Our son has had a passport since he was 4 months old.  I highly recommend to all parents that you take the time to get a passport for your kids right away even if you don’t have an immediate trip planned.  You never know when you might want to pop into Mexico or Canada or head to Europe!  No matter how young your child is, they need a passport to leave the country.

It can be tricky getting a passport photo of a baby but be patient!  Mack got his right the first time but mine had to be redone several times! We went to our local post office and they were super helpful.  The photo can’t have any part of you in it so you have to hold your baby just right.  It must be on a white background with no shadows.  The eyes have to be open and the face has to be straight forward.  You can imagine this might be difficult with a wiggly baby!  You can take the photo at home if that’s easier for you, just make sure you follow the criteria.  There are some YouTube videos you can check out and you can visit the passport website which gives specific instructions.  https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/photos/photos.html

Both parents need to be present to sign the passport paperwork for your child.  If only one parent is available, there is a form that can be completed authorizing consent.  We had to use the form since my husband was deployed.

For specific details getting a passport for a minor under 16 years of age, visit this website https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/under-16.html#consent

A lesson we learned a couple weeks ago is if you as a parent have Global Entry, enroll your child in Global Entry, otherwise you have to stand in the regular customs line coming back into the country.