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if you have gotten a passport for your child recently


SparklyUnicorn
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We recently renewed my kids' passports.  They needed their old passports, birth certificates, and a photocopy of my driver's license.  Our county library does passport applications including passport photos.

 

For their first US passports, I needed their certificate of citizenship, birth certificate, and adoption and name change papers.  I don't remember if they needed anything else.

Edited by SKL
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What did you use as a photo ID?

 

Nope, kids don't need photo ID. You must have authorization (if one parent isn't coming to the appt.) and an ID (or copy) from both parents though.

All I needed was their BCs, my ID (2 forms), DH's ID, and the non-present parent authorization form (which must be notorized)

Edited by Sneezyone
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My kids didn't need an ID for themselves (6 and 8 at time of passport-getting). It was more an added hassle for me in proving they were my kids and that both legal parents were authorizing the obtaining of the passport (Dh and I both had to sign their forms *in person* for a worker to witness to attest to the fact that we both were aware)...Maybe for those who are trying to flee the country with kids without the other parents' knowledge??? It was a pain in the rear. We also needed those 2 little pictures for their passport photo...went to CVS photo studio and they just pulled a screen down from the wall, tucked their hair behind their ears with hair down neatly and took a few pictures with a very bright flash. Printed it out then and there, paid $30 for them I think. The kids passports were...around $80 I think each for their first ever passport. It took a long time to get because of all the paperwork from me and Dh to get them completed and sent to us. You can call the office at any time to get progress reports though. :) 

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After reading this thread, I understand how incredibly easy it is, to get a U.S. Passport, for people who live in the USA. It is much harder for those of us who are Overseas Americans.  One thing that is recommended by the ACS (American Citizen Services) in the  U.S. Embassy in Colombia, when renewing U.S. Passports for children, is that the parents bring a series of photos, showing the progression of the child over the years. We brought a bunch of photos and the U.S. Consul looked at each of them, and at DD.  Bring originals of everything and photocopies of everything. I thought that I had done that, but I did not have the original of the CROBA (Consular Report of Birth Abroad, which shows a person was born abroad and is a "Natural Born"   U.S. Citizen).  For that reason, the U.S. Consul could not approve everything when we were with her. I had to send the Original CROBA to the ACS in the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, and then they returned it to us, with the new U.S. Passport for DD.   DD does have a Photo ID, because we live in Colombia and children get one at age 7 here. 

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After reading this thread, I understand how incredibly easy it is, to get a U.S. Passport, for people who live in the USA. It is much harder for those of us who are Overseas Americans.

This must vary from place to place. We renewed our sons' American passports in Edinburgh and it was very simple. We filled in a form, both parents signed in person and showed passports, and we showed the Reports of Birth Abroad.

 

 

ETA: I just checked, and the progression of photos is just if the previous passport was issued when the child was under five.

Edited by Laura Corin
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One other tip.....if you print the passport application to fill it out at home before your appointment (...to save time...because you are naturally organized and hate to waste time sitting in a waiting room filling out paperwork...), it must be filled out using BLACK ink, and CANNOT be printed on both sides of the paper.   The two pages of the application form must be on separate sheets of paper.

 

I did see the black ink notice at home, but was not pleased to have to fill out both of my kids' applications AGAIN because I printed the application double-sided, on a single sheet of paper.

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I had trouble filling out the form online, because it required an answer for "father."  My kids don't have a father.  The librarian suggested "unknown," but that didn't seem right.  I put "Not Applicable" but I was worried they would not take it.

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I had a passport photo taken at Walgreens.They do require information about both parents and both parents need to be present when the passport is being purchased.  Because my husband could not go with us I had to bring an additional document that he had signed and notarized along with a copy of his driver's license.  My divorced friend needed the same paperwork from her ex-husband when she obtained passports for her children.  I don't know if they will accept "unknown" they will probably ask for additional paperwork verifying the father's status.

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After reading this thread, I understand how incredibly easy it is, to get a U.S. Passport, for people who live in the USA. It is much harder for those of us who are Overseas Americans.  One thing that is recommended by the ACS (American Citizen Services) in the  U.S. Embassy in Colombia, when renewing U.S. Passports for children, is that the parents bring a series of photos, showing the progression of the child over the years. We brought a bunch of photos and the U.S. Consul looked at each of them, and at DD.  Bring originals of everything and photocopies of everything. I thought that I had done that, but I did not have the original of the CROBA (Consular Report of Birth Abroad, which shows a person was born abroad and is a "Natural Born"   U.S. Citizen).  For that reason, the U.S. Consul could not approve everything when we were with her. I had to send the Original CROBA to the ACS in the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, and then they returned it to us, with the new U.S. Passport for DD.   DD does have a Photo ID, because we live in Colombia and children get one at age 7 here. 

 

That goes the other way around.  It is not insanely difficult for my husband to get his passport, but it's definitely not as easy as it is for me.

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One other tip.....if you print the passport application to fill it out at home before your appointment (...to save time...because you are naturally organized and hate to waste time sitting in a waiting room filling out paperwork...), it must be filled out using BLACK ink, and CANNOT be printed on both sides of the paper.   The two pages of the application form must be on separate sheets of paper.

 

I did see the black ink notice at home, but was not pleased to have to fill out both of my kids' applications AGAIN because I printed the application double-sided, on a single sheet of paper.

 

I'm going to do it at the post office.  I doubt there will be any wait.  But yeah I do try to do whatever I can ahead.

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 I don't know if they will accept "unknown" they will probably ask for additional paperwork verifying the father's status.

 

As it turned out, they accepted "not applicable."  Since they also require the birth certificate, they can look on there and see if the kid has a legal father or not.  So it was fine, but I was worried because the Librarian seemed to think "N/A" wasn't going to fly.

 

Generally, the process is pretty easy, compared to some other formalities we've been through.

 

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Be forewarned, the original birth certificate goes along with the application so make sure to retain a copy.  We were surprised that a copy wouldn't suffice for the application.

 

They will return the birth certificate to you in a separate mailing.   We've always gotten them back a few days to a week prior to receiving the actual passport.  So you'll only be stuck if you need an original birth certificate for another reason during the weeks that the passport agency has it in their possession for processing.  

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