If you will be traveling abroad while your adoption is pending, you will need permission from the birth parent(s), permission from the agency, and permission from the court in order to obtain a passport for your child. Once you have the court order, you can proceed with the application for a passport. This can take some time (in addition to the time it takes to receive the passport), so it’s best to speak with your lawyer and notify your agency of any out-of-country travel plans as soon as possible.
Once the adoption is finalized, it is much simpler to apply for a passport. You can apply for a passport using the Adoption Order, the Adoption Agreement, and the child’s original birth certificate (along with any other documents required by the passport office). Alternately, if you wait to get a passport until you have the new birth certificate, you do not need to submit the adoption documents with your child’s passport application.