International travel with a baby: passport & document rules

If you haven't booked yet, our due date calculator can help you map travel dates against your baby's expected age — useful because passport processing time eats into your runway.

Yes, your baby needs their own passport

There is no exception for infants. A baby cannot travel on a parent's passport. Every US citizen, regardless of age, needs their own individual passport book for international air travel. The book is valid for 5 years for anyone under 16.

A passport card is cheaper but only works for land and sea border crossings to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. For any flight outside the US, you need the book.

The application process, start to finish

Children under 16 cannot apply online or by mail for a first passport. The application must be in person, and both parents (or legal guardians) must be present or provide notarized consent. Here's the sequence:

1. Find a passport acceptance facility. Most post offices, some libraries, and many county clerks. Search at travel.state.gov for your nearest one. Some require appointments. Book 2 to 3 weeks ahead.
2. Fill out Form DS-11. Print it. Don't sign it. The agent watches you sign.
3. Get a passport-compliant photo. More on this below.
4. Gather: certified birth certificate (original, not a copy), both parents' valid government photo IDs (original AND a photocopy of each), evidence of US citizenship for the parents, the unsigned DS-11, the passport photo.
5. Both parents and the baby appear together at the facility. The agent reviews documents, witnesses the signature, takes the application, and mails it.
6. Pay the fees. The $130 application fee goes to the US State Department (check or money order). The $35 execution fee goes to the post office or facility (separate payment, often only credit or cash).
7. Wait. Track at travel.state.gov.

If only one parent can be there

This is common and the State Department has a clear path. The absent parent must:

• Complete Form DS-3053 (Statement of Consent), notarized.
• Include a photocopy of their government-issued photo ID (front and back).

If one parent has sole legal custody, bring the court order showing it. If a parent is deceased, bring the certified death certificate. If a parent cannot be located, that's Form DS-5525 (Statement of Exigent/Special Family Circumstances), which is significantly harder and usually requires evidence of custody and good-faith effort to locate.

The passport photo (the hard part)

Most baby passport applications get delayed or rejected because of the photo. The requirements are strict:

• 2x2 inches, color, on plain white background.
• Head straight, facing the camera. No tilt.
• Mouth closed. Eyes open. Neutral expression (no smile).
• No hands, pacifiers, fingers, blankets, or toys visible.
• No shadows on face or background.
• Taken within the last 6 months.

For newborns and babies who can't sit, the State Department officially allows the baby to lie on a plain white sheet, photographed from directly above, with no one supporting them in frame. In practice: lay baby on a white sheet on the floor, photograph from straight above, edit nothing.

Walgreens, CVS, FedEx, and AAA all do passport photos. AAA is often the cheapest if you have a membership. They know the rules. Use them. The $15 is worth not having your application rejected.

Processing times in 2026

• Routine processing: 6 to 8 weeks for the application to be processed, plus mailing. Plan on 8 to 11 weeks from the day you submit.
• Expedited processing: 2 to 3 weeks plus mailing. Add $60 to the application fee. Mark "EXPEDITE" on the envelope at submission.
• Urgent (life or death emergency): Same-week, by appointment at a regional agency.

Times spike around holidays and summer. If you're traveling between June and August, apply by mid-March at the latest. The State Department posts current wait times on their site weekly.

Visa requirements

Babies need visas for the same countries adults do. The US passport covers visa-free entry to about 180 countries for short tourist stays. Common destinations that need a visa or pre-arrival authorization even for infants:

• Canada: No visa needed for US citizens but you must have a passport book.
• UK: No visa needed for short tourist stays.
• Schengen Area (most of Europe): No visa for stays under 90 days. ETIAS authorization starts in 2026 — check status closer to travel.
• Australia and New Zealand: ETA required. Apply online. Baby's name on baby's own application.
• Brazil, India, China, Russia: Visa required. Apply 6 to 8 weeks in advance.
• Mexico: No visa for stays under 180 days. Passport book required for air travel.

Verify everything at travel.state.gov before you assume a destination is visa-free. Rules change.

What the airline checks at the gate

For international flights, the gate agent checks:

• Baby's passport (must match the name on the ticket exactly).
• Validity. Many destinations require the passport to be valid for 6 months past your return date. Check this. A passport that expires while you're abroad can deny boarding.
• The traveling parent's ID and passport.
• If only one parent is flying with the baby, some airlines and some destinations ask for a notarized letter of consent from the non-traveling parent. Bring one even if not required. It costs you nothing. It saves the trip.

The consent letter from the non-traveling parent should include: child's full name and date of birth, travel dates and destinations, traveling parent's name, non-traveling parent's name and contact info, and a notary stamp. Templates are everywhere online.

For lap infants on international flights

Most international airlines charge for a lap infant ticket even though the baby sits on your lap. It's usually 10 percent of the adult fare plus taxes. Book the lap infant when you book the parent ticket. Don't show up without one — they will deny boarding.

The baby gets their own boarding pass. The baby's name on it must match the passport exactly. Same goes for visa applications. A typo on your end becomes a 5-hour problem at the airport.

Custody and divorce situations

If you are divorced or separated and have shared custody, US Customs and Border Protection has the right to ask for a custody agreement or a notarized consent letter before letting you out of the country with a child. They use this to prevent international parental abduction.

If you are the parent without primary physical custody, you need explicit written consent from the other parent. If you are the parent with primary custody, bring a copy of the court order. Either way, this rarely comes up at US departure but frequently comes up at international entry, especially Mexico and Canada.

The day-of checklist

• Baby's passport (in your carry-on, not your checked bag).
• Your passport. Valid 6 months past return.
• Visas if needed (printed and in passport).
• Notarized consent letter from non-traveling parent (if applicable).
• Court order or custody documents (if applicable).
• Certified birth certificate (a backup if anything's questioned).
• Vaccination records if traveling to a country that requires yellow fever certificate, etc.
• Travel insurance card.
• Pediatrician's contact info and any prescription medications in original packaging.