Child Passport Photo: Rules and Tips for Toddlers and Kids

Children's passport photos are rejected for the same reasons as adults' photos, but getting a toddler or a restless six-year-old to sit still, face forward and keep their eyes open adds its own challenge. This guide covers the rules that apply to kids, how the application works for children under 16, and practical ways to get a usable photo without tears.

The rules for children

The State Department applies the standard passport photo rules to children. The only special allowance is for infants, whose eyes may be partly or fully closed; the State Department says all other children must have their eyes open. If your child is still a baby, read the baby passport photo guide instead.

The Foreign Affairs Manual allows some reasonable exceptions on uniform-style clothing for children 15 and under, such as a whimsical camouflage pattern, but plain clothes avoid the question.

Children apply in person with Form DS-11

Children under 16 cannot renew a passport online or by mail. The State Department requires an in-person application with Form DS-11 every time, and usually both parents or guardians must take part or give consent. Because of this, you need a printed photo:

• Bring one 2 x 2 inch color photo printed on matte or glossy photo-quality paper.
• Do not sign, write on or bend the photo. The State Department manual notes that signing photos often causes creases or smudges.
• Some acceptance facilities take photos on site. Ask when you book the appointment.

A child's passport is valid for a shorter time than an adult's, so you will repeat this process every few years. Our guide to printing 2x2 passport photos explains how to print photos at home or at a store and check them with a ruler.

How to keep a child still for the photo

Toddlers (about 1 to 3 years)

• Seat them, do not stand them. A high chair or a car seat placed in front of a white wall or covered with a white sheet keeps them in position.
• Get their attention at the lens. Have a second adult stand right behind the camera with a favorite toy or a sound. The toy must stay out of the frame.
• Shoot in bursts. One good frame is all you need.
• Keep sessions short. Try for a minute, take a break, try again.

Young children (about 4 to 8 years)

• Make it a game. Ask them to be a "statue" for three seconds, or to look for something reflected in the lens.
• Practice the face. Show them a closed-mouth smile in a mirror first. Children often over-smile when asked to smile.
• Use a chair without wheels. Swivel chairs invite spinning and tilted heads.

Older children and teens

• Treat it like an adult photo. Explain the rules: no glasses, hair off the eyes, no hat, mouth closed.
• Check the clothes. No camouflage or uniform-style tops, and headphones off.
• Let them pick the frame. Teens are more cooperative when they choose which photo goes in their passport.

Common reasons children's photos get rejected

For a deeper look at rejection causes, see why passport photos get rejected.

Special situations

Children who wear glasses

The no-glasses rule applies to children too. Take the glasses off for the photo, even if your child wears them all day. The only exception is a medical one backed by a signed doctor's statement. See the glasses rule.

Children with disabilities or medical needs

The Foreign Affairs Manual gives passport specialists room to accept photos of applicants who cannot hold the head upright without support or cannot make a natural expression because of a disability or medical condition. Medical equipment and supports for the head, neck or back, including a wheelchair, may be visible in the background. Take the best photo you reasonably can; if something looks unusual, a short signed statement from your child's doctor can help in unclear cases.

Siblings applying together

The manual mentions that photos are sometimes accidentally switched when siblings apply at the same time. Keep each child's photo with that child's form, and check at the counter that the right photo goes with the right application, especially for siblings who look alike.

Taking the photo at home

Taking a child's photo at home gives you time to wait for a good moment. Set up a plain white wall or a white board, place the child a few feet in front of it, face them toward a window with soft daylight, and have another adult take the photo from a few feet away at the child's eye level, using the main camera without zoom. Then crop to a square and check the head size. Our guide to taking a passport photo at home has the full setup.

Before you go to the appointment

1. Photo printed at exactly 2 x 2 inches on photo paper.
2. Head size between 1 and 1 3/8 inches on the print.
3. Eyes open, face straight, mouth closed.
4. No other person or object in the frame.
5. Photo taken within the last six months.

If you are unsure, run the digital version through our free passport photo checker before printing, and review the full passport photo requirements.