You can get a passport at any age —even a newborn can have one—there is no minimum age requirement.

Quick Scoop: Basic Rule

  • For international air travel, every U.S. citizen (including babies and kids) must have their own passport.
  • There is no “wait until 5 or 10 years old” rule; parents can apply for a child’s passport as soon as the child is born and has a birth certificate.

Kids vs. Teens vs. Adults

  • Children under 16:
    • Can get a passport from birth.
* Must apply in person with extra parental-consent rules (usually both parents present or documented consent).

* Passport is typically valid up to 5 years.
  • Ages 16–17:
    • Apply mostly like adults but still need to show a parent or guardian is aware of the application.
* Their passport is generally valid for 10 years.
  • Adults 18 and up:
    • Apply on their own, standard 10‑year passport.

A simple way to think of it: the moment you’re leaving the country, you need your own passport—no matter how young you are.

TL;DR: You don’t have to be a certain age to get a passport; you need one whenever you travel internationally, and that can be from birth.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.