Does a 7-year-old Need a Passport?

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It can be difficult to figure out exactly what you need for a 7-year-old when travelling with them, do they need a passport? What kind of legal documentation do you need to bring if you are traveling with a minor? I decided to find that out myself.

Does a 7-year-old need a passport? When travelling internationally all children must show a valid U.S. passport. This is regardless of the child’s age also. If your child is travelling domestically, they do not need to show a passport, but a form of identity to be shown as proof will be required.

When it comes to figuring out the process of flying with a child, especially a 7-year-old, it can be frustrating and confusing to know what rules and regulations you need to follow in order to travel with them.

If you are curious to know of the application process for your child’s passport continue reading!

Passport Application Guide: Minors Under 16

Fill Out DS-11 Form
Provide U.S. Citizenship Evidence
Bring a Photocopy of U.S. Citizenship Evidence
Show Parental Relationship
Present ID
Bring a Photocopy of ID
Show Parental Consent
Provide a Photo
Calculate Fees
Submit Your Completed Application

(1 Fill Out DS-11 Form)

To begin, here is a link to the DS-11 form for a U.S. Passport application. While filling out the form it is important to note that you should not sign your child’s application unless you are instructed to by an acceptance agent.

You will also need to provide your child’s Social Security number if they have been issued one. And if your child does not have a Social Security number, you will submit a statement that is signed and dated.

It must say, "I declared under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of American that the following is true and correct: (Child's Full Name) has never been issued a Social Security Number by the Social Security Administration."

(2 Provide U.S. Citizenship Evidence)

After completing the DS-11 form you will then submit a form of proof of U.S. Citizenship for your child. These documents must be original or a certified copy. Photocopies ARE NOT accepted.

An example of a form of citizenship would be a fully-valid, and undamaged U.S. Passport (it can be expired also). Or your child’s U.S. Birth Certificate that will need to meet the following requirements in order to be considered for the application.

Issued by your county, city, or state of birth
It must list the applicant’s (your child’s) full name, date of birth, and place of birth
It must list the parent’s full names
It needs to have the date filed with the registrar’s office
Have the registrar’s signature
A seal issuing authority

(3 Bring a Photocopy of U.S. Citizenship Evidence)

Bringing a photocopy of U.S. Citizenship Evidence is the next step of the process. It must be submitted with the copy covering the front and back of the evidence.

The photocopy you will want to submit should be legible, on white standard paper (8.5”x 11”), black and white, and single sided.

You do not want to submit a photocopy of your evidence you can submit a certified second copy of that same evidence which they will keep. If you fail to submit some form of evidence your passport application processing will be delayed.

(4 Show Parental Relationship)

Since your child is a minor and cannot complete this process on his or her own you will need to submit some form of documentation that will prove your relation to your child.

You can use any of the following to prove your parental relationship (these forms must also be originals):

U.S. birth certificate (along with evidence of citizenship)
Consular Report of Birth Abroad (evidence of U.S. citizenship will be required as well)
Foreign birth certificate
Adoption decree
Divorce/Custody decree

Important Note: A few documents such as a U.S. birth certificate will show both U.S. citizenship and parental relationship.

(5 Present ID)

Whether you are the child’s legal guardian or parent you must present one of the following forms of identification so the acceptance agent may proceed with the process of your application.

In-state, fully-valid driver’s license
Valid or expired, undamaged, U.S. passport
Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship
Government employee ID (city, county, state or federal)
U.S. military ID or military dependent ID
Valid foreign passport
Matricula Consular (Mexican Consular Identification, commonly used by a parent of a U.S. citizen child applicant)

(6 Bring a Photocopy ID)

When you proceed to presenting your photocopy ID to the acceptance agent you must make sure that your ID is copied onto plain white standard paper. It cannot be double-sided and you are not allowed to make the image smaller though you are allowed to enlarge it.

(7 Show Parental Consent)

Both of the parents will need to authorize the child’s passport. It is also best to do this if both parents go in person with their child when applying for the passport.

This will make it easier for the identification and verifying process to go through.

(8 Provide a Photo)

You will need to provide a photo of your child when going into the application process. It is important to remember that you should not attach the photo to the form.

If you happen to be also taking care of an infant’s passport and don’t know how to lay the baby for photos here are some tips:

Lay your baby down onto its back on a white blanket
Or you can cover your car seat with a white blanket and take a picture of your child in its seat so it is comfortable
Make sure no one else is in the photo
Though it is ideal to have your baby looking into the camera, it is not required

(9 Calculate Fees)

It is important to make sure that you will have the means to pay for the process if you happen to be accepted. So below is a chart where you can locate how much it costs to go through with either of the three methods of receiving a passport.

Product	Form	Application Fee	Execution Fee
Passport Book	DS-11	$80.00	$35.00
Passport Card	DS-11	$15.00	$35.00
Passport Book and Card	DS-11	$95.00	$35.00

The application feed and execution fee are unfortunately paid separately.

(10 Submit Your Completed Application)

If you reside within the United States you must submit your child’s application, including their citizenship evidence, photocopy of ID, and fees in person at a passport acceptance facility.