A first passport for an infant is one of the few travel tasks that can't be done from your couch. The federal government requires every child applicant under 16 to appear in person with both parents, and that single rule shapes the rest of the process. The good news: the paperwork itself is straightforward, the fees are predictable, and once you know what the State Department actually checks, the appointment usually takes ten to fifteen minutes.

This guide walks through what an infant passport costs in 2026, which documents to bring, how the in-person requirement works for separated parents and military families, and the photo rules that trip up newborn applications. It covers both the passport book and the cheaper passport card, and explains when each one is the right choice for a family with a baby.

Quick Answer

A U.S. passport book for a child under 16 costs $135 in standard fees ($100 application plus $35 execution) and takes 4 to 6 weeks of routine processing as of April 2026. Expedited service adds $60 and reduces the wait to 2 to 3 weeks. Both parents must appear in person with the child at a passport acceptance facility.

Why an Infant Needs a Passport

Any U.S. citizen, regardless of age, needs a valid travel document to leave the country. There is no infant exception. A baby flying to Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, or anywhere else internationally needs the same primary travel document an adult does. The most common workaround parents ask about, sharing a parent's passport, was eliminated in 2002. Every traveler, including newborns, gets their own.

Even land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and most Caribbean nations require a valid passport book or passport card for U.S. citizens of all ages under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. A driver's license does not work, and a birth certificate alone has not been sufficient at land borders since 2009.

The earlier you apply, the more flexibility you have. Many international destinations require the passport to be valid for at least six months past the arrival date, which effectively shortens the usable life of a five-year child passport to roughly four and a half years for some itineraries.

What an Infant Passport Costs as of April 2026

Federal passport fees changed on April 2, 2024, and the structure has held steady since. The current breakdown for a U.S. citizen under 16:

  • Application fee for a passport book: $100, paid to the U.S. Department of State.
  • Execution fee: $35, paid to the passport acceptance facility.
  • Expedited processing (optional): $60 extra.
  • Priority return shipping (optional): $22.05 for one to two day delivery.
  • Passport card (optional add-on or standalone): $15 to the State Department.

Standard total for a passport book: $135. Expedited book with no priority shipping: $195. Expedited book with priority return shipping: $217.05. A standalone passport card runs $50 ($15 + $35 execution) and is valid for land and sea entry to Mexico, Canada, Bermuda, and the Caribbean only. It cannot be used for international air travel.

The $100 application fee must be paid by check or money order made out to "U.S. Department of State." The $35 execution fee can usually be paid by check, money order, debit card, or credit card depending on the facility. Bring two payment methods if you can, since some post offices restrict the application fee to paper checks only.

Book vs. Card for an Infant

Most families should get the passport book. It works for all international travel, including air, and the price difference for adding a card on top is small ($15 if applied at the same time). But the choice depends on planned travel:

  • Book only ($135): Right for any family planning international air travel within the five-year validity window.
  • Book and card together ($150): Useful if you want a wallet-sized backup for cruises and land border crossings, or if the second parent expects to travel separately.
  • Card only ($50): Reasonable for a baby whose international travel will only be cruises or driving trips into Canada or Mexico for the next five years. Rare, but valid.

Cards arrive in roughly the same processing time as books and follow the same in-person application rules.

Required Documents

The acceptance facility will turn families away for missing or incorrect documents, so build your folder before you book the appointment.

For the child:

  • Original or certified copy of the birth certificate showing both parents' full names. Hospital "souvenir" certificates do not count. The certified copy must come from the state or county vital records office.
  • Social Security number, if one has been assigned. Bring the card if you have it.
  • One passport photo, 2 by 2 inches, taken within the last six months on a plain white background.

For each applying parent:

  • Government-issued photo ID (driver's license, state ID, or U.S. passport).
  • A photocopy of the front and back of that ID. The acceptance facility usually wants the copy in addition to seeing the original.
  • Evidence of the parental relationship, typically the child's birth certificate naming the parent.

For separated, divorced, or non-attending parents:

  • Form DS-3053 (Statement of Consent) from the absent parent, signed in front of a notary public within the past three months.
  • A photocopy of the absent parent's photo ID, attached to the DS-3053.
  • In sole-custody situations: a certified court order granting full custody, OR Form DS-5525 (Statement of Special Family Circumstances) if the second parent cannot be located.

The DS-3053 is the most common source of delay. The notary must witness the signature, the form must be filled out correctly, and the absent parent's ID copy must be legible. Treat it as a serious step, not a formality.

Photo Requirements (Including the Newborn Problem)

Passport photo rules are identical for adults and infants on paper, which creates a real problem for newborns who cannot hold their head up or open their eyes on demand.

The official requirements:

  • 2 by 2 inches, color, taken within the last six months.
  • Plain white or off-white background.
  • Eyes open and looking at the camera.
  • Neutral facial expression, mouth closed.
  • No other people in the frame, including parents holding the baby.
  • No hats, headbands, glasses, or pacifiers.
  • No filters or digital edits.

The State Department officially allows two exceptions for very young infants. A newborn with eyes closed is acceptable. A baby photographed lying on a plain white sheet, photographed from directly above, is acceptable as long as the parent's hands and clothing are not visible in the frame. The trick most parents use: lay the baby on a clean white blanket or sheet, stand directly above, and photograph straight down. Use natural light from a window, no flash.

CVS, Walgreens, and most post offices offer passport photo services for $15 to $20, and many of them know the newborn-from-above technique. Doing it yourself is free, but the rejection rate is higher than for adult photos. If you submit a photo that gets rejected during processing, the State Department will mail you a notice and your application will pause until you provide a replacement, which typically adds three to four weeks.

The Application Process Step by Step

Step 1: Book a Passport Acceptance Appointment

Acceptance facilities include most U.S. Post Offices, many public libraries, county clerk offices, and some city halls. Post offices are the most common choice and usually the most professional, but they require an appointment for child applications. Use the State Department's facility locator at travel.state.gov to find your nearest options, then book directly through USPS at usps.com/scheduler if you are using a post office.

Appointment availability varies sharply by region. Major metro areas can be booked out two to four weeks; rural areas often have same-week openings. If your nearest post office shows no availability, search a wider radius. Driving 30 minutes to a less busy facility often beats waiting three weeks.

Step 2: Complete Form DS-11

Form DS-11 is the application for a first-time passport, including all child applications. Fill it out online using the State Department's Form Filler tool, then print single-sided on white paper. Do not sign it. The acceptance agent must witness the parent's signature on behalf of the child during the appointment.

Common mistakes on DS-11: writing the child's nickname instead of the legal name from the birth certificate, leaving Section 7 (parents' information) incomplete, and using a hospital birth certificate instead of the state-issued certified copy.

Step 3: Get the Photo

See the photo section above. Get this done before the appointment. Bring the printed photo to the facility, since they need a physical copy, not a digital file.

Step 4: Attend the Appointment Together

Both parents must appear in person with the child. This is the rule that surprises most first-time applicants. Both parents sign Form DS-11 in front of the acceptance agent, the agent verifies all documents, the fees are paid (application fee in one form, execution fee separately), and the application is sealed in an envelope and mailed to the State Department.

If both parents genuinely cannot attend, the absent parent's DS-3053 stands in for their physical presence. Military families, families with one parent deployed, and families with one parent abroad use this exception routinely. The DS-3053 must be the original notarized form, not a copy.

The appointment itself usually takes 10 to 15 minutes if your paperwork is in order, longer if anything is missing.

Step 5: Track and Wait

Once the State Department receives the application, typically a few days after the appointment, you can track status at travel.state.gov/passportstatus using the child's last name, date of birth, and the last four digits of their Social Security number. Status moves through "In Process" to "Approved" to "Mailed."

Processing Times in 2026

As of April 2026, the State Department lists these timelines:

  • Routine processing: 4 to 6 weeks from receipt at the State Department.
  • Expedited processing: 2 to 3 weeks from receipt, for an extra $60.
  • These windows do not include mailing time on either end. Add roughly one week each direction, or pay $22.05 for priority return shipping to compress the inbound side.

For genuinely urgent travel within 14 days, you can book an appointment at one of the regional passport agencies (there are 26 in the U.S.). Those appointments are limited, only release within two weeks of departure, and require proof of imminent international travel. Plan to call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 the moment you know you need this route.

Validity, Renewal, and the Five-Year Reset

Child passports issued to applicants under 16 are valid for five years from the issue date. Adult passports are valid for ten. The shorter validity reflects how much a child's appearance changes; a passport photo of a six-month-old is not useful identification at age six.

Child passports cannot be renewed by mail. Every renewal is a fresh DS-11 application with both parents present, all documents reassembled, and a new photo. There is no shortcut and no online renewal path until the child turns 16. Build that into your travel calendar, because five years is a long time and the renewal often falls right before a planned trip.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The most frequent reasons child passport applications get delayed:

  1. Wrong birth certificate. Hospital souvenir certificates are not accepted. Order a certified copy from the state vital records office well before the appointment.
  2. Pre-signed Form DS-11. The acceptance agent must witness the signature. A pre-signed form gets rejected at the counter.
  3. Photo problems. Eyes closed (older infants), parent's hand visible, off-white background that reads as cream. Pay for the $15 photo service if you are unsure.
  4. DS-3053 over 90 days old. The notarized statement of consent expires after three months. Re-notarize if the appointment slips.
  5. Booking too late for travel. Routine processing is 4 to 6 weeks plus 1 to 2 weeks of mailing. Build in 8 weeks minimum, or pay for expedited service.

Tips From Experience

A few practical points that the official guidance does not emphasize:

  • Schedule the appointment for a happy hour of day. Babies are easier to photograph and easier to keep calm when fed and rested. Mid-morning, post-nap, post-feeding tends to work better than late afternoon.
  • Bring a backup outfit. Spit-up on a white onesie photographs as a stain in passport scans. Have a clean change ready.
  • Photocopy everything yourself. Acceptance facilities sometimes have a working copier and sometimes do not. Bring copies of both parents' IDs and the birth certificate even though the originals come too.
  • Order two birth certificates. Some states charge a flat fee for the first and a discounted rate for additional copies in the same order. The second one is useful for school enrollment, REAL ID applications, and the first passport renewal.
  • Save the receipt. The application fee receipt becomes useful if there is any dispute about a missing application later.

After the Passport Arrives

The new passport will arrive by mail two to three weeks after approval, in a plain envelope. The supporting documents (the birth certificate, the original DS-3053, and any court orders) come back separately. Sign the back of the passport on behalf of the child (write the child's name, then "by [your name], parent"), or wait and have the child sign it themselves once they can write.

Once the passport is in hand, the next step for a family planning international travel is figuring out the rest of the trip. Travel insurance is worth pricing for international travel with a baby; medical evacuation alone can cost five figures and is rarely covered by domestic health insurance abroad. Comparison sites like InsureMyTrip let you quote multiple carriers at once, which is more useful than buying whatever the airline offers at checkout.

For families considering enrollment in trusted-traveler programs, infants do not need their own Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership to use parents' benefits at most U.S. airports. Children under 12 are typically allowed in PreCheck lanes with an enrolled parent. Global Entry rules vary; some children need their own membership and some do not, depending on the parent's enrollment type.

Bottom Line

A first passport for a baby costs $135 in standard fees as of April 2026, takes 4 to 6 weeks of routine processing, and requires both parents in person with a complete document set. The process is not complicated; it just has more moving parts than most travelers expect, and skipping any one of them resets the clock.

Apply as soon as you know international travel is in the plan, even if no specific trip is booked yet. The five-year validity and the in-person renewal requirement make procrastination expensive. With the passport in hand and a few months of buffer, family international travel becomes a question of where to go, not whether the paperwork is ready.

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