Consulate General of the United States Hyderabad, India

PASSPORTS FOR MINORS (UNDER 16)

To renew an expiring or expired passport for a minor child (under 16 years of age), follow this process. If you are filing a Consular Report of a Birth Abroad, you may submit it together with the passport application.

1.  Make an appointment online and print the appointment letter. Appointments are available for American citizens Monday to Thursday from 12:30 pm to 4:00pm.  We are closed on the last Wednesday of the month and on American and Indian holidays.

2.  Complete the DS-11 passport application online. Online application tips:      

• Complete the address fields completely. If you are in India, your passport will not be sent back to the United States. When you drop off your application, you can designate if you wish to pick it up or have it sent to you by courier to an address in India. For information on passport delivery arrangements, please click here.
• If completing an application without a social security number, you may enter all zeroes as a placeholder.
• Expedite fee: You do not need to select the "expedite fee" option; passports printed for citizens abroad are automatically expedited.
• Please fill out the emergency contact information even though it is not required.
• Print the form but do not use two-sided printing.

3. Print application and bring with required documents to the interview.  Do not sign the application for your child. You will do so in the presence of the consular officer.

Except as described below, the child and both parents must appear in person. 

Required Documents

• Current Passport
• One (1) studio-quality color photograph taken within the last six months measuring 2" x 2" (5cm x 5cm) with a white background. No other photo format can be accepted. (More Information)

• For children under age 16, both parents must be present to sign the passport application in the presence of a consular officer. Parents must both present original signed photo identification. The child must also be present. If one parent is absolutely unable to attend for special circumstances, he/she must send a copy of their ID and a statement indicating their agreement with the issuance of the passport (you may use Form DS-3053, Statement of Consent - Issuance of a Passport to a Minor Under Age 16, or draft your own statement of consent). This statement must be notarized and the original copy of consent (not a faxed or scanned copy) must be presented at the time of the interview. The consular officer reserves the right to require additional evidence if the consent is notarized by a non-U.S. notary public, and U.S. notarized statements of consent are preferred. If both parents cannot attend, they should submit original copies of their consent forms and power of attorney in the name of the person attending the interview on their behalf. Other exceptions to the rule requiring the signature of both parents may apply, which should be discussed with the consular officer.
• For children under age 16, the parents must prove their parentage by showing a copy of the child's government-issued birth certificate. If the birth certificate lists the mother's maiden name, she should be able to prove her identity accordingly.
• For children age 16 or older, the child signs for him/herself (in the presence of the consular officer), so the parents need not be present, and there is no need to present a copy of the child's birth certificate.
• The child must prove his/her identity. A child’s appearance changes significantly over five years so the consular officer will require additional proof of identity. The best proof of identity is age progression photos (photos of the child aging since his/her last passport was issued). Parents should bring at least 1-2 photos per year of the child. Other examples of items that can be used to establish a child’s identity are:

- Person of Indian Origin (PIO) or Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card (issued by the Government of India).
- A passport issued by another country.
- School ID card with photo.
- Police/immigration registration record with attached photo.

 Fees

Complete fee information is available here. If applying in person, you may pay with cash dollars, cash rupees (at the current exchange rate), demand draft or a major U.S. credit card. Personal checks are not accepted.

Passport Processing Time

Except in emergencies, passports are printed in the United States and take approximately 10 days.  Please consider this timeline when renewing or applying for passports. You will receive an automated email when your passport is ready.

Passport Delivery:

U.S. Consulate General, Hyderabad is pleased to provide courier delivery services for Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA) and U.S. passports.  This service will allow for timely tracking and fast delivery of your documents.  Please carefully read the instructions below to arrive at your appointment prepared. 

1. At the Consulate, you will be asked to purchase a courier envelope in the lobby for INR 300. The fee may be paid by cash or demand draft in favor of "First Flight Couriers LTD."  Drafts can be drawn on any nationalized or foreign bank operating in India. Drafts of co-operative banks are not accepted at this time. Along with your payment, you will also be asked to submit a completed  courier slip (PDF 176KB).
2. Once your CRBA or U.S. passport application is processed, the ACS Unit will return a sealed courier envelope containing your CRBA or U.S. passport to First Flight.
3. Once your CRBA or U.S. passport reaches First Flight, you will be able to check the status of your delivery on First Flight’s website.
4. You will receive a receipt from First Flight with the return of your CRBA or U.S. passport. 
5. If you opt to pick up your CRBA or passport in person, you may do so on Thursdays between 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.  You do not need an appointment to pick up your CRBA or U.S. passport.  Please check our holiday calendar.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  If you are submitting your passport renewal application by mail and would like to have your new passport couriered to you, please submit a courier slip (PDF 176KB) and an additional bank draft for INR 300 payable to "First Flight Couriers LTD."  Bank drafts for courier fees can be drawn on any nationalized or foreign bank operating in India.  Drafts of co-operative banks are not accepted at this time.

Questions?

Email: hydacs@state.gov

General information about U.S. passports is available here.