US Passport for Your Child Born in the USA: Steps and Fees
Your child born in the US is a US citizen from the moment of birth and needs their own US passport, even if they also hold another nationality.
In short: A child born on US soil is automatically a US citizen. To get their passport, file Form DS-11 in person at an acceptance facility with both parents present (or notarized consent from the absent one), and pay $135 total for the passport book alone (as of February 2026).
Is my US-born child automatically a citizen?
Yes. Any child born on US territory automatically acquires US citizenship under the 14th Amendment, regardless of the parents' nationality or immigration status. This is completely separate from your home country's citizenship, which is governed by that country's own law.
Steps to get a child's passport (Form DS-11)
- Book an appointment at an accepting passport acceptance facility (many large post offices, some courts and libraries).
- Gather documents: the child's original birth certificate, both parents' ID, and a passport-compliant photo of the child.
- Bring the other parent. In principle, both parents must appear together to sign Form DS-11 in front of the acceptance clerk.
- Pay the fees as two separate payments: the application fee to the State Department and the execution fee to the acceptance facility.
What documents prove each parent's identity?
Each parent needs a current government-issued photo ID — a US driver's license, a green card, or a valid foreign passport. If one parent hasn't yet gotten a US ID (driver's license or green card), their valid foreign passport is usually accepted as identification instead, as long as it has a clear photo and signature. Make sure the name on your ID matches exactly what you'll write on Form DS-11 to avoid getting asked for extra clarification.
Official fees as of February 2026
| Application type | Application fee | Execution fee |
|---|---|---|
| Passport book only (under 16) | $100 | $35 |
| Passport card only (land/sea travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, Caribbean) | $15 | $35 |
| Book and card together | $115 | $35 |
Optional expedite service adds $60, and 1-3 day delivery adds $22.05, per the official fee chart. Check the current figure at travel.state.gov/passportfees before paying, since fees change over time.
Can you expedite for an urgent trip (death, illness, an emergency back home)?
Yes. Besides the paid expedite service, the passport agency handles true life-or-death emergency travel (a family death or serious illness) within less than 72 hours through a different process that requires booking an appointment directly at a regional passport agency, not a regular acceptance facility like a post office. Bring documentation of the emergency (a death notice or medical report), and call the National Passport Information Center to find the nearest regional agency and the requirements for an urgent appointment before heading there.
Validity period — where most people get tripped up
Passports for children under 16 are valid for only 5 years and cannot be renewed with a simplified renewal form — when it expires, you file a brand-new DS-11 application from scratch.
What if the child's passport is lost or stolen?
Reporting a lost or stolen child's passport uses roughly the same form as an adult's (DS-64), online or by mail, followed by a brand-new full application via DS-11 with the same parental presence and full fees — there's no "discounted replacement" for a child's passport. If the loss happens during a trip abroad, contact the nearest US embassy or consulate immediately for an emergency travel document to get home, then apply for the permanent passport once you're back.
Book vs. card — which one does your child need?
A passport book is the full document valid for air travel to any country in the world, which is what you need for a trip to family in the Middle East. A passport card is cheaper but far more limited: it's valid only for land or sea travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean, and it doesn't work for international air travel at all. For most Arab families traveling to visit relatives, the book is the only sensible choice — think of the card only as an optional add-on if you plan frequent land trips to Canada or Mexico.
What happens when the child turns 16?
At 16, the rules change significantly: the passport becomes valid for 10 years instead of 5, and parental presence or consent is no longer needed — the child can apply on their own as an adult in the eyes of the passport office (even though they're still a minor for other purposes). This means a passport issued at age 10, for example, expires at 15, requiring a brand-new full DS-11 application with parents present, not a simple renewal.
Does your child need two passports — US and Arab — when traveling?
Usually yes, and this trips up many Arab families. If your child holds dual nationality, the common practice is entering and leaving the US on the US passport (since US law requires this of citizens), and entering your home country on the Arab passport if that country also requires it of its own citizens. Carry both passports on every trip, and check your specific country's rules through its embassy, since some Arab countries enforce this more strictly than others.
Do you need to translate the child's name if it's structured the Arabic way?
The US birth certificate is written directly in Latin letters as the parents pronounce it at hospital registration, so no additional translation is needed for the passport application itself. But be careful to register the name with the exact spelling you intend to use on all the child's other US documents later, since changing it after the birth certificate is issued requires a separate formal correction process that can take longer than waiting for the passport itself.
Can my child also hold an Arab nationality?
US law doesn't prohibit dual nationality. But whether your child acquires your home country's citizenship (Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia...) depends entirely on that country's own law — some grant it automatically through the father, others require consular registration. Check with your country's embassy directly rather than assuming the US passport alone covers everything.
Photo requirements — a common cause of rejected applications
A child's passport photo follows nearly the same standards as an adult's: a white or off-white background, the face looking straight at the camera with a neutral expression, no glasses, and no visible hand holding an infant in the frame (you can prop the baby in a car seat or a neutral-colored cover instead of a visible parent's hand). Many infant applications get rejected or delayed over a photo that doesn't meet these standards — get it done at a studio or a pharmacy that specializes in passport photos rather than trying to shoot it at home.
What if the parents are separated or divorced?
If you have full documented legal custody under a court order, submitting a copy of the custody order can substitute for the other parent's consent. With joint or undocumented custody, the default rule still applies: both parents present, or notarized consent (DS-3053) from the absent one. Don't assume your family situation is "obvious" to the clerk — bring any official legal document showing custody before the appointment to avoid a same-day rejection.
Worked example: a Jordanian family getting their newborn's passport
Picture a Jordanian family whose baby was born at a hospital in Virginia. The practical steps after birth: (1) get the US birth certificate from state vital records first — usually a few weeks, (2) apply for the baby's Social Security number (often done automatically with the birth certificate paperwork at the hospital if the parents opt in), (3) book a DS-11 appointment for the US passport as soon as the original birth certificate arrives, (4) contact the Jordanian consulate to register the child and determine whether Jordanian citizenship passes automatically through the father or requires an extra step. This order matters because each step usually depends on the one before it being finished.
What if the clerk misspells the child's name on the passport?
Occasionally a child's name comes back on the passport spelled differently from the birth certificate because of a data-entry error. Check the passport the moment it arrives by mail and compare it letter-by-letter to the birth certificate; if you find an agency error, it can usually be corrected free of charge if reported within a short window after receipt (check the exact terms on travel.state.gov), but waiting too long to report it can turn the fix into a paid "amendment" application instead.
Common mistakes
- Showing up to the appointment without the other parent or their notarized consent.
- Assuming a child's passport renews the way an adult's does — it doesn't; you reapply from scratch every 5 years.
- Forgetting the application and execution fees are two separate payments, sometimes by different methods.
- Delaying registering the child with their home-country consulate, assuming the US passport alone is enough for every purpose.
What's next?
If your child was born abroad to a US citizen parent, the process is entirely different — see the CRBA guide. To enroll your child in a US school, see the school enrollment guide. For name spelling mismatches across documents, see the name transliteration guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do both parents have to be present?
In principle yes; if one parent can't attend, you can submit a notarized Form DS-3053 or another notarized consent statement instead of appearing in person.
How much does a child's passport cost?
As of February 2026: $100 application fee to the State Department plus $35 execution fee to the acceptance facility for the passport book alone, per the official fee chart on travel.state.gov.
How long is a child's passport valid?
Passports for children under 16 are valid for only 5 years and cannot be renewed — you apply for a new one each time.
Can my child hold another nationality alongside US citizenship?
US law doesn't prohibit dual nationality, but your home country's law determines whether the child automatically acquires that nationality or needs an additional step — check with your country's embassy.
Where do I apply?
At any accepting passport acceptance facility (many large post offices, some courts and libraries) — book an appointment ahead of time to avoid a long wait.
Official sources we reviewed
- US State Department — Passport for a child under 16 ↗
- US State Department — Passport Fee Chart (Feb 2026) ↗