How to apply for a US passport for a baby

When applying for a new U.S. passport, each child under 16 must appear in person at a passport agency. Both parents must present with their child and co-sign the application form to show their consent. To check the nearest passport agency, check here.

When you have submitted your application materials, your passport agency will put your files in an envelope and mail it to the Department of State. The normal process time is 4 to 6 weeks. If you need to get a passport quickly, we can help you with expedited service. Our expedited processing time is 5 business days. If you have an emergency, will be traveling in 24-48 hours, we can provide extremely urgent service, which is one business day processing time.

Checking list for minors under 16

  1. Fill out Form DS-11
  • Please complete your form DS-11 before come to a passport agency. But do not sign your name until instructed to do so by the acceptance agent.
  • If your child has a Social Security number, you must provide that on the application form.
  • If your child does not have a SSN, you must submit a signed statement including the phrase, “I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the following is true and correct:  (Child’s full name) has never been issued a Social Security Number by the Social Security Administration.”
  1. Two Passport Photos (2” x 2” on a white or clear background)
  2. U.S. Citizenship Evidence: must submit oneof the following
  • S. birth certificateissued by the city, county, or state of birth
  • Fully-valid, undamaged U.S. passport (may be expired)
  • Certificate of Citizenship
  • Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth
  1. Show Parental Relationship: must submit one of the following
  • S. birth certificate (with parents’ name)
  • Foreign birth certificate (with parents’ name and translation, if necessary)
  • Consular Report of Birth Abroad (with parents’ name)
  • Adoption decree(with adopting parents’ names)
  • Divorce/Custody decree
  1. Proof of ID and copy of ID: The parents/guardians must present one of the following identification documents (IDs) to the passport agency:
  • Valid or expired, undamaged, U.S. passport
  • Valid foreign passport
  • In-state, fully-valid driver’s license
  • In-state, fully-valid non-driver ID
  • Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship
  • Government employee ID (city, county, state or federal)
  • S. military ID or military dependent ID
  • Matricula Consular (Mexican Consular Identification)

Note for Photocopy of IDs:

  • Must provide photocopy of front and back of each ID
  • Photocopy cannot be double-sided
  • Photocopy must be on plain white, 8 1/2 x 11″ standard paper
  • Do not decrease the image size (although you may enlarge it)
  1. Show Parental Consent

Both parents/guardians must authorize the issuance of the child’s passport. If one parent cannot be present, submit a notarized Statement of Consent (Form DS-3053) AND a copy of the parent identification.

Please Note: Written authorization from the parent that cannot appear in person must be less than three months old.

  1. Proof of departure:

For expedited service, please provide a copy of your air ticket that departure in 2 to 3 weeks.

For extremely urgent service, please provide a copy of your air ticket that departure in 2 to 3 days.

  1. Authorization letter:

Please pay our service fee first before asking us for the authorization letter. After you have paid, please contact us for the letter. Please fill the applicant part with your child’s information. Both parents are required to sign the letter in front of the Passport Acceptance Agent.

  1. Calculate Fees:
    Product Application Fee Rush Service Execution Fee Note: Only Passport Book can be expedited processing. If you apply for a passport card at the same time, it generally takes 2-3 weeks for the passport card to be mailed to you.
    Passport Book $140 $25
    Passport Book & Card $155 $25

    Check or money order of application fee should be made payable to: Department of State

Check or money order of execution fee should be made payable to: U.S. Postmaster or Clerk of Court.

How to place an order

  1. Submit an order request online
  2. Mail your passport application package to our office

Our address is as below:
Laroz International Business
620 Hungerford Drive, Suite 11, Rockville, MD 20850

Material need to mail us for apply for your baby’s passport:

Before you file package, please copy the following files and associated good copy files and post office packaged envelopes mailed to my company together.

  1. Application package: your passport agency will put your files in an envelope and seal that envelope. The envelope can not be opened other than the officer from Department of State.
  2. Authorization letter: You are required to prepare 2 copies. One should be put in the application package. The other should be put outside the package and mail to our office.

Laroz service fee

  • $ 150.00/case for 5 day processing
  • $ 250.00/case for 1 day processing

Shipping fee:

Type Days Fee Tracking Sat  Delivery Sun Delivery
FedEx Express Saver 2-3 $19.99 Yes (good) No No
FedEx Express Saver with signature 2-3 $24.99 Yes (good) No No
FedEx 2Day 2 $24.99 Yes (good) No No
FedEx 2Day with signature 2 $29.99 Yes (good) No No
FedEx Overnight 1 $33.99 Yes (good) No No
FedEx Overnight with signature confirmation 1 $38.99 Yes (good) No No
FedEx Overnight Saturday Delivery 1 $54.99 Yes (good) Yes No
FedEx Overnight Saturday with signature 1 $59.99 Yes (good) Yes No
FedEx Ground 2-4 $19.99 Yes (good) No No
FedEx Ground with signature 2-4 $24.99 Yes (good) No No
USPS Priority Mail 2-3 $12.99 Yes (delay) Yes No
USPS Priority Mail signature confirmation 2-3 $14.99 Yes (delay) Yes No
USPS Express Mail 1-2 $24.99 Yes (delay) Yes No
USPS Express Mail with signature 1-2 $26.99 Yes (delay) Yes No

 

Power Of Attorney Authentication

If you want to sell or purchase a house in China and can not be present to handle all the paperwork, you may sign a power of attorney and entrust others to do it for you. Since your power of attorney is prepared in the U. S., you should get Chinese embassy or consulate notarization or authentication to use it in China. We can help you with the authentication process.

A. Power of Attorney Authentication Procedure

STEP ONE: Notarization

The principal must present at the local notary public to get his power of attorney notarized. Laroz only offer local notary public service. After notarization, your document can be authenticated for the next step.

STEP TWO: County Clerk Authentication

Some states require power of attorneys to be authenticated by County Clerk prior to state authentication. For example, power of attorneys notarized in the New York City should be authenticated by County Clerk before New York State certification.
Note: Different States have different requirements, some states do not need County Clerk authentication before state certification. If you want to learn more detail, please contact us.

STEP THREE: The Secretary Of State Authentification

The authentication processing time varies in different state. Usually, it takes one to three weeks. Some states offer expedited service, some don’t. For more information, please contact us.

STEP FOUR: The US Department Of State Authentication

Authentication staff of the US Department of State will receive documents and perform an initial review during 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. Monday through Friday (except federal holidays). It is also required to pick up one’s completed certificate(s) between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. on the cited date.
To save the trouble, you may use our service on this step. When you create a new order, you need to choose code “DC” on the “Issued by state” column.

STEP FIVE: The Chinese Embassy/Consulate General Authentication

The People’s Republic of China currently maintains one Embassy in Washington D.C., but also maintains 5 consulates-general in the following U.S. cities: New York, NY; Chicago, IL; San Francisco, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Houston, TX. Each Embassy or consulate-general hold consular jurisdiction over specific states.
Your legalization application may be rejected by the Embassy/Consulate General that does not hold consular jurisdiction over the state where your document is executed.
When deciding which embassy/consulate-general to go, you should check the state that issued the document, not where you reside.

B. How To Place An Order

  • Online submit your order
  • Mail all required documents to our office
  • For our service fee you can check here

C. Required Documents

  • The original and photocopy of your notarized power of attorney
  • One fully completed and signed notarization and authentication application form
  • Photocopies of applicant’s passport information page. Other copies of valid ID may be acceptable, such as driver’s license, green card, et.al. If your passport has been renewed or noted, photocopies of the related pages are required as well. If the applicants are not U.S. citizen, photocopy of immigrant status or green card might be needed in some consular-general.
  • Attorney’s photocopy of ID.
  • Property possessed by a couple must both show their consent as principals and sign on the same power of attorney.
  • Check or money order if you choose this payment method.

D. Template Of Power Of Attorney

According to our experience, you need to prepared at least two copies of power of attorney. One will be used in the property ownership transfer process. The other will be used in the loan application. Please check with the authorities in China, and prepare enough documents as needed.

Here we provide you a template of power of attorney for your reference. Please draft your own according to your situation. Please check with the authorities in China for the requirement and content of the power of attorney.

Power Of Attorney

Principal 1 Name Gender
Date of Birth Nationality
ID Type ID Number
Current Address Phone Number
Principal 2 Name Gender
Date of Birth Nationality
ID Type ID Number
Current Address Phone Number
Attorney Name Gender
Date of Birth Nationality
ID Type ID Number
Current Address Phone Number

As we (Principals),____________, are not able to the handle the relevant matters in person pertaining to the disposal of the properties located at _____________________, we hereby appoint__________ as our attorney in fact to act in our capacity to conduct all such act as set out below on our behalf, within our ownership of such properties. The power of attorney is not re-transferable.

  1. To sign the deposit agreement
  2. To sign the sales and purchase contract of properties
  3. To handle the ownership registration, ownership transfer of properties and to sign the relevant registration documents
  4. To apply and handle loan repayment and insurance withdrawal procedures, to handle mortgage cancellation, to collect relevant mortgage cancellation materials from the bank (including to sign relevant documents, collect the premium, collect mortgage right certificates, etc.)
  5. All files will be signed by our attorney __________________

The Principal shall acknowledge any and all of the legal acts and the legal consequences caused thereby conducted by the Attorney on behalf of the Principal with respect to the above mentioned properties with her authorization scope.
The term of the above mentioned authorization shall commence since the execution of this document till all such matters as set out above have been completed.

Principal Name:________________
Signature of Applicant: ________________
Date: ________________

E. Notice For Notary Public

When you get your document notarized by the notary public, please make sure he put a notary statement on your file. Without a notary statement, the Chinese embassy or consulate may not authenticate your document. Different state may have different style of notary statement. Here is a template for your reference.

State of _____
County of _____
On this ___day of ___, 20__, before me personally appeared___________, to me known to be the person described in and who executed foregoing instrument, and acknowledged that such person execute the same as such person free act and deed.

Notary Public Signature: _________
Commission expiration: ___________                                    Seal:

F. Payment Methods

  • Cash payment: available for walk in clients, please do not send us cash by mail
  • Money order: can be purchased at the post office, CVS, Western Union and other locations
  • Check: please make your check payable to: Laroz International Business, Inc.
  • PayPal payment: please pay to info@larozinc.com. You need to pay a service fee to PayPal: $1.00 for the amount < = $20, and 5% for the amount of $20 – $60, 3.5%-5% for amount > = $60. Clients who lives in China may find PayPal more convenient than other payment methods.

You are welcomed to consult us with specific authentication questions relating to power of attorney. You can entrust Laroz for all three step authentication.

Laroz provides basic certification related information, but does not guarantee the correctness and completeness. We are not responsible for any consequence due to incorrect or incomplete information.

Distinguish Authentication From Notarization

Aside

If you need to use your document issued by U. S. government in China, you will have to get it notarized or authenticated by the Chinese Embassy or Consulate.

Basics of consulate notarization and authentication:

  1. Consulate notarization and authentication have the same legal validity.
  2. Consulate notarization must be done by the applicant on his own. The applicant must go to the embassy with his passport and related document to get it notarized.
  3. Document issued by a foreign government, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce certificates, diplomas, transcripts etc. must be authenticated.
  4. Power of attorney, affidavits, and other documents drafted by individuals can be notarized or authenticated by consulate.  If you are a Chinese citizen, you can directly go to the embassy and get notarization. Or, you can entrust us to help you apply for consulate authentication. If you are not a Chinese citizen, you can only follow the authentication procedure.

Chinese Embassy only notarize the following documents:

  • Power of attorney, affidavit, pleadings and true signature;
  • Survival certificate;
  • Single certificate;
  • Residence certificate;
  • Photograph certificate;
  • Passport true copy.

If it is not convenient for you to go the Chinese embassy or consulate, or you are not Chinese citizen, you will have to follow the authentication procedure.

Almost all documents can be authenticated, we divide them into the following types:

  • Judicial or government document: court orders, birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce certificates, non criminal records.
  • Power of attorney, affidavit, etc. true signature certification: such as inheritance, transfer of property, house purchase, foster children, as well as power of attorney in divorce proceedings.
  • Business documents: company registration documents, financial, tax documents, contracts and so on.
  • True copy: such as passports, invoices, shipping orders, emails.

Laroz provide you with basic information about authentication, but does not guarantee the correctness and completeness of the information, and is not responsible for any loss due to incorrect or missing information.