Although some people seem to think otherwise, infants engaging in international travel must have a valid U.S. passport. All U.S. citizens must have a valid passport for international travel. An passport is very similar to normal passports, with a few exceptions.

There are plenty of people that merely shake their head as the prospect of having to have a passport for their child. First and foremost, it is still a matter of national security. If children were able to come in and out of the country with no checks and balances, pure chaos could ensue. As any parent can imagine, this could lead to plenty of legal problems.

Something else to consider are such horrible things as human trafficking and kidnapping. Believe it or not, this happens with parents of children who are trying to get away from another parent. The angry mother who has just lost her child custody case or perhaps the father that has disappeared to another country and suddenly shows up and wants his child back.

Applying for an infant passport is rather similar to applying for an adult passport, save a few practical differences. Obviously and infant will not be able to fill out his or her own passport form. A parent will have to fill out the forms, and a parent will have to aid in the passport photo process.

Since the children will not be able to sign the passport, this must also be handled by the parents. This is like more of a co-signature in that the parent signs there name in place of the child. It will go next to the child on the passport and serve as their signature until the child can actually get a passport renewal and sign the passport on their own.

If a parent needs to sign a passport in place of a child, the parent must print the full name of the child, and then beside the child’s name, they must sign their own name and write their relationship to the child (mother, father, guardian, etc…) in parenthesis next to their own signature. Ideally, the parent traveling with the infant should be the parent to sign the passport. However, this is not necessary, as other laws ensure both parents consent to child passports.

In order for a child younger than sixteen to obtain a passport, the child must receive written consent from both parents or guardians. This is part of new law passed in an attempt to prevent international custody disputes. A child under sixteen must apply for a passport in person, and both parents must sign form DS-11, in person, together, with the child. A child cannot receive a passport without both parents present.

Clearly, there are a lot of sound reasons behind the laws that require an infant u s passport. Because international travel is always a concern for national security, it is imperative that all citizens carry their USA passports, even infants and newborns. Anyone with an infant considering international travel should most definitely take steps to start the passport application process as soon as possible.