Travelling with children has its own specificities and travel documents are no exception. Every child, including babies, must have their own passport. This is not a formality that you can put off until the last minute. Do you know when and why you need a passport for a child and how to apply for a passport for children?
In the Czech Republic, it is no longer possible to register a child on a parent’s passport. Every citizen, including newborns, must have their own passport or ID card when travelling abroad. This depends on the destination. If you are taking your child to countries outside the European Union, a passport is compulsory. For travel within Schengen, a child’s ID card may be sufficient, but some countries even in Europe may require a passport.
The only thing that follows is that if you are not 100% sure where you will end up going or which countries you will be passing through, you’d better arrange a passport for children as well. It doesn’t cost much, is valid for five years and will save you a lot of nerves.
Children’s travel documents are checked very carefully at border checks. Not only for identification, but also because of the increased risk of abduction or unauthorised departure. If one parent is not travelling with the child, airport or border control may require notarised consent from the other legal guardian to travel. This is especially true when travelling outside the EU. Some countries specifically require this consent and may refuse you entry if you do not have it. So always check the country’s conditions and be prepared for these lesser-known requirements.
The process of applying for a child passport has a few specifics. First of all, a child under the age of 15 cannot apply alone. The application is therefore made by the legal guardian, usually the parent. If you are applying for a passport for a child under 15, you must appear in person, together with the child.
The official will take a photograph of the child and take the necessary information. Children under 12 do not have to be fingerprinted, so their passports are processed more quickly. Remember to bring the child’s birth certificate and the identity document of the legal guardian. Sometimes you will also need a certificate of citizenship (the child was born abroad and has not yet been registered in the Czech registry office, the parents are not permanent residents of the Czech Republic or are newly naturalised, the child is adopted or is under guardianship).
Do you need to draw up the consent of the other parent or are you dealing with complications with documents? Our lawyers will help you – quickly, online and clearly.
You may be thinking that your baby is only a few weeks or months old and can’t travel on his own, so why should he have his own passport. But the answer is simple – because they won’t let you cross the border with your baby without it. A passport for a baby is a fully-fledged travel document, just like an adult’s passport. Although you may think that even the grandmother can’t recognise the baby in the photo, officials see it differently.
The baby’s photo must be up-to-date and meet the technical requirements – the face should be in frontal view, the eyes open, with no distracting objects such as a pacifier or a parent’s hand. In practice, this means that the photo shoot can be more challenging, but the baby has to go through the process too.
The baby passport has the same validity as for other children under 15, i.e. 5 years. However, there is one important recommendation for newborn babies: given the rapid development and changes in the baby’s appearance, it is better to renew the passport more often, especially if you travel with the baby frequently.
According to the Travel Documents Act, biometric data (i.e. fingerprints) are taken for children over 12 years of age. For younger children, only a digital photograph is recorded. This means that if you are applying for a passport for a child under 12, the process is simpler.
All passports for children contain a chip where the identification data is stored. This chip is used to verify the authenticity of the document and the identity of the holder. When you collect your passport, you can ask to have the chip checked for functionality, which is recommended before an extended trip or flight outside the EU.
The validity of a child’s passport is, as mentioned, 5 years. This period cannot be extended in any way, after which you must submit a new application and the authorities will issue you with a completely new passport. It is important to keep track of the expiry date, as some countries require the passport to be valid for several months after entering the country.
In addition to the expiry date, make a note of the passport number. This is a unique identifier that you will need when booking flights, hotels, visas or filling out travel forms. If your passport is lost or stolen, your passport number will make it much easier to communicate with the authorities and the embassy.
We recommend storing your passport number securely outside of the passport itself, for example in a protected cloud storage or as an encrypted note on your phone.
Tip: With the increasing trend of international marriage and the rising number of divorces, it is also becoming increasingly common for broken relationships between parents to end in child abduction. How widespread is this phenomenon in our country?
Have you lost your child’s passport abroad? Don’t delay and contact the nearest Czech embassy immediately. Ask for a replacement passport to enable your child to return to the Czech Republic. Upon return, immediately submit a new passport application.
Has the passport been damaged? Check that the document is legible and that the chip works. If the passport is soaked, torn or otherwise visibly damaged, it is considered invalid, so apply for a replacement before your planned trip, even if it is still valid.
The standard turnaround time for a child’s passport is 30 days and the cost is £100. If you need a passport faster, you can use the fast-track procedure within 5 working days or even within 24 hours. However, beware of higher administrative fees. For the fast pass within 24 hours you will pay CZK 1,000 for a child under 15 years old, and CZK 500 for the 5 day option.
It is not possible to process a fast pass for a child abroad, but only in the Czech Republic. Consider expedited processing only in really urgent situations, because, for example, photographs and fingerprints cannot be arranged in advance.
Every child, including newborns, must have their own passport for travel abroad – whether you are travelling outside the EU or within Schengen, where a passport may also be required. The passport is processed by the guardian in person and always in the presence of the child; children under 12 are not fingerprinted. A child’s passport is valid for 5 years and cannot be renewed. The baby must have a recent photograph that meets strict parameters. When travelling without one parent, notarised consent of the other parent may be required. In case of loss of passport abroad, it is necessary to contact the Czech embassy and apply for a replacement passport. The standard time for processing a passport is 30 days, express issuance is possible within 5 days or 24 hours, but only in the Czech Republic and for a higher fee. Make a note of your passport number separately, you will need it for example when booking or in case of loss.
From birth. Every Czech citizen, including babies, must have their own passport when travelling outside the EU.
The passport for children under 15 is valid for five years and cannot be renewed. Once it expires, you must apply for a new one.
No. The child must be present when the application is made. The official takes the photograph on the spot and verifies the likeness.
Contact the nearest Czech consulate, where you will be issued with a return travel document. When you return, apply for a new passport.
No, the photo is taken at the office. The exception is when the child cannot be present – but this is very rare.
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