Your child's passport packet, reviewed by APVI and submitted for you.
We help parents understand the child passport process, prepare the required documents, and complete the Acceptance Agent step correctly before APVI handles courier submission for you.
Questions? Speak with a child passport specialist: Speak with a child passport specialist:(800) 766-0452
Reviewed by APVI customers on Trustpilot
Rated 4.9/5 on Google · 191 reviews
As of October 17, 2026 · Find APVI reviews ↗
APVI is a private passport courier service, not a government agency. You may apply directly through the U.S. Department of State without using APVI. Start your child passport application today.
Private Passport Courier
Document review before submission
VerifyOn the State Department page, scroll to “Registered Courier Companies” and search for “APVI.”
BBB A+ Accredited
23+ years of trusted service
VerifyHTTPS Encrypted
Encryption in transit
Pick your child passport speed. We do the rest.
Every option includes document review, secure upload, shipping instructions, and status updates.
Emergency - 5 Business days
Emergency handling for families with the tightest departure dates. Priority specialist review of your child's citizenship, relationship, consent, and photo documents.
Rush - 10 Business days
Rush handling for trips a couple of weeks out. Full review of your child passport packet before you complete the Acceptance Agent step.
Priority - 2 to 3 Weeks
Priority handling for families with a little more runway who still want specialist review and tracked shipping.
Passport customers trust APVI when timing matters.
Hear from a real APVI customer who relied on clear instructions, human support, and a smoother passport process.
“APVI made the process easier and a lot less stressful because they handled everything.”
Real customers choose APVI when they want expert help, clear communication, and a smoother passport process.
- Real APVI customer story
- Human passport support
- Clear next steps
- Trusted when timing matters
Questions? Speak with a passport specialist: (800) 766-0452
More APVI passport customer stories
Questions before applying for your child's passport?
A real APVI passport specialist can help you understand consent rules, citizenship and relationship documents, who must attend the Acceptance Agent visit, processing options, and what happens after you place your order.
23+
Years serving
3 min
Avg. reply
Washington, DC office. Nationwide passport service.
APVI serves customers in all 50 states and U.S. territories. You do not need to travel to Washington, DC to use our service.
How child passport service works with APVI.
Start your order online, upload your child's documents for review, prepare the packet correctly, and APVI helps guide your family through the Acceptance Agent step and submits the packet on your behalf.
- 01
Start your child passport order
Choose your Child Passport processing option and start your order online.
- 02
Upload your documents for specialist review
Securely upload the DS-11, citizenship and relationship documents, parent IDs, and photo so an APVI specialist can review the file before your Acceptance Agent visit.
- 03
Visit a local Acceptance Agent with your child
Your child must be present. A local Passport Acceptance Agent witnesses the parent signatures on the DS-11, verifies parent IDs, and seals the documents into an official envelope.
- 04
Ship the sealed envelope to APVI
Do not open the sealed envelope. Send it to APVI using the shipping instructions provided.
- 05
APVI submits and tracks the passport
APVI submits your sealed packet through registered courier handling where eligible and helps track your child's passport through return delivery.
- Start My Application
You do not go to the passport agency. You visit a local Acceptance Agent.
For child passport applications, the government requires the child to be present and the parent signatures on the DS-11 to be witnessed by an authorized Passport Acceptance Agent. This is usually a post office, courthouse, public library, or local government office, not the passport agency that processes the passport.
APVI prepares your child's application packet first. Then you bring your child to the Acceptance Agent, sign the DS-11 in their presence, show your government-issued ID, and have the documents sealed into an official envelope. The sealed envelope is handed back to you, and you send it to APVI so we can submit it on your behalf.
APVI prepares your packet
We help review the DS-11, citizenship and relationship documents, consent paperwork, photo, and instructions before your visit.
Parents and child visit the Acceptance Agent
Your child must be present. The Acceptance Agent witnesses the parent signatures on the DS-11, verifies parent IDs, and seals the documents.
You receive the sealed envelope
The Acceptance Agent gives the sealed envelope back to you. Do not open it.
Send the sealed envelope to APVI
You ship the sealed envelope to APVI, and we submit it through registered courier handling where eligible.
Do not open the sealed envelope. Once the Acceptance Agent seals your documents, the envelope must remain sealed when sent to APVI.
What you'll need for a child's U.S. passport.
Consent is where child passports most often get delayed.
For children under 16, the U.S. Department of State requires consent from both parents or guardians. APVI reviews your consent documentation before submission so a missing notarization or an expired form does not cost you your travel date.
Both parents attend
The simplest path. Both parents or guardians appear with the child at the Acceptance Agent visit and sign the DS-11 in the agent's presence.
One parent cannot attend
The absent parent completes a DS-3053 Statement of Consent, signs it in front of a notary, and includes a front-and-back photocopy of the ID used at notarization.
The 3-month rule
A DS-3053 must be signed and notarized within the last 3 months of submission. An older form is rejected, and the application stops.
Sole legal authority
If you are the only parent or guardian with legal authority, you provide court documentation, a birth certificate listing one parent, or a death certificate instead of a DS-3053.
A DS-3053 cannot be signed in advance at home. It must be signed in front of a notary, and the front and back of the notarizing ID must be photocopied and included with the packet.
Child passport rules are stricter. APVI helps catch issues before submission.
Child applications require original citizenship evidence, proof of your relationship to the child, consent from both parents, and an exact DS-11. A missing signature or an unnotarized consent form can add weeks. An APVI passport specialist reviews your materials before you finalize the packet.
- Child passport document review before anything is submitted
- Parental consent and DS-3053 guidance when one parent cannot attend
- Citizenship and parent-child relationship document guidance
- Child passport photo review against current specifications
- DS-11 application review for accuracy and completeness
- Secure document upload with bank-grade encryption
- FedEx shipping instructions where applicable
- A dedicated APVI passport specialist assigned to every order
- Status updates from start to finish
- 23+ years helping U.S. travelers
- BBB A+ Accredited, with Trustpilot and Google review proof
What APVI Does — and What the U.S. Department of State Does
APVI helps manage the process. The government issues the passport.
What APVI does
- Reviews forms, photos, supporting documents, and service path
- Provides clear next-step and shipping instructions
- Helps with courier submission and pickup where eligible
- Provides status updates
- Helps reduce preventable document mistakes before submission
What the U.S. Department of State does
- Reviews and adjudicates the passport application
- Determines whether the passport is issued
- Sets government passport fees
- Controls government processing
- Prints and issues the passport
APVI is a private passport courier service and is not the U.S. Department of State.
Child passport applications are easy to underestimate.
You must interpret the consent and citizenship rules on your own, and a small mistake can delay your child's passport and your family trip. Here is how doing it yourself compares with having an APVI passport specialist review the application.
The DIY path
- Citizenship document review: You decide on your own which citizenship evidence is acceptable.
- Parental consent: Consent and DS-3053 rules are easy to get wrong, especially notarization dates.
- Relationship proof: You guess whether your document proves the parent-child relationship.
- Parent ID copies: Missing front-and-back ID photocopies are a common rejection reason.
- Passport photo review: Child photos are the hardest to get right and are often rejected.
- Form and signature review: You must catch form, signature, and payment mistakes yourself.
- Acceptance Agent preparation: It is unclear who has to attend with the child and what to bring.
- Shipping instructions: You choose your own carrier and hope it arrives intact.
- Status support: Limited visibility once your packet leaves your hands.
- Human specialist support: No one to call when a question comes up.
- Return delivery: You wait for standard return mail.
The APVI path
- Citizenship document review: APVI reviews your child's citizenship document before you submit anything.
- Parental consent: APVI confirms whether a DS-3053 is needed and reviews it before submission.
- Relationship proof: A specialist confirms your birth certificate, adoption decree, or court order works.
- Parent ID copies: Your specialist checks every ID copy before the Acceptance Agent visit.
- Passport photo review: Your specialist checks the photo before it reaches the Passport Office.
- Form and signature review: APVI reviews your packet before submission.
- Acceptance Agent preparation: APVI tells you exactly who must attend, what to bring, and what happens next.
- Shipping instructions: Secure upload and FedEx shipping instructions are provided.
- Status support: You receive updates from order to return delivery.
- Human specialist support: A passport specialist helps catch preventable errors.
- Return delivery: Tracked return delivery of your new passport.
Child passport handled, family trip protected.
APVI reviews your child's packet before submission, so a preventable error never costs you a departure date.
Everything you need to know, in plain English.
Still have questions? Call us at (800) 766-0452.
Don’t worry, we will provide you with all the details you need for your expedited application process!
Passport applicants pay the U.S. Department of State fee separately from the APVI fee, by check or money order included with the documents. For more on U.S. Department of State passport fees, please view passport fees.
Our specialists are available 9 am to 5 pm Eastern Time, Monday to Friday, and we are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. If you place an order outside these hours, a specialist will review it on the next business day. Questions? Call (800) 766-0452.
You must submit an original or certified copy of your US birth certificate or US naturalization certificate. For any applicant 16 years or older that was issued a child passport, your expired, undamaged passport may count as proof of citizenship, as well. The U.S. Department of State will return your proof of citizenship back upon completion of your passport. Please be advised that U.S. Department of State will not accept a printed copy of your proof of citizenship.
Get started today
Apply for your child's U.S. passport
with APVI.
Start your order online, upload your child's documents securely, and let an APVI passport specialist review your packet before you complete the submission process.
- Specialist reviewed
- Dedicated passport specialist
- Status updates start to finish