered to the regional passport issuing office, and all your submitted documents will be sent back to you.
The Bottom Line
So, if you have an upcoming vacation trip with your child that requires a passport application for minors or getting their passport renewed, you can make an appointment with an emergency passport service for minors. These services offer a seamless and stress-free passport application process for expedited passports that can help with your urgent travel needs with your child.
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