Us passport for minors

All Minors Must Appear in Person
(The rule goes in effect starting February 1, 2004)

To enhance the accurate identification of passport applicants and aid in the prevention of international child abduction and trafficking, the Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs has begun requiring the personal appearance of all minors applying for U.S. passports. This applies to all regular, official and diplomatic passports for children under the age of 14, even if the child has previously been issued a passport.

Prior to the introduction of this requirement, parents were not routinely required to bring a child under the age of 14 with them when they applied on the child's behalf. Now, when applying for a passport on behalf of a minor under the age of 14, parents are required to have their child present and submit documentation of parental relationship and consent, as well as comply with all other documentation requirements for the issuance of a passport.

The personal appearance requirement for all minors is a further step towards ensuring the integrity of the passport application process.

Consent Statements by Non-Applying Parents Included with Passport Applications for Minors Under Age 14 Must Be Notarized. Effective November 1, 2004, the Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs will begin requiring that all consent statements by a non-applying parent included with U.S. passport applications for minors under age 14 be notarized. The consent statement must include the child's name and date of birth, as well as parent's identification information or a copy of his/her ID.

These new requirements are being implemented to enhance the accurate identification of applicants and aid in the prevention of international child abduction and substitution.