How to Get a Child's Travel Visa

Traveling to a foreign country is not as simple as it once was. When you travel with children, you have even more to handle. Obtaining passports and visas for a child is much the same as obtaining them for an adult with a few more required documents. Use the following to help you understand what is involved in being able to get a child's travel visa.

Instructions

1

Apply for a United States passport for your child by filling out an application form. These forms can be downloaded online or obtained through passport offices and some post offices. You will be filling this form out as custodial guardian and parent of the child.

2

Have 2 passport photos taken of your child that will need to be attached to the passport application when it is submitted for processing. These photographs are of a certain required size, so you must have these taken at a photography studio or photo center that specifies "passport photos."

3

Take your completed passport application form, 2 passport photos, original birth certificate of your child, application fee and county filing fee to a passport application center or post office that handles passports. The fees required will be stated on the passport application. In the event that you need the passports processed in a speedier period, you can ask about paying to have the process expedited or processed faster. If both parents cannot be present to submit the passport application for process, you will need to take with you a notarized waiver from the parent not present.

4

Prepare to sign all documents and pay all required fees for the passport at the time the passport application is submitted. It will take approximately 4 to 6 weeks to receive back the completed passport for your child. The birth certificate is sent with the application form and is returned to you with the new passport.

5

Travel to a country outside of the United States with your child. This will require taking your passport and the child's passport. If you are going on a vacation or going to the foreign country for tourist reasons, you will present both yours and your child's passport to the customs agent upon requesting entry to their country. The customs agent will ask you questions regarding your stay such as where you will be staying, how long, the purpose of your trip and your return date or exit date out of their country. Upon their approval, the customs agent will stamp a "visa" on the pages inside your passport. Keep these passports with the stamped visa pages in a safe location or lock box while in the foreign country, as you will have to have these to gain reentry back into the United States.

6

Allow yourself additional time and planning if you are planning to travel to a foreign country and take your child with you for a long period of time or going there for business purposes. Check with a travel agent, travel specialist or the consulate representing the country you are traveling to for a "work visa" or "extended stay visa." These may take several weeks or even months to obtain. In addition, be prepared to pay additional fees for the visas depending upon length of stay and requirements of the country.