A child's passport,
done right the first time.
Both parents have to show up, in person, at the same appointment. That is the rule that catches families out, and it is the first thing to plan around. Here is what our own appointment at the post office in Dover, NH actually looked like, what it costs in 2026, and why we never paid for expedited service.
Both parents, one appointment, about 30 minutes.
A minor's passport application has to be made in person, with both parents present, at a State Department acceptance facility, most commonly a post office. Our appointment was at the post office in Dover, New Hampshire. We needed it in advance and got there on time; the whole thing, start to finish, took about 30 minutes and was straightforward once we had the right paperwork in hand.
Both parents actually have to be there.
This is the rule that surprises first-time applicants. It is not enough for one parent to bring the child and the paperwork. Both parents need to appear in person at the same appointment, or the parent who cannot make it needs to provide a notarized document consenting to the application. We have done it both ways: with both of us there, and with a notarized statement standing in for the parent who could not come. Skip this step and the acceptance facility will turn the application away, which means starting over on a new appointment.
The simplest path. Both parents show government ID, sign the application in front of the acceptance agent, and the appointment moves quickly.
If one parent genuinely cannot attend, bring a notarized statement from that parent consenting to the passport application. Get it notarized before the appointment, not on the way there. A bank or a UPS Store can usually notarize same-day if needed.
2026 fees, routine processing.
A passport book for a child under 16 runs $100 to the State Department plus a $35 execution fee paid to the acceptance facility, $135 total. A passport card alone is $15 plus the same $35 execution fee. Expedited service adds $60 on top of that. Verify the current number at travel.state.gov before you pay, since the State Department revises these periodically and this page will not always catch the change the same day it happens.
We did not pay for expedited processing. We applied early enough that routine service was fine, and the $60 stayed in our pocket. If a trip is already booked and the departure date is close, expediting is the right call; if you are planning ahead for next year's school vacation week, you almost certainly do not need it.
The paperwork, in one place.
A certified birth certificate with a raised seal, or a previous passport if one exists. A hospital-issued birth certificate is not enough on its own.
A driver's license or other valid photo ID for each parent attending, plus a photocopy of each ID to leave with the application.
The child has to be present at the appointment regardless of age, including infants.
Many post offices will take it on site for an extra fee; check when booking the appointment so you are not caught needing to find a photo spot beforehand.
Start earlier than feels necessary.
The appointment itself is fast. The wait is for the passport to actually arrive after you apply, and that timeline moves with State Department volume, which spikes before summer and before school vacation weeks. The honest fix is starting the process as soon as a trip is a real possibility, not once flights are booked. A child's passport book is valid for 5 years, half the 10-year validity of an adult's, so budget for renewing again sooner than you would for yourself.
What families ask us.
Do both parents have to be there for a child's passport?
Yes, in person, at the same appointment, unless the absent parent provides notarized written consent. We ran into this ourselves: one parent could not make the appointment, so the other brought a notarized statement giving consent instead. Without either both parents present or that notarized document, the acceptance facility will not process the application.
How much does a child's passport cost in 2026?
A passport book for a minor under 16 is $100 to the State Department plus a $35 execution fee paid to the acceptance facility, $135 total. A passport card alone is $15 plus the $35 execution fee. Expediting adds $60. These are the routine, non-expedited numbers; verify the current figure at travel.state.gov before paying, since the State Department revises fees periodically.
How long does a child's passport appointment actually take?
Our appointment at the post office in Dover, NH took about 30 minutes, start to finish, and was straightforward. The appointment itself is the fast part. Processing time for the passport to actually arrive is the longer wait, and that is where planning ahead matters more than paying for expedited service.
Do you need to pay for expedited processing?
Not if you start early. We skipped the expedite fee entirely by applying well before we needed the passport. If a trip is already booked and close, expediting is worth the extra cost; if you are planning a trip abroad for next year's school vacation week, you have time to save the $60.
Can a child's passport be renewed instead of reapplied for?
No. Minors under 16 cannot use the mail-in renewal process adults use. Every application for a child is an in-person, first-time-style application, and a child's passport book is valid for 5 years instead of the 10 years an adult's is good for.
Next in the booking order.
The locked dates for next year, so you know exactly how much runway the passport process actually has.
Once passports are in hand, this is where the actual trip planning starts: what flies nonstop from Boston and when.
Kyle is a licensed Fora travel advisor now. We handle the flights, the stay and the day-by-day plan, at no extra cost to you.
Passport handled. What's next?
The Boston-to-Europe family flight guide: which routes run year-round, the order we book things in, and how far ahead to buy for a school vacation week.
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