Wow! I cannot believe how fast time is going, and it is almost summer. With time passing by so quickly, before we know it, kids will be going back to school again in the fall, and we will be planning our winter getaways. We love to travel, and if you do too, you will want to start making plans to get your kids their passports/passport cards now. This way, you will have them if you ever decide to take a vacation, cruise, or have any other reason to leave the country.
When applying for a passport for a child under the age of 16, you must apply in person using Form DS-11 (Click here for the website for the form.) Passports for children under the age of 16 are only valid for five years. Appointments can be made at select Henderson, Boulder City, Las Vegas U.S. Post Offices, and the City Clerk’s Office in Henderson and Las Vegas.
Once Form DS-11 is completed, you will need to gather up all necessary documents and make an appointment to complete the application process. Documents required for passports for those under the age of 18 include:
- Evidence of U.S. Citizenship
- Photocopy of Evidence of U.S. Citizenship
- Proof of Parental Relationship or Parental Consent
- Photo ID of Parent
- Photocopy of Parent’s Photo ID
- Passport Photo
- Payment for Fees
Allow six to eight weeks for passport applications to be processed and mailed to you. Though in some situations, the process is faster, this is the standard time frame. Passport applications can be expedited for an additional fee.
Because a child’s appearance is continually changing when they are young, it is required that you re-apply for your child’s passport every five years. The renewal process is the same as you originally applied for the passport. Adults can renew their passports every ten years using a more straightforward renewal process.
Though this process may seem a bit overwhelming, it is not as complicated as it looks. We did this five years ago for our son and again when we renewed it recently. It was a lot simpler than we expected. We had many questions, and the Postal Workers were great at answering our questions when we made the appointment and taking their time with us the day of our application appointment. As long as you have everything prepared and ready, you should have no issues filling out your child’s passport.
