Baby Passport Photo: How to Get It Right

Every U.S. citizen needs their own passport, including newborns. That means a passport photo for someone who cannot sit up, follow instructions or keep their eyes open on cue. The good news is that the State Department relaxes some rules for infants. Here is what is allowed and how to get a usable photo with as little stress as possible.

What the State Department allows for babies

The baby's photo uses the same size and quality rules as an adult photo: 2 x 2 inches, in color, taken in the last six months, head 1 to 1 3/8 inches from chin to top of head, on a plain white or off-white background. On top of that, the State Department and its Foreign Affairs Manual give infants specific allowances.

The State Department's own tips are practical: lay the baby on a plain white or off-white sheet, or cover a car seat with one, and make sure there are no shadows on the baby's face. The manual gives the car seat with a white or off-white blanket behind the child as its example of discreet support.

Children apply in person, so you need prints

Children under 16 cannot renew a passport online or by mail. Every application for a child under 16 is made in person with Form DS-11, usually with both parents or guardians. That means you need a printed 2 x 2 inch photo, not just a digital file. Have the photo ready before the appointment, or check whether your acceptance facility offers photos. See the child passport photo guide for more on the application side.

Step by step: taking a baby passport photo at home

1. Pick the right moment. Right after a feed and a nap, when the baby is calm and alert, is usually best.
2. Set up the background. Lay a plain white or off-white sheet on a bed or the floor, pulled smooth. Or cover a reclined car seat with a white sheet so it fills the area behind the head.
3. Use soft, even light. Daylight from a window is ideal. Avoid direct sun and flash, which make harsh shadows and red-eye.
4. Remove extras. Take off hats, bows and headbands. Keep pacifiers, toys and blankets with patterns out of the frame.
5. Position the camera directly above or in front of the face. Hold the phone parallel to the baby's face, not at an angle. Stand back a little and use no zoom, then crop later.
6. Keep your hands out. If the head needs support, use the car seat or a rolled white towel under the sheet, not your hand. No part of another person can appear.
7. Take many photos. Use burst mode. You are looking for one frame with the face straight on, mouth closed or relaxed and no shadow.
8. Check and crop. Crop to a square with the whole head visible and space above it. The head should be 1 to 1 3/8 inches tall on the printed 2 x 2 photo.

Common baby photo problems

Photographing a newborn

Newborns often keep their eyes closed for most of the day. That is fine: the manual says it is acceptable if an infant's eyes, particularly a newborn's, are partly or completely closed. Do not try to open the eyes or wake the baby for the photo. Focus instead on a straight-on angle, even light and no shadows. A sleeping newborn on a smooth white sheet in daylight often makes the easiest passport photo of all.

Store photo or home photo?

Many pharmacies and photo counters take baby passport photos, but small babies who cannot sit up are hard to photograph on a standard stool against a wall. Before you go, ask how they photograph infants, and check the result carefully before you pay:

• No hands, arms or clothing of an adult visible anywhere.
• Face straight on and evenly lit, with no shadow from the photographer.
• The whole head inside the frame, with the head size in range.
• A plain white or off-white background with no folds.

At home, you have more time and can wait for the right moment, which is often the biggest advantage with a baby. Either way, the rules are the same.

When to retake the photo

Babies change quickly, and the photo must have been taken within the last six months. If an appointment is delayed, check the date of the photo. A photo from the first weeks of life may look very different from a six-month-old. Also remember that passports for children under 16 have a shorter validity than adult passports, so you will be taking a new photo again before long. For the general rule, see the six-month photo rule.

Checking the photo before you print

Before printing, run the photo through our free passport photo checker or compare it against the full passport photo requirements. Then print it at exactly 2 x 2 inches on matte or glossy photo paper. Our guide to printing 2x2 passport photos explains how to lay it out on a 4 x 6 sheet and check the size with a ruler.