kid passport tips

I sent this to our local parenting d-lists today...

Since this comes up often on-list, I wanted to briefly share our passport application experience for our girls, recently (successfully) completed. Much of this info can be gleaned from the State Department page on children's passports at http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/minors/minors_834.html -- but there are some gotchas to avoid.

First, the good news: despite the estimated three-month backlog, the two passports we applied for on Saturday Sept. 1 -- no rush or expediting, just a standard application -- arrived back at our post office on Monday Sept. 17. This is not to say that your process will be as fast, but it does indicate that some of the crunch has been relieved. You should still apply for a passport at least six months in advance of any overseas travel plans, if you possibly can... this early prep will do wonders for your stress level. (We're not going anywhere until next summer, and this is an extremely uncharacteristic burst of organizational energy for us. :-)

Now, the tricky bits. We applied at our local post office (Bay Ridge Station, 54th and 7th Ave) and had to make a return visit due to poor preparation on our end, so hopefully you can learn from our errors. Post offices vary in terms of the hours they accept passport applications, and I recommend arriving at the beginning of a shift to avoid long waits in line.

First, it's a family outing. Not only does the minor applicant (the kid/s) have to appear in person, but all parents or legal guardians have to be present as well. If a parent is not present you'll need a notarized form DS-3053 (http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds3053/ds3053_846.html) to grant permission for the passport application. Single parents must provide evidence of authority to apply, and the acceptable items are listed on the webpage. In general it is much easier if everyone is present in person. Be sure to bring appropriate ID, proof of citizenship and documentation for all participants. If you have a current passport, that's good ID/proof for a parent. Foreign-born parents who are now US citizens may want to bring naturalization paperwork as well.

Second, don't assume the instructions are optional. We had paper copies of the passport application for reference, but we filled in applications online (from http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/forms_847.html) and printed those out. Unfortunately we only brought the "relevant" pages with us to the post office -- the pages with the actual application info, not the instructions/'your legal rights' pages -- and even though we had copies of the paper forms, if you print out the online application, you must bring all the printed pages with you to the post office. Although the website indicates pages 1-4 (out of six) must come with you, don't take the chance of getting a passport processor who doesn't know the exact rules; bring 'em all. (This cost us a day and a return trip to the post office, along with the next gotcha...)

Third, measure your pictures. We took digital pictures of the kids (fine) and printed them out on photo paper on our HP inkjet printer (also generally fine). The rules are very specific, though -- you need two copies of the same picture, and they must be exactly in spec (2x2", precise head size, etc.). One of our pictures was a wee bit too small... and there you have the second part of our one-day delay. Check the pictures against the template on the applications and also against a ruler.

Fourth, you can't waltz in and pick them up. When our two girls' passports had arrived, Heidi went to pick them up with the postal slips in hand. The post office would not release the passports without seeing the girls' social security cards, to prove that we were the proper recipients of the passports. I imagine you could bring the kids along to pick up the passports and match them to the photographs as well, but we didn't try that.

I hope this provides some help. Good luck!