Your Guide to Passport Form DS 3053

Passport form DS 3053 is a federal document that you may need to know about if you or your child is applying for travel documents. Specifically, this form is a passport parent consent form that you may need to submit if you cannot be present when your child applies for his or her travel documents. Alternatively, you may need to use this document if your child has a second parent or guardian who cannot be present at these application appointments. Keep in mind, however, that this form is only applicable if you have a child who applies for a passport when he or she is younger than 16 years of age.

Parents and guardians are responsible for ensuring that the federal government receives their copies of the passport DS 3053 forms if their situations specifically require it. Without this document, the U.S. Department of State cannot process children’s applications if only one of their custodial guardians or parents is not present. Therefore, applicants’ parents should be ready to arrive at the passport office with these documents completed. The information below explains all the steps guardians and parents need to complete in order to submit these forms, as well as where they can find a copy of DS-3053.

Do all parents need to submit DS 3053 for their children?

Applicants’ parents need to remember that not all adults are required to submit passport form DS 3053 when their children apply for passports. In fact, only specific child passport application requesters need to submit these forms along with their travel document applications. If a child’s parent or guardian cannot be present when the minor submits his or her passport application, he or she must bring this signed document. Furthermore, adults need to remember that this is true even if one parent or guardian is present and the other one is absent. The Department of State needs to see written proof that both parents consent to their child applying for a passport before it can process the application.

Guardians must also keep in mind that, in most cases, at least one parent needs to be present when a minor attempts to apply for a child passport. In instances when neither parent can appear, a third-party representative may apply for the child’s passport without the guardians being present. However, these situations require applicants to submit different documents in lieu of the DS 3053 form. When getting a passport for a child in this manner, the family representative needs to bring the following documents instead of DS-3053:

  • A notarized statement from both parents or guardians, that declares that the third-party is allowed to apply for the child’s passport
  • A copy of photo identification that validates the parents’ or guardians’ identities
  • Proof of sole custody that one parent possesses over the child, if applicable

Do both parents need to be present for a child passport to be issued?

Both parents do not need to be present in order for the Department of State to process a US passport child application. Individuals who wonder how to get a child passport with one parent absent need to remember that there are two ways to accomplish this. However, only one of these situations requires families to use Form DS 3053.

When only one parent or guardian can be present, the parent who comes to the appointment may need to bring a completed copy of the other guardian’s DS 3053 form. However, individuals need to keep in mind that this form is only applicable in situations when the present parent is able to locate the child’s other parent or guardian. If the other guardian cannot be found, a child may still be eligible to apply for a child passport. However, these situations require guardians to submit the DS-5525 form instead of DS-3053.

Where to Find Passport Form DS 3053

The passport parent consent form is available online through the Department of State’s website. If you have access to a computer and an internet connection, you should go to the official website first to obtain your documents. On this website, you can print out a PDF version of this document and then obtain the necessary signatures to complete the form. Some passport office locations may have copies of the DS-3053 form onsite, but this is not guaranteed. Therefore, applicants should consider obtaining these documents online.

What information do I need to include on the DS 3053 form?

Parents need to remember that they are responsible for completing Form DS 3053 for their children if one of their guardians cannot be present when they apply for their passports. In order to complete this form, adults need to be prepared to include the following information throughout the document:

  • Child’s information: Passport form DS 3053 requires guardians to report their child’s name, date of birth and what type of document he or she is applying for.
  • Parent’s contact information: The parent or guardian who will not be present when the child applies for a passport needs to provide his or her contact information. This includes address, telephone number and email address.
  • Absent parent’s signature: The parent who cannot be there when his or her dependent submits a child passport application needs to sign the document. However, this must take place in front of a notary public. Otherwise, the document will be considered invalid.

What documents do children need to submit along with DS 3053?

There are specific documents that minors and their parents need to bring when they apply for a child passport. This includes the child’s passport-approved photo, DS-11 application form and proof of identity and citizenship. However, there are additional documents that parents or guardians need to bring, which are required any time adults are getting a passport for a child. These items include:

  • Proof of relationship: Parents need to prove that they are related to their children and should bring birth certificates or court documents to certify this.
  • Parents’ proof of identification: Custodial guardians and parents need to bring copies of their own government-issued photo identification documents. Individuals must also bring copies of these identification cards to submit to the federal government.
  • Proof of death or custody: If parents have sole custody of their children, they need to provide copies of the court documents that validate this information. Likewise, if minors’ other guardians are deceased, the parents who accompany their children need to bring these documents to the passport office.