Comments for Can we get passports for grandchildren for whom we have temporary custody? Click here to add your own comments

Temporary by: Anonymous Question: I have had my twin grandchildren since 2020 under temporary guardianship. Am I entitled to apply for a passport and have them fly with me to Canada? Answer: You may need to contact the case worker handling your grandchildren's case. Since you only have temporary guardianship, custody may still be under the state. If this were the case, you need the official case worker's consent to apply for the children's passports.

Legal Custody - Grandparents by: Anonymous Question: We've had legal custody not just guardianship from the courts for over 4 years. Do we have to put the mothers name on the application or do we put our names on the application? Answer: You should still enter the biological parents' names if the birth certificate has not been amended. And then you need to present the court document to prove that you, the grandparents, have legal custody and therefore have the right to apply for the child's passport.

Temp Guardianship by: Anonymous Question: I have temporary guardianship of my niece. Will I be able to get her a passport without her mother? Answer: You need to contact CPS about getting a passport for the child.

CPS safe placement by: Anonymous Question: My 2 girls were given to me through CPS safe placement in 2013. At the time my girls were 1 week old and 3 years old. The bio parents have not been in contact with them since 2013 when they were placed in my care. I only have the paperwork from the CPS safe placement. Answer: If you have not legally adopted the children and there is no official document stating that you have legal custody of the children, they are still wards of the state. You need to contact CPS about applying for their passports.

Minor Passport by: Anonymous Question: I have a court order granting me sole legal and physical custody of my younger cousin. The parents have been out of the picture since birth. Do I need an additional form besides the DS-11? And do I need the full court Decision or just the order granting my custody? Answer: You do not need any other documents if you have the court order. Court documents vary from state to state so I cannot answer your question regarding full decision vs custody order. It may be safe to submit a certified copy of the entire court decision and keep the original.

Legal guardianship by: Anonymous Question: I have legal guardianship of my 2 step-granddaughters. Both parents are lost in the streets and haven’t heard from them in 2 years. Can I apply for their passports without the parents? Answer: Yes, you may apply for the children's passports, just submit the original or certified copy of the court documents granting you legal guardianship. You may contact the NPIC at 1-877-487-2778 for more information.

Permanent custody & Guardianship by: Anonymous Question: I was granted permanent guardianship & custody of my nieces by a judge. Can I apply for their passports or do I need their parents (who still have parental rights) to sign? Answer: Since the parents still have rights, you will need their presence/consent to apply for the child's passport. Please contact the NPIC at 1-877-487-2778 for more information.

Passport Withheld by: Anonymous Question: My daughter is a US citizen however she went to Jamaica on vacation & the dad & I had a disagreement & he withheld her American passport. How can she travel back to the US? Answer: Your daughter will need a passport to board an international flight. You need to find a way to get your child's passport back or apply for a new one. You will still need the father's consent to do the latter.

Legal guardianship by: Anonymous Question: My sister has legal guardianship of my daughter and her father is nonexistent in her life can I apply for a passport with my sister her legal guardian? Answer: Guardianship is different from custody. If the father's name is on the birth certificate and you do not have court documents removing legal custody from the father, his consent is still required for the child's passport application. Please contact the NPIC at 1-877-487-2778 for more information.

Adult guardianship by: Anonymous Question: I have sole guardianship over my child (18+), can I sign her passport and get her a passport? And will there be a photo of me and my info I her passport like it’s done for a minor’s passport in case we get lost or separated for some reason because she’s intellectually disabled and non verbal? Does she need a state ID when applying for a passport? Thanks! Answer: This is a special case that will likely require special documentation. Please contact the NPIC at 1-877-487-2778 to find out what documents you will need for your child's passport application.

Passport application for minor by: Anonymous Question: Hi, I have legal guardianship over my nephew. Do I have the legal right as his guardian to apply for a passport without either parent's consent? Answer: Guardianship is different from custody. If the order indicates that you have sole legal rights/custody over the child, you may apply for his passport without the parents' consent.

Guardianship by: Anonymous Question: I have guardianship of my grandson, only the mother's name is on the birth certificate. Can I apply and receive a passport for him with court-approved guardianship papers without his mother's signature? She has no valid ID. Answer: You should be able to apply for the child's passport provided that the court order granted you sole legal custody. Please contact the NPIC at 1-877-487-2778 for more information.

Passport for grandson by: Sandras Question: I have sole permanent custody of my grandson (age 7) and want to get a passport for him. I sent in his birth certificate and the custody letters from the court and was denied. Reason: Not sufficient proof. What more proof is necessary? The two court letters are all I have. Answer: It is possible that the court documents you presented did not specify that you have SOLE LEGAL custody. Please contact the NPIC at 1-877-487-2778 for clarification.

Need passport for Grandson who lives with me by: Lisa C Question: I have power of attorney over my 15yr old grandson who has lived with me for 2yrs. His father is deceased and his mother is noncooperative. Our power of attorney includes domestic and international travel. Is this enough to obtain a passport? Answer: You need to have legal custody of the child or consent from the child's legal custodian to apply for the child's passport. Please contact the NPIC at 1-877-487-2778 to find out if the power of attorney will be sufficient in the child's situation.

Need Passport for my GodSon by: Anonymous Question: I am the legal guardian to my Godson. The mother is lost in the streets, the father is present in our lives. The father says he will sign for it - we literally have no idea where his mother is - we have not seen her for over four years. What do I do? Answer: You may send proof of your legal guardianship plus the father's notarized consent if he will not be present when the application is submitted.

Need US Passport for my German Granddaughter by: Anonymous Crawfford Question: Need US passport for my German granddaughter. Answer: Your granddaughter needs to be a U.S. citizen in order to be issued a U.S. passport. Please contact the USCIS about citizenship. Oncer her U.S. citizenship is established, you may apply for the child's U.S. passport.

Legal temporary guardianship by: Grand- Mom Question: I have legal temporary guardianship of my 14 yr. old grandson. Can I get him a passport? Answer: Sole legal custody orders is required to apply for a child's passport. Your temporary guardianship might not be sufficient. Please contact the NPIC at 1-877-487-2778 regarding the issue.

Apply for passport by: Anonymous Question: The mother of my son refused to give me his passport but I have temporary LEGAL and Physical custody of my son. Can I apply for a passport? Answer: Since you only have temporary sole legal custody, you still need the mother's consent to apply for your child's passport application. You should talk to your attorney about either petitioning the court to order your ex to relinquish the passport or to award you permanent sole legal custody.

passport for minors by: Anonymous Question: I have a temporary court order stating that I am sole managing conservator over my children . Can I apply for my children’s passport without the father? Answer: It is best that you speak to your lawyer for a proper interpretation of the court order. It must be specific that you have SOLE LEGAL custody of the children in order to apply for their passports without the other parent. You may also call the NPIC at 1-877-487-2778 for advice.

Can I get my siblings passports? by: Anonymous Question: Hello I have temporary custody of my siblings. The paper is valid for 3 years. This being said, am I allowed to file for their passports? They are both minors under the age of 16. Answer: If the custody papers include legal decisions for the minors, you may apply for their passports. Please call the NPIC at 1-877-487-2778 for more information.

Passport for granddaughter by: Tina Question: I have had my granddaughter for 12 years and 10 months. Her mother left her. My son went with me to do passport paperwork, paid all the fees signed all the papers, had them notarized and they still did not issue me a passport for my granddaughter. They want the mother. I have no idea where the mother is. What can I do? Answer: The application was likely denied because the mother technically still shares custody of the child. The best way to resolve this is for the father to file for sole legal custody and then he can authorize you to apply for the child's passport.

Request for my grandson to receive a US passport by: David Question: Good day My daughter has asked me to write a letter to say that I am her father and I request the US embassy to permit her Son to receive a US passport. Yes. I am a US citizen and my daughter who holds a US passport lives in South Africa with my grandson. What is required in order for my grandson to receive a United States of America passport ? Answer: Hi, David. As the grandfather, you are not required to provide anything for the child's application. Since the mother is an American citizen, her child should also be an American citizen through her. Assuming the child was born in South Africa, your daughter should have a Consular Report of Birth Abroad for the child. This should serve as the child's proof of U.S. citizenship. Please have your daughter contact the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria, the U.S. Consulate General in Johannesburg, U.S. Consulate General in Durban or the U.S. Consulate General in Cape Town for guidance.

Granddaughter by: Diane Question: My 13-year-old granddaughter lives with me and my boyfriend. Neither of her parents went to court for custody of her when they split up. We want to take a vacation to Canada. How can we get a passport for her? She has not seen her dad in 7 years and does not want to. We do have a temporary guardianship paper that's notarized from her mom giving me permission for medical care, etc. Answer: The temporary guardianship paperwork may not suffice for a passport application. Either both parents apply with the child or you petition for legal guardianship of the child.

Help!! by: Anonymous Question: We have special guardianship of our grandson and also have 51% parental responsibility. We want to take him abroad but we are concerned that we will have to contact his dad who has not seen him for nearly 3 years. We have permission off his mother but they both have 49% parental responsibility. Do we need to go back to court? Answer: You can try to locate the father for his notarized consent. If you cannot contact him, you may need to petition the courts for sole legal custody of the child.

My son's passport by: Anonymous Question: My 11-year-old son lives with my mom in the U.S. I live in Mexico because I only have a visa. The last time I was there, we went to a notary and I singed a statement saying that I give my mother permission to take any decision regarding my son, his needs and any legal procedure. Can my mom renew my son´s passport? I´m the only one that appears in the birth certificate. Answer: Apologies for taking a while to respond to your query. We had to do some research to provide you with the best possible advice. While the document your mother has provides her with authorization, it will be best to still submit a notarized Form DS-3053. This form is specific for passport applications for minors. Our recommendation is to submit both the form and the statement of authorization with the rest of the child's passport application requirements. Please call 1-877-487-2778 for more information/advice customer service may be able to provide.

Passport for granddaughter by: Anonymous Question: Granddaughter lives with us. We want to get a passport for her but she's not legally ours. Her mother is not with her and she sees her Dad. To get this passport, can she just get a notarized permission from her Dad? Answer: If the minor is age 15 or younger and both parents' names are on her birth certificate, she needs both parents' consent to apply for a passport. If she is 16 or 17, she can apply with just her father's consent.

How to adopt my twins niece and nephew by: Anonymous Question: I have 2 nieces and a nephew living overseas. Their parents died and I am taking care of them. I want to adopt them. What should I do? Answer: We recommend that you speak to a lawyer regarding legalities of adopting children from outside of the United States.

Can I get a passport? by: Anonymous Question: I'm the legal guardian of my three grandchildren can I get them a passport? Answer: Yes, you can. Please present the court document awarding you sole legal guardianship of your grandchildren when you apply.

Passport Application by: Anonymous Question: Can I apply for my grand daughters passport even though I don't have legal guardianship? Answer: Yes, you can apply for the child's passport as long as you can present notarized authorization to do so from the parent/s or legal guardian/s.

Grandmother by: Anonymous Question: My son and daughter-in-law are in Mexico. My grandchild lives with me. Can I get his passport? He is 13 years old. Answer: You must secure a notarized statement authorizing you to apply for the child's passport signed by both parents. This must be accompanied by photocopies of both parents' IDs. Please submit the notarized statement and the following requirements in person with the child at a nearby acceptance facility: 1. The child's evidence of U.S. citizenship (original or certified copy of birth certificate) 2. Your ID and photocopy 3. One passport photo of the child 4. Payment for fees Please note that a minor's passport is only valid for 5 years.

Temporary Guardianship by: Maria Question: I am in the process of adopting a child. I currently hold temporary guardianship. The temporary guardianship is valid for one year unless permanency is established sooner. Can I apply to get her a passport? Answer: A court order awarding legal guardianship and authority to apply for a passport must be submitted.

To get passport by: Anonymous Question: I'm the legal guardian of my granddaughter. Do I have the right to get my granddaughter a passport without her mother's consent? Answer: Yes, you can apply to get your granddaughter a passport if you have evidence of legal guardianship. For a complete list of requirements, click here.

Apply for passport with grandmother by: Anonymous Question: If my grandmother has a notarized letter saying that she has temporary custody of me can she renew my passport? Thanks. Answer: If you are age 15 or younger, your grandmother cannot appear with you to apply for your passport unless she has sole legal custody. If she does not have sole legal custody, you must either apply with your parents or your grandmother must submit notarized consent from them.

Grandparent custody by: Anonymous Question: I have been awarded temporary custody, and waiting for a court date to gain full custody of my grandson. Will I be able to get a passport with only temporary custody? Answer: Unless you have full legal custody, you will need notarized consent from the parents to get a passport for your grandson.

question by: Anonymous Question: I'm the legal guardian of my grandchild what documents do I need to get a passport for my grandaughter? Answer: You can find a complete list of requirements for obtaining a passport for a minor here.

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