Social security card for a child

The easiest way to apply for a social security number and card for a newborn in the U.S. is to do it at the hospital. When you provide information for the baby’s birth certificate, you have an option to apply for a social security number for your baby.

It is possible to obtain a social security card for a child later, if the child is a U.S. citizen or an immigrant visa (green card) holder. The application to the Social Security Administration should be accompanied by original documents showing the child’s U.S. citizenship or immigration status, age, and identity, and the documents confirming your identity and relationship to the child. A parent signs the application for the minor, but children 12 years and older must be present in person for an interview when the application is filed at the Social Security office. Importantly, you need at least two separate documents to get a social security number for a child. In most cases, you will need the child’s birth certificate and the child’s passport. The parent presents a passport or a driver’s license. However, if you do not have some of these documents, alternatives will be considered.

The following documents are accepted as a proof of U.S. citizenship:

• U.S. birth certificate
• U.S. consular report of birth
• U.S. passport
• Certificate of Naturalization
• Certificate of Citizenship

Importantly, if your child has a U.S. birth certificate, you are required to submit this document as a proof of age. Only if the U.S. birth certificate has never been issued, the following alternative documents can be presented:

• Passport
• U.S. hospital record of birth
• Religious record made before the age of 5 and showing the date of birth
• Foreign birth certificate
• Certificate of Birth Abroad (FS-545)
• Certificate of Report of Birth (DS-1350)
• Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240)
• Certificate of Naturalization

The following documents may be used as a proof of identity:

• Passport (the preferred document)
• State-issued non-driver identification card
• Adoption decree
• Doctor, clinic, or hospital record
• Religious record
• School or daycare center record
• School identification card

If you are applying for a social security card on behalf of a foreign-born adopted child, bring the document issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued when the child arrived to the United States. However, note that this DHS document does not confirm the adopted child’s U.S. citizenship. You need to obtain a Citizenship Certificate or a U.S. passport for the adopted foreign-born child and present one of these documents at the Social Security office, so the Social Security record shows that the child is a U.S. citizen.

If your child is an immigrant, and has already arrived to the United Stets, provide the following documents at the Social Security office:

• The child’s unexpired foreign passport
• Form I-551 (Lawful Permanent Resident Card, Machine-Readable Immigrant Visa)
• Admission stamp showing a class of admission permitting work
• Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record)
• Form I-766 (Employment Authorization Document)

To confirm your identity, it is best to use one of the following documents:

• U.S. driver’s license
• State-issued non-driver identification card
• U.S. passport

Other documents that may be used as the proof of your identity are:

• Employee identification card
• School identification card
• Health insurance card (but not a Medicare card)
• U.S. military identification card
• Life insurance policy