Passports for Kids: 101

If you follow me on Instagram you know that we are traveling a lot, mostly in state but next month the Bonnaire Fam is headed out of county!! When we were presented with this amazing opportunity to visit 4 different countries, I wanted to leave like the following week. However, the kids’ didn’t have passports, and mine wasn’t valid because I never updated it with my new last name after Renaldo and I got married 5 years ago. Renaldo joked and said he would go without us because he was the only one with a valid passport lol.

When we had a locked in date for our travels I made our appointments to get our passport stuff taken care of. Our experience with getting our passports wasn’t bad, but there are plenty of things I would’ve done differently. So I’m putting together a quick post sharing everything you need to know about getting passports with little ones.

Please do not use this blog post as official advice on passport information, please head to Travel.State.Gov

Passport Photos

Let’s start with passport photos. You’re going to need those before you even turn in your application so here are 3 different options for getting your passport photos done.

1. Go to a local drugstore like Walgreens or CVS– We went to Walgreens and they did an awesome job. But it was soooo stressful and I was sweating. My 2 year old kept spitting during his photos and refused to stay still and look into the camera. The digital camera at my local Walgreens was ANCIENT, so it took forever to focus, it lagged, and some photos never even saved. As for my 1 year old’s photos, She just sat in my lap and my husband stood behind the camera girl and got her to look. If you’re going to have your infant/baby sit on your lap, I HIGHLY recommend wearing white. I was wearing a crazy bright colored dress (Lilly Pulitzer so you already know all the bright colors). So when she was editing me out of the picture, it made Laila’s hair look like a mushroom lol.
   • This will cost you $14.99 a photo, and it comes with 2. One for the government and one for a souvenir. 
2. Get them done at the post office: The post office also offers photo services. I didn’t choose this option because I knew when I arrived to the post office for my passport application appointment, I wanted to have everything squared away BEFORE I arrive, not stress about taking their photos there.
   • This will cost you $15.00 per photo, so you spent a whole penny more. 
3. Do them yourself! got a white wall? Got a camera? A lot of friends of mine actually said they took the photos themselves. It saved them time, and the kids were more comfortable in their own house. It was done on their own time, and a lot more stress free! Click HERE to read all the photo requirements. I didn’t do this because we are pressed for time with our passports, and I didn’t want anything to go wrong. So I preferred having it done at Walgreens. But renewal time, I’m doing it myself!
   • Tips for taking a baby’s photo: “Lay your baby on his or her back on a plain white or off-white sheet. Make certain there are no shadows on your baby’s face, especially if you take a picture from above. Covering a car seat with a plain white or off-white sheet and taking a picture of your child in the car seat may also be helpful.”

Take care of the photo: After you get your photos printed out, make sure you take care of them before they’re sent off with your application. You cannot submit a damaged photo with holes, creases, or smudges!

Thing I didn’t know about passport photos, but now I DO know: 

1. You CAN smile. As long as it’s natural and both eyes are open. We were so adamant about the kids not smiling because we were advised NOT to smile. But you can!
2. They are a little more laid back with children photos, because c’mon they’re kids. My 1 year old’s mouth was wide open, and I thought that would’ve been an issue, NOPE-perfectly fine. You can barely see the 2nd ear on my 2 year old, NOPE-still approved.

Passport Application Process: 

What you will need (as the parent applying for a minor)

1. Both Parent’s present-if both mom and dad are on the birth certificate.
2. Official Birth Certificate. If you don’t have one or it’s lost or damaged, head your local health department and get a copy. That will cost you $18
3. Both Mom and Dad’s Driver’s License
4. Social Security Number of the minor

How to prepare for the appointment:

1. Make an appointment with your post office or local clerk of court office: When you make your appointment, account for your child’s school schedule as well. We made ours during my son’s lunch and recess time, so he wasn’t missing any core learning. He just brought his lunch and ate it at the post office.
2. Have all the paperwork already filled. Go to the post office a day before, tell them exactly who you’re applying for (1st time applications, renewal, name change, etc) and they will give you all the correct forms. Take an extra copy, just in case you make a mistake. Take the forms home and will it out in your free time, not rushed. I made this mistake and didn’t do this. I came with all required documents but none of the paperwork filled out. So I had to do it there, and it was so stressful. However, I did have a few questions on the forms so it was nice having someone there to help me.
3. Know what you have to pay: On top of the application fee which is payed to the U.S Department of State, you have to pay the post office a passport application acceptance fee- which is $35 per application- this can be paid with cash, check, debit or credit card. Your fee to the U.S department of State cannot be paid with debit or credit.
4. Pre write all your Checks, if you plan on paying with a check. You can also pay your passport application fee with certified, cashiers, or traveler’s check, payable to “U.S. Department of State.” And each application for each child needs an individual check. So I had to cut 5 checks that day, one for each of my 4 kids and then one for myself. Imagine writing U.S Department of State 5 times, signing my signature 5 times, writing EIGHTY DOLLARS 4 times, and ONE HUNDRED AND TEN DOLLARS 1 times. And in the memo spot, I had to write each child’s Full name and DOB. My hands were hurting and I was trying to write as fast as I could. So with all that being said, do it at home. You can also get a Money order payable to “U.S. Department of State.” You may purchase a money order at the Post Office with a debit card.
5. Pack snacks: I don’t know about you but feeding my kids their favorite snacks keep them happy during a potentially long appointment. Also pack some snacks for yourself, you may work up an appetite signing all those papers. lol
6. Decide if you need expedited or not. If you decide to do expedited, it will cost you $60 more per application, but it will guarantee your passport within 2-3 weeks. If you decide to go about the normal route, it will be 6-8 weeks. HOWEVER,  we did not pay for expedited and we received our passports in exactly 2 weeks since the initial application appointment. We applied during the slow season, so there aren’t as many passport applications going in during the fall and winter months. But if you were to apply during the spring, it’ll probably take the full 6-8 weeks, because everyone is trying to get their passport for spring and summer travels.

After you submit everything

Track everything online

Once everything is sent, you can actually track the status of your child’s passport on THIS website. You’ll just need their last name, birthday date and last 4 of their social. It will keep you updated where they are at in the application process. You’ll notice the status change from In Process>approved>shipped and they update it in real time. You can also choose to have email notifications sent to you. So any status change, you will get an email!

Passport and Birth Certificate will ship separately 

When you receive the passport, your child’s birth certificate WILL NOT be with the passport. It will come in a separate envelope about a week later. So don’t worry, they didn’t forget it.

PHEWWWW, that was a lot to share. But I want you all to learn from my mistakes. At then end of the day, we got it done, it took less than an hour for 5 applications and they came within 2 weeks, so that’s still a win in my books!! Congratulations on your family adventures! This is the first step in creating family travel memories which will live with them for a lifetime. NOW FILL UP THOSE PASSPORT PAGES!