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Recently, I helped my child renew a U.S. passport at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing (the previous passport had already expired). I’d like to share some practical tips from the experience.

About Applying for a U.S. Passport

If you are in the U.S., you can apply through USPS and have the passport mailed to your home, which is quite convenient. If you are in China, there are two different situations. If you meet the conditions below, you may still be able to apply and receive the passport directly by mail without making a trip to the embassy.

Passport renewal applications for applicants age 16 and older: Starting February 15, 2022, U.S. citizens age 16 and older may submit passport renewal applications eligible for Form DS-82 by mail and pay online. Applicants applying for their first U.S. passport, renewing a child’s passport, or applying for a passport card must still apply through a nearby embassy or consulate.

For details, you can refer to the informational PPT published by the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.

For children under age 16, you must go in person to a nearby U.S. embassy or consulate. Note that American Citizen Services appointments must be booked in advance (no appointment is needed only for picking up an already issued passport). Be sure to follow the official process for scheduling, completing the forms, and preparing all required documents before going to the embassy or consulate. Running back and forth with kids is exhausting, so it’s best to get everything done in one trip.

Below, I’ll focus on the process and required materials for applying for a child’s passport. This article was written in November 2023, so the information should still be relatively up to date.

Step 1: Prepare the Required Documents

Many people may rush to the U.S. Embassy website to make an appointment first, but I recommend preparing the required documents before scheduling. Otherwise, discovering missing items on the day of the appointment can be even more troublesome. Below is the list of required materials from the official website (source: U.S. Consulate General Shenyang)

  1. Proof of the child’s U.S. citizenship. The child’s most recent U.S. passport;
  2. A completed U.S. passport application form DS-11. Do not sign the form yet; the signature must be done in front of a consular officer;
  3. Proof of the parent-child relationship. The child’s U.S. birth certificate or Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or other proof of the relationship between the parents and child;
  4. Parents’ identification documents. Each parent must provide a valid government-issued ID;
  5. Photocopies of the required documents;
  6. A notarized parental consent form, DS-3053, for each parent not present at the appointment; if neither parent can appear, the consulate must receive separate notarized statements signed by both parents authorizing a third party to renew the child’s passport;
  7. Photos showing facial development. Photos of the child’s facial development since the last U.S. passport was issued (recommended: one every 6 months);
  8. One U.S. passport photo: 2 inches x2 inches (5×5 cm), with a white or light-colored background;
  9. The application fee for a minor U.S. passport is $135 (effective December 27, 2021).

Based on my actual experience, the required documents really were exactly the items listed above—no more and no less. Here are a few additional notes on each item:

  1. An expired U.S. passport is okay, but you must bring it with you.
  2. The DS-11 form must be completed through the Q&A flow on the official website so that the generated form includes a barcode. Very important! Very important! After printing, check again to make sure there is a barcode. Otherwise, they will not process your application. (Who says Americans don’t make things difficult for fellow Americans?)
  3. In general, the birth certificate will list the parents, and that is enough. No extra multi-level authentication is needed.
  4. I recommend using the parents’ passports. If your passport has expired, renew your own passport first. I’m not sure whether a national ID card would work, so a passport is still the safer choice.
  5. Items 1, 3, and 4 above all need photocopies. For passports, copying just the photo page is enough.
  6. We did not run into this issue ourselves. It should probably require documents issued by a formal notary office. If you have relevant experience, feel free to add it in the comments.
  7. We prepared family photos, roughly one every few months. Be sure to print them out, because no electronic devices are allowed inside.
  8. For the passport photo, the tool provided on the official website works fine. We just took the photo at home in front of a white wall and used an online tool. When printing the photos, make sure to emphasize the required size. After that, just cut them into individual photos. They will only keep one during the appointment.
  9. Bring exact U.S. dollar cash or use an international/dual-currency credit card (Visa MASTER). I do not recommend using RMB, because the exchange rate may change, and they do not give change there. Even if you don’t want the extra money back, they still won’t accept it.

Let me add one more thing here: as long as you’re sure you can obtain all of the above materials before the appointment date, you can go ahead and schedule. The item most likely to cause a timing issue is number 4. Be sure to check whether your own passport has expired. If it has, and you need to renew your Chinese passport through the local Exit-Entry Administration appointment system, it’s best to allow about one month to receive the new passport. Everything else—photo printing, photocopying, filling out forms—can definitely be handled within a week.

Step 2: Make an Appointment

Be sure to make your appointment through the official website—don’t go to the wrong place. You can search for the U.S. Embassy in Beijing or use the official page below and click through from there.

Choose the appointment website there, or use the link below. Note that passport services are not available on weekends or on U.S. and Chinese holidays. Also, very importantly, you must use the above link to make the appointment and fill out the form. That is the only way the form will include a barcode. I’ll explain more below.

Below are screenshots of several important steps in the appointment process for reference.

  • If your child is applying for a first passport and that passport has already expired, just select this option. The exact validity period can be found on the expired passport. We’ll cover the form-filling step separately in Step 5.
  • Next, choose the embassy or consulate. There does not seem to be any restriction here—just pick whichever one is closest or most convenient for you.
  • Select the passport service you need.
  • Then you can choose a date and time.
  • Next, select the specific time slot. The latest slot seems to be 9:00. You may arrive at the entrance 30 minutes before your appointment time; if you arrive too early, staff will ask you to wait and you will not be allowed in ahead of time. For the two accompanying-person fields below, you would generally enter the father and mother. If there are additional accompanying people—for example, another child who also needs to come along—it is best to contact the embassy in advance. If you receive email confirmation, they can usually enter as well.
  • Finally, select the country and the consulate or embassy again.
  • Be sure to save the appointment confirmation page. The confirmation code on it can be used to cancel the appointment. You should also print the confirmation page and carry it with you on the day of the appointment, since the guard at the entrance will check it before letting you in.

Step 3: Complete Form DS-11 and Prepare the Photo

First, make sure you use the official website link to fill out the form online. Only then will the barcode appear, and the staff needs to scan that barcode when you apply. On our trip, the printed version did not show the barcode, so we were forced to go back to the hotel to print it again before we could continue.

Most of the form is just personal information. I’ll point out a few screenshots covering items people may have questions about.

  • The first page is basic personal information. For height, you’ll need to convert it online into feet and inches. For a child’s occupation, just enter child.
  • For the address section, you can enter a China address. If you select China as the country, you do not need to fill in the state field.
  • The travel plans section can be left blank; it doesn’t matter.
  • For the emergency contact, there is no way to enter a China address. If you have relatives in the U.S., you can use their address; otherwise leave it blank. If needed, the staff will ask you to handwrite it during the appointment.
  • Next, enter the information from the previous passport. If the old passport was a regular booklet, select passport book. The rest of the information is on the old passport, and the book number is the passport number.
  • After a few summary pages, you’ll get to the payment page. Be sure to check large book, which is the passport booklet we received. Just prepare the amount shown there.
  • The price depends on the applicant’s age and the options selected. When I filled it out for my child, the price was $135 ($100+$35)
  • Do not close this page. You need to print the form from here.
  • Make sure the printed form includes this barcode! Check the printout carefully!

One more note on the photo: you can simply use the official tool below to crop it automatically.

Step 4: Apply In Person

Once all the materials are ready, you can go in person to apply. Based on my experience at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing in 2023 11, here is a general overview of the process. We stayed at the nearby Hilton, which was indeed very convenient for passport or visa appointments.

Prepare Your Documents

Prepare all materials required in Step 1, along with the passport application fee. It’s best to keep everything in a folder.

Note that no electronic devices are allowed inside during the appointment, including phones and computers. So it’s best to leave anything unnecessary at your hotel or find a storage service nearby, if available (I’m not very familiar with that since I didn’t use one). That said, based on what I observed, small electronic devices like phones could sometimes be handed over at the entrance during security screening for temporary storage. The guards had small boxes for individual items. Still, I’m not sure whether this is always allowed or only sometimes, so if possible, just don’t bring them.

Arrival and Security Check

The entrance for citizen services, including U.S. passport services, is the same as the entrance for nonimmigrant visas. It is roughly where I marked the red box. There is usually traffic control near that gate, so if you are walking, you may need to go around from the other side of the street to get in. I’m not sure about parking, and I would not recommend driving in case there is nowhere to park.

At the entrance, they will check your ID and appointment letter. You should have both parents’ passports, the child’s U.S. passport (even if expired), and the confirmation letter generated after booking the appointment. Citizen services goes to the left; nonimmigrant visas go to the right.

At this point, you are still outside the embassy. Walk a little farther along the fence and you will see the citizen services entrance, where staff and guards are stationed. You must show both parents’ passports, the child’s U.S. passport, and the appointment letter to the staff before the guard will let you enter. Only then are you actually inside the U.S. Embassy. Before entering the office building, there is another security check. The guard will verify that the time on your appointment letter is correct; if you arrive more than half an hour early, they may ask you to wait outside and come back later. They will also check that the name on the appointment letter matches the name on the passport you provide. After that, it is basically airport-style security screening. Once you pass through, you can enter the office building. There are signs along the way, and almost all staff speak Chinese, so there is no need to worry.

At the Appointment

To our surprise, there were still quite a lot of people there, and the vast majority were parents renewing passports for their children. The staff were thoughtful and said only one person needed to stand in line, while the mother could sit on the sofa nearby with the child, rest, drink water, or use the restroom. Once it is your turn, you first go to a document review window. You hand over the required materials, and the staff will organize them in order into their own document folder, then give you a number for payment. When your number appears on the screen, go pay the fee.

One important tip: make sure you bring either the exact amount in U.S. cash or a credit card or debit card that can be charged in U.S. dollars. U.S. cards such as Visa and Master are accepted. If you plan to pay in RMB, be sure to bring enough small bills and calculate the amount based on the exchange rate. When we were there, many people were exchanging RMB with one another because they did not have change. The payment window will not accept overpayment or underpayment. Even if you say you do not need change, they still will not take extra money.

After payment, wait for your turn at the interview window. The officer may ask the child a few questions, such as whether these are the child’s parents and what the child’s name is. Then they will review all the materials in the document folder that was prepared earlier. If everything looks good, the parents will be asked to raise their hands and swear that the materials are truthful, and then sign the DS11.

Embassy staff generally speak Chinese. Even the Western-looking officers conducting interviews spoke fluent Chinese, so you can just speak Chinese throughout. During our interview, the officer even joked with our child, pointing at us and smiling while asking, “These two aren’t strangers you’re meeting for the first time, right?” Overall, as long as your documents are complete, the process is very fast; the main downside is just the wait.

After the Appointment

After you finish the application, the interview staff will give you a slip. Then you wait for the email notification. When it arrives, bring the receipt (it should be the small printout you got after paying the application fee) and your current US passport to the embassy for pickup. Pickup hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1:15 pm to 3:00 pm. If someone else needs to pick it up for you, you will also need to prepare an authorization letter in English with the relevant information before going.

For information about the Chinese visa in the passport, see the illustration below.

Status Check

After successfully submitting the application, you can check the status of your US passport application online. The link is available on the official website.

To check, you need the applicant’s last name, date of birth, and the last four digits of the SSN.

Then you can see the current status. When I checked, the passport had already been mailed from the US the day after the application was completed (which was the same day in US time). However, it likely had not yet arrived at the US Embassy in Beijing at that point. Based on mailing and processing times, I estimated it would still take another one to two weeks. Reportedly, you will receive an email notification once the passport is ready for pickup.

Of course, you can also email the US Embassy in Beijing at [email protected] to ask. Generally speaking, they usually will not provide much new information and will most likely just ask you to wait patiently.

Picking Up the Passport

Email

When you applied for the passport, you should have provided an email address for notifications. If your passport has arrived at the embassy and is ready for pickup, you will receive an email like the one below.

Note that you must pick up the passport within 90 days, or it may be destroyed. If you truly cannot pick it up within the required time, you need to email ACS as instructed to discuss your situation.

Required Materials

The most important points are below.

Pickup hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 1:15-3:00 pm, excluding holidays. You can check their calendar to make sure your visit does not fall on a holiday (2024 calendar).

Pickup location: The same place where you applied for the passport, namely the American Citizen Services section of the US Embassy in Beijing. No appointment is required; you can just go directly.

What to bring: This is very important. If you forget something, you may have to make another trip.

  • Your previous passport or passport card (it is okay if it is expired)
  • Your personal ID (either a Chinese ID card or a passport is fine)
  • The receipt from when you applied for the passport (see image below). Either the original or a copy is acceptable, and it will not be kept.
  • If you are not the child’s parent and need to pick it up on the child’s behalf, the parents must complete an authorization letter for pickup. It must be filled out in advance and cannot be completed on site. If a parent is picking it up in person, this is not required.

Pickup Process

Bring the required materials and go directly on a non-holiday Monday, Wednesday, or Friday. In general, there are not many people handling visas in the afternoon; most people there are using citizen services or picking up passports.

One more tip: if you bring a phone, smartwatch, or earbuds with you when going to pick up the passport, you can leave them at the embassy security checkpoint. You do not need to use the storage services offered by nearby businesses outside the entrance. Of course, do not overdo it by bringing a large number of prohibited items; they may not have enough space to store everything. After you check your items, they will give you a small tag, and you can pick them up when you leave.

If the line is short, passport pickup only takes a few minutes.

If this is your first time applying for a passport for your child, the staff may remind you that you can also apply for the child’s SSN at the same time. They also seem to offer free notary service, so you may be able to take care of both together in just a few minutes.

Timeline

Here is a summary of a few key dates from my application process.

  • Applied on November 17
  • Passport mailed from the US on November 17
  • Received the pickup email on December 27
  • Picked up the passport sometime after January 20

So if you need your passport urgently in the near future, it is best to allow at least one and a half months for the process.

Summary

Compared with applying for a nonimmigrant visa before, this citizen service is much more convenient. Be sure to prepare all materials carefully and double-check everything several times. When we applied, several families either had to go back and bring additional documents or were unable to complete the application that day because their paperwork was incomplete, which was quite troublesome. Also, things like the application fee should be prepared in advance.

If you have any other questions, feel free to leave a comment below~