Born in the U.S.? Your child needs a U.S. passport to fly abroad.
Under federal law, every U.S. citizen, babies included, needs a valid passport to leave the country by air and to return. For children under 16, the application is made in person on Form DS-11, with both parents taking part. Cartório BR completes the form, reviews every document, and prepares your family for the appointment.
- Form DS-11 completed and reviewed
- Documents and parental consent reviewed
- Service in Portuguese, at our Bothell office or remotely
A birth certificate does not replace a passport on an international flight
Many Brazilian families keep their child's birth certificate on file and assume that is enough. It proves where the child was born, but it will not get them on an international flight: for a trip to Brazil, what counts is the passport.
There is no exception for age: even a newborn needs their own passport to fly abroad. Without one, the visit to family in Brazil does not happen, or the trip home becomes a problem.
A child's application also has its own rules. The child must appear in person, both parents take part, and the birth certificate must be the official certified copy, with a seal. A child's passport is valid for five years, not ten like an adult's. Finding this out the week of the trip is finding out too late.
A plane ticket will not get you a passport. A complete application, submitted well in advance, greatly reduces the risk of it being sent back.
The U.S. passport and the role of Cartório BR
A U.S. passport is the travel document that proves the bearer's identity and U.S. citizenship. It is issued only by the U.S. Department of State.
For children under 16, the application is made on Form DS-11 and submitted in person at an authorized passport acceptance facility. It must include the original birth certificate, the parents' documents, and a photo that meets the required standard.
Cartório BR is a private document services company. We are not a consulate, a notary office, or a government agency, and we do not issue passports. Our work is to complete the DS-11, review the paperwork, prepare the consent for a parent who cannot attend, and guide the family, so the application reaches the Department of State complete.
A form in English you are not sure how to answer, doubts about which birth certificate to bring, one parent unable to attend, and the fear of losing the trip.
DS-11 completed and reviewed, birth certificate and parents' documents checked, consent in order, and a family that knows exactly what to bring on appointment day.
For Brazilian families with children born in the United States
A baby or child getting a first passport
Without a passport, the child cannot travel abroad, not even to visit family in Brazil. The application requires Form DS-11, the child's presence, and the participation of both parents.
A child whose passport has expired or is about to expire
A passport issued before age 16 cannot be renewed by mail. Until a new in-person application is made on Form DS-11, the next trip is on hold.
A 16- or 17-year-old, or an adult child who has never had a passport
A first adult passport is also requested in person on Form DS-11. A 16- or 17-year-old may need to show that a parent is aware of the application. Without a passport, there is no study abroad program and no international travel.
The rules come from U.S. federal law and regulations
The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Title 8 of the United States Code, Section 1401(a), provide that a person born in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction is a U.S. citizen at birth. On June 30, 2026, in Trump v. Barbara (No. 25-365), the Supreme Court held that Executive Order 14160 violates the 14th Amendment and affirmed the ruling that had struck it down. The order sought to deny citizenship to a child whose mother was unlawfully present or in the country on a temporary basis, when the father was neither a U.S. citizen nor a lawful permanent resident.
As a U.S. citizen, the child needs a passport to travel. Title 8, Section 1185(b) of the U.S. Code prohibits a U.S. citizen from leaving or entering the United States without a valid passport, except as otherwise provided by the President. And only the Department of State issues that passport: Title 22, Section 211a provides that no other entity may grant, issue, or verify it.
A child's application follows Department of State regulations, found in Title 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 51. Section 51.28 requires a minor under 16 to appear in person and both parents to sign the application, or the absent parent to give written consent signed before a notary. Section 51.42 sets out which birth certificates are acceptable. Section 51.4 sets the validity period: five years for applicants under 16 and ten years from age 16 on.
If the child is also Brazilian, that does not change the U.S. application. Brazil's Federal Constitution, Article 12, item I, subparagraph c, recognizes as a native-born Brazilian a child born abroad to a Brazilian father or mother and registered with a competent Brazilian office, such as the consulate. These are two passports from two countries, and each one follows its own country's law.
Except as otherwise provided by the President, it is unlawful for a U.S. citizen to depart from or enter the United States without bearing a valid U.S. passport.
A person born in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction is a national and citizen of the United States at birth.
The Court held that Executive Order 14160 violates the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment and affirmed the ruling that had struck it down: children born in the United States to parents who are unlawfully present or in a temporary immigration status are citizens at birth.
The Secretary of State grants and issues passports, and no other entity may grant, issue, or verify them.
A minor under 16 must appear in person, and both parents or legal guardians sign the application, renewals included. One parent may sign alone by submitting the other parent's written consent, signed before a notary, or proof of being the sole parent or of having sole legal custody. A 16- or 17-year-old appears in person and may be required to submit the consent of one parent, signed before a notary.
Minors under 16 and first-time applicants must apply in person. Renewal by mail is allowed only when the previous passport was issued at age 16 or older.
An applicant born in the United States submits a birth certificate showing their full name, date and place of birth, the parents' names, the registrar's signature, the seal of the issuing office, and a filing date within one year of birth.
A passport is valid for ten years for applicants 16 and older and for five years for those under 16, unless limited by the Department of State.
A passport applicant must provide their taxpayer identification number, if they have one; failure to do so subjects the applicant to a penalty, unless it is due to reasonable cause.
Native-born Brazilians include "those born abroad to a Brazilian father or a Brazilian mother, provided that they are registered with a competent Brazilian office or come to reside in the Federative Republic of Brazil and, at any time after reaching the age of majority, opt for Brazilian nationality" (unofficial translation).
Required documents and information
- Your child's official U.S. birth certificate, issued by the vital records office, with a seal. For the appointment, bring the original paper copy and a photocopy; a certificate on your phone is not accepted.
- Your child's Social Security number (SSN). If your child does not have one yet, let our team know: there is a specific statement for that case.
- Your child's previous U.S. passport, if any. If this is the first one, just tell us.
- A valid government-issued photo ID for each parent (for example, a Brazilian or U.S. passport, or a U.S. driver's license), with a photocopy of the front and back.
- Your child's details: height, hair color, eye color, and grade level, if your child is in school.
- The mother's and the father's details: full address, email, and phone number for each.
- An emergency contact who is neither the father nor the mother: name, address, phone number, email, and relationship to the child.
From the English form to appointment day, step by step
Tell us about your family
You tell us your child's age, whether this is a first passport, whether both parents can attend the appointment, and whether your child has an SSN. Based on your answers, our team assesses your case and lets you know what to send.
Send the documents and information
Our team reviews the birth certificate, the parents' documents, and your information item by item. At this stage, we resolve anything that would get the application sent back: an unacceptable birth certificate, an expired ID, a missing consent.
Cartório BR prepares the application
We complete and review the DS-11 with your information, organize the photocopies, and, if one parent cannot attend, prepare the Statement of Consent to be signed before a notary. Please note: do not sign the DS-11 at home. It is signed only in front of the agent on appointment day.
Your application is ready for the appointment
Everything comes to you organized: the completed DS-11, the reviewed documents, and a list of what to bring. On the day, the child and parents go to the authorized facility, and the parents sign the form in front of the agent. The Department of State then reviews the application and, if it is approved, issues the passport.
Why work with Cartório BR?
A U.S. form, explained in Portuguese
The DS-11 is in English and has questions that confuse people who are not used to it. Our team explains each one in Portuguese and fills out the form with you.
Checked in advance, no surprises later
We review the birth certificate, the parents' documents, the photocopies, and the consent before the appointment, so that day is for submitting the application, not for discovering what was missing.
Two nationalities, one point of contact
If your child is also Brazilian, the same team helps your family with the birth registration at the consulate, the CPF (Brazilian taxpayer ID number), and the Brazilian passport. The registration and the passport are handled by the consulate, and the CPF by Brazil's Federal Revenue Service (Receita Federal); Cartório BR prepares and checks the applications. You don't have to tell your story twice.
Family situations that need special attention
A parent living in Brazil, a parent unable to attend the appointment, a child without an SSN. Our team points you to the right document for each situation, within Department of State rules.
Bothell office or remote service
You can visit our office at 19125 North Creek Parkway, Suite 105, Bothell, WA 98011, or prepare everything over WhatsApp at +1 (425) 652-3311. The application itself is still made in person: the child goes to the authorized acceptance facility with the parents. The office is led by Francisco Stentz Harto, with a team dedicated to Brazilians living in the United States.
Ready to get started?
Talk to our team and get the right guidance for your case.
Get help with your child's passport →Mistakes that get a child's passport application sent back
Going to the appointment with only one parent, without the other parent's Statement of Consent signed before a notary.
Bringing the souvenir certificate from the hospital, a plain photocopy, or a certificate on your phone instead of the official certified copy with a seal.
Signing the DS-11 at home, before the agent asks you to sign.
Trying to renew a passport by mail when it was issued before the child turned 16.
Forgetting the photocopies of the birth certificate and the parents' IDs.
Writing the father's or mother's SSN instead of the child's.
Processing time is set by the Department of State. Planning ahead is up to you.
The Department of State issues and delivers the passport, and processing times change throughout the year; the current estimate is posted at travel.state.gov. Cartório BR does not control that timeline and does not promise a delivery date. Our part is preparing a complete application as soon as we receive your documents, so it is not sent back for missing paperwork. If your trip already has a date, start now. And remember: a child's passport is valid for only five years, and renewing it also requires an in-person appearance.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and 8 U.S.C. § 1401(a), a person born in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction is a U.S. citizen at birth. The main exception is the child of a foreign diplomat. On June 30, 2026, in Trump v. Barbara, the Supreme Court held that this rule also applies to children of parents who are unlawfully present or in a temporary immigration status. The passport is the document that proves citizenship when traveling.
Yes. Brazil's Constitution, Article 12, I, c, recognizes as a native-born Brazilian a child born abroad to a Brazilian father or mother, once the child is registered at a Brazilian consulate. One passport does not replace the other: each country issues its own. Cartório BR also assists families with birth registration and Brazilian passport applications, which are handled by the consulate.
That parent signs the Statement of Consent (Form DS-3053) before a notary who is not related to them, then sends a photocopy of the front and back of the photo ID shown to the notary. The statement is valid for 90 days from the date it is notarized. If that parent is outside the United States, the signature may need to take place at a U.S. embassy or consulate. Our team shows you the right path for your situation.
Not if the passport was issued before age 16. The regulation (22 CFR § 51.21) allows renewal by mail only when the previous passport was issued at age 16 or older. In that case, the child files a new in-person application on Form DS-11.
Yes. If your child has never been issued a number, the parents sign a specific statement that goes with the application. Never use the father's or mother's SSN in place of the child's. Our team explains the wording and how to fill it out.
No. Only the U.S. Department of State issues U.S. passports (22 U.S.C. § 211a). Cartório BR is a private document services company: we complete the DS-11, check the documents, and guide your family up to the appointment.
Don't let your child's trip stall over a missing piece of paper.
If your child was born in the United States and is getting a first U.S. passport, or if their passport has expired, talk to our team. We complete the DS-11, review every document, and prepare your family for appointment day. The Department of State issues the passport; Cartório BR prepares a complete application.
Remote service for Brazilians in the United States, with a team in both countries.