Unlike adult passports, which are good for 10 years, passports issued to children under the age of 16 are only good for 5 years. Fortunately for parents, the fees to issue a passport for a child are lower than the fees to issue a passport for an adult. However, getting a passport can still be somewhat pricey for a child, especially if you wait until the last minute. Here’s a rundown of the different fees a parent can expect to pay when getting a passport:
New Passport Fees
To get a new passport book for a kid under 16, you can expect to pay an $ 80 application fee plus a $ 25 application fee, for a grand total of $ 105. A passport card, which can only be used for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, costs $ 15 for the application fee plus $ 25 for the execution fee, for a total of $ 40. This may seem like steal, but remember that it can only be used for land or sea travel to the aforementioned countries. You can’t use it to go anywhere else and you can’t use for air travel, either.
If you’d like both a passport and a passport card for your little one, you’ll need to fork over a mighty $ 115 (a $ 95 application fee and a $ 25 execution fee).
Passport Renewal Fees
Adults get a price break on passport renewals and are able to apply for them by mail in many cases. Unfortunately, children aren’t eligible to renew their passports when they expire. You have to take them down to the passport office and reapply just like you did the first time. So, the fees for a renewal for a child are the same fees listed above.
Expedited Passport Fees
If you’ve waited until the last minute and can’t wait the required 6 weeks or longer for your passport, you’ll have to pay extra.
The fee for expedited service is $ 60 per passport. The Department of State also recommends that you get your passport sent back to you overnight, which will cost an additional $ 14.96. Overnight service to the passport office is an additional cost, and the price will vary depending on which carrier you use.
The government’s expedited service will get your child’s passport to you in 2 to 3 weeks. If you need it sooner, you can make an appointment for an expedited passport at a passport agency office or pay additional fees for the convenience of using a private expediting company.
Alison Kroulek is a freelance writer and blogger with a focus on the travel industry.
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