One day after school, I asked my 15-year-old son, Gregory, now a high school sophomore, what he had learned that day.
He started telling me a long story about a character who lived in Yellowknife, Canada. I had never heard of the place, but our conversation introduced me to the capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories. Before long, we were talking about places beyond the ones we already knew.
Gregory said he would like to visit Canada someday. Mexico interested him, too, and Costa Rica was on his bucket list.
Then he looked at me and said, “If only I had a passport.”
That stayed with me.
Traveling has always been about experiences for me, and Gregory and I have shared plenty over the years. But that conversation made me realize it was time to get my mini-me a passport and give us the opportunity to explore beyond the United States.
The process turned out to be pretty straightforward with some preparation.
On Saturday, Sept. 19, Gregory and I met his mother at the post office in Steger, Illinois. Before arriving, I had already completed his passport application online and printed it to bring along.
For parents getting started, the application is Form DS-11. The State Department’s online Form Filler lets you enter the information on your computer and print the completed application. A downloadable version is also available on the passport forms website. Filling it out online prepares the paperwork; you still submit it in person. Print it single-sided and leave it unsigned until the acceptance employee instructs you to sign.
Gregory even took his passport picture at the post office, which made it convenient to handle that part during the same visit. Families can use the USPS appointment scheduler and select passport services with a photo when choosing a location and time.
For a child younger than 16, preparation means bringing:
- The child and the completed, unsigned application.
- An original or certified U.S. birth certificate, or other acceptable citizenship evidence, plus a photocopy.
- Proof of the parent or guardian’s relationship to the child.
- Parents’ or guardians’ photo IDs and photocopies of the front and back.
- A passport photo, unless having one taken at the appointment.
- Payment for the required fees.
Both parents generally must appear with the child. If one cannot attend, additional consent or qualifying legal documents are required. Families should review the State Department’s requirements for children under 16 for their circumstances.
The standard passport book application fee for a child under 16 is $100, with a separate $35 acceptance fee. USPS charges $15 for a photo, bringing the standard total with a post office photo to $150. Optional expedited processing adds $60, and faster shipping costs extra. We did not pay for faster shipping cost because we heard the turnaround time this time of year is generally pretty quick.
The State Department fee must be paid separately by check or money order payable to “U.S. Department of State.” USPS accepts additional payment methods, including credit and debit cards, for its acceptance and photo fees. The USPS passport website explains those payment options.
Gregory’s passport arrived in three weeks flat.
That was our experience, though processing and mailing times vary. Families should check the State Department’s current estimates and allow plenty of time before traveling.
Now, that conversation after school has turned into an actual trip. Gregory and I are already booked for an international getaway to Toronto, Ontario, for the weekend of Oct. 24. Additionally, for Christmas, we’re going to Montreal, Quebec.
We aren’t heading to Yellowknife this time, but Canada has gone from a place in his school reading to a place we will experience together.
That is what makes this passport meaningful to me. It gives us the chance to try different foods, explore unfamiliar places, meet people, and build memories that belong to the two of us. It also gives Gregory a chance to follow his curiosity and see how much there is beyond his everyday surroundings.
He is growing up, and I know these years will move quickly. I want to make room for experiences he can carry into adulthood—and moments we can look back on together.
It started with “If only I had a passport.”
Now, we get to ask, “Where should we go next?”
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