Baby Photo for U.S. Passport photo - size & requirements

Infant and baby passport photo

Basically, regarding the infants’ passport photos and very young children, the most important thing is to meet the following 4 points. The vast majority of them will be taken care of by our photo software (especially points 1 and 2). In fact, the crucial thing is that the face is evenly lit and the head is not tilted. Guidelines for taking pictures for infant or baby passports are presented below:

• The photo should be taken against a uniform and white background.
• The child in the picture should pose frontally, i.e. the head should not be tilted in any direction.
• The child's face should occupy from 70 to 80% of the picture and the eyes and chin should be in the right places.
• The face should be evenly lit.

TIP: It is essential to note that the baby passport photo requirements (including infants) are much less stringent than for older children and adults. In particular for infants, closed eyes and open mouths are allowed. Unnatural facial expressions (e.g. grimaces, smiles, yawns) are also acceptable. However, it is important that the child's face should not be covered by toys, hands or other people. Even in the background they should not be visible to other people (therefore, very small children are best placed on a single-coloured blanket).

Baby passport photo requirements

Technically, the photo for the children's passport should meet the same requirements as for adults. Therefore, the photograph should be rectangular in shape and 2x2 inch in size. Furthermore, the photo should:

• 1. be colorful, with natural contrast
• 2. be of good quality and not damaged in any way
• 3. be sharp (no single pixels visible)
• 4. reflect the natural color of the skin
• 5. be printed on glossy or matte photo paper of good-quality
• 6. the size should be 2x2 inches or 51x51 mm
• 7. the entire face should be in the photo
• 8. the photo should be current (taken within the last 6 months)
• 9. it is preferred for the facial expression to be neutral
• 10. both eyes should be open

Here are also some additional infant passport photo requirements and explanations regarding the US passport infant photo:

• What supports the baby should not be visible (arms or hands of the parent, for example). The baby only should be visible on the newborn passport photo.
• It is acceptable if the eyes of a newborn are not entirely open. Children should have both eyes open and look directly at the photo camera.
• You can take an infant passport photo easily by just placing the baby on a sheet, whether it’s white or of another colour. The sheet will be the background of the photo and the baby will be completely supported. Just remember to take a picture without shadows.
• You can also use a cover seat as a support. Just cover it with a white blanket and take the picture.

Newborn passport photo

Even if your baby is newborn, that shouldn’t stop you from travelling and showing your kid the world. There are many services available to help you make the trip comfortable both for the infant and parents. Obviously, you will need to apply for a passport for baby so that the trip is fully legal and there would be no problems. You will need a passport application for baby. One of the difficulties people face is the baby passport photo, because it requires meeting certain criteria that are difficult to handle with a newborn. That’s why we created this detailed article and mentioned the baby passport photo requirements and tips to make it easy for you to prepare the right picture for the baby passport photo.

After taking the photo, all you have to do is upload it in our fast, high-quality passport photo editor for it to be transformed into the perfect passport photo for baby with a guaranteed acceptance and 200% money back guarantee in the rarest cases you will not be satisfied. The tool will delete the background, resize, edit the photo and check it before offering you the result. This way, you will not have to take your newborn baby out during the pandemic, wait in the queue and get a picture you don’t like.

Guide on how to take a baby passport photo USA

Taking into consideration the baby passport photo requirements mentioned above, you can take a passport photo of your baby at home, easily and fast. This will help you save some money and neglect the need to visit a local photobooth or a photo department of some store. There are low chances that the employee of the photo studio or post office will get a better photo than the one you make yourself. It also depends on the character of the kid, maybe he or she will not be in the mood for a photoshoot and things will get complicated. It’s better to stay safe and keep the baby in a well-known environment taking a baby passport photo at home.

You can take the newborn passport photo when they are sleeping since it’s acceptable for their eyes to be closed. This way, the baby won’t be stressed, won’t move or cry making it difficult to take at least one acceptable photo. You can also use the moment to correct the position of the baby by putting them to sleep on a white blanket on the bed or on the car seat and taking some photos to choose the best from them. You don’t need to zoom and take the photo of their face only. If the camera is of good quality, you can take a simple photo and our passport photo generator will edit it automatically. This way, the size will be corrected and we will make sure there is enough space between the head and the frame of the photo.

Passport photo for an infant

The newborn passport photo isn’t always easy to take. Sometimes you’ll need to get through some crying or capriciousness but it’s totally worth it to do it at home. That is why we recommended doing it when the baby sleeps. If the kid is awake, make sure you prepare all the things in advance and keep his or her interest on the camera. Explain the process and try to take some baby passport photos with eyes open and neutral facial expression. Don’t bother about additional editing or the size of the photo because it can be easily changed online.

If you’re worried about the baby changing his or her appearance and not looking the same as in the photo in several months, it is not the case. The US passport for baby is valid for several years not depending on the way your baby looks compared to the moment pictured in the photo.

How to take a perfect photo of a newborn baby or an infant at home?

The easiest way to take a perfect passport photo shot of your baby is to lay the baby on its back on a white sheet, making sure there are no shadows on the baby's face, and simply taking a photograph from above.

Preparing a baby passport photo at home is much easier because it allows taking into account the mood and schedule of the baby and getting the best result possible. You’re most likely taking pictures of your baby very frequently so all you need to do is prepare a bit so that the passport photo meets the criteria. It’s not that difficult to do! You can also look for “baby passport photo near me” and find a studio. You can also find a professional photographer if you hesitate to do it yourself and then use the headshots to edit them and transform into professional baby passport photos. Maybe the professional will be handy when it comes to positioning the baby and making sure all the conditions are met but we are sure the task is not that difficult.

If you don’t want to look for a photographer, the best solution is to take the baby passport photo yourself - a process which is explained in detail in this article. All you need is a decent camera that can make good quality shots or a smartphone, well arranged lighting and something to use as a background and support. Also, think how to make your baby stare at the camera for some seconds. You need a bit of patience and preparation and the process will go smoothly!

Lighting Conditions for Baby Passport Photos

Whether you’re taking a photo for a United States baby passport, for a visa or some other ID, you need to make sure that the shadows are soft and this can be done by diffusing light from several sources. You can do that by taking a picture in a room with natural lighting from several windows. If the room is too bright, use something to diffuse the lights, for example close the curtains so that the lighting will be soft and the photo will be of a good quality.

If there is only one source of light in your room, for example, a single window, you can create another source of light so that it would be soft. You can make a reflector - put some white blankets or sheets on chairs so they would reflect the light and there would be 2 sources of light. You can then place the newborn between the sheets and window, so that the shadows are uniform.

If there is no possibility to get good natural light in your room, for example it’s rainy outside, try this strategy: lay the baby on many pieces of white paper on a table. Take the photo with your camera or phone. Try making the baby look exactly at the camera. You can even film the baby and find a good moment in the video when the baby looks the way wanted. After you watch the video and find the right moment, pause it, use the fame to edit it and get a good baby passport photo. If your camera or smartphone has advanced settings, you can use them to set the right exposure and adjust the colors to fit the criteria, for example make the photo less dark and more neutral - not blue or yellow.

Baby position for the infant passport photo

Make sure your baby has some rest, isn’t hungry or moody and the diaper is fresh. Take care of the photoshoot conditions: read the infant passport photo requirements, prepare the place, lighting settings, camera or smartphone and we can continue. This part of the article will be dedicated to the problematic question on positioning your baby correctly and comfortably during the photoshoot. Obviously, newborns cannot hold their head because of their weak necks and they need to be supported in a way that allows you to take the baby passport photo and not add any unneeded object on the photo.

The main thing to take care about here is the support for the baby. There are two main tips when it comes to this topic: laying the baby on the bed and using something to support the neck or using a baby seat.

If you prefer the first option, find a room with a good lighting over the bed or create the lighting conditions needed using the tips we already explained. Put a white blanket or sheet on the bed to ensure a uniform background. You can use a towel to roll it and place it under the sheet so it would support the neck of the newborn, just shape it as the letter U. Now that everything is done, place the baby, adjust the towel and blanket, and get ready to take some pictures.

In the case of a car seat, you need a cushion that supports the head of a newborn baby to make sure it won’t move. Cover the seat car with a white blanket (it can be a piece of clothing, a sheet, what you find) and use some clips to make it taught. This way there will be no unneeded folds. Now you can place the baby and take baby passport pictures.

You can also use your arms under the blanket to support the head of the baby and take a few shots this way.

Camera position when taking an infant passport photo

The rules are simple: the camera has to be parallel to the face of your baby and there needs to be some space between the camera and the head. Be careful not to cause any shadows on the photo by moving your body and the camera, the face should be evenly lighted. The camera shouldn’t be placed at an angle so that the baby looks directly at it and has a straight positioned face on the photo. Both eyes should be open or in case of a newborn, at least visible on the photo, even if closed.

How to take an infant passport photo

Let’s enhance our knowledge with some more useful things. Here is a full list of tips and guidelines you have to keep in mind when taking a baby passport photo or an infant passport photo:

• The face expression should be neutral, try to follow this rule. We know in case of a baby it’s a difficult one.
• Nothing should cover the face of the baby, so no pacifiers, clothes, hats or thumbs in their mouths.
• Do not use the flash of the camera. It’s not good for the baby and it causes shadows on the photo. If the light is so bad that you need to use it, diffuse the light of the flash by placing some toilet paper on it.
• Make sure there is some space above the head of the baby and below.
• Pay attention to the camera focus. You don’t want to take a photo with a blurry face and the focus on some other part of the body. In case of a phone, tap on the head of the baby on the screen to focus on the right part.
• There is also a “live mode” in the camera that takes many shots one after another. This may help if the baby is moving or moody. Then just pick one that seems the best.
• Do something to make the baby look at the camera. You can attract attention by holding a toy, singing, calling the baby. You know your baby better than us so you should know how to do it.

Printing a baby passport photo

Congrats, you’re at your last step of the process – printing the baby passport photo that was successfully taken! You can check the official requirements and follow them to try to edit it or use an automatic online passport photo generator that will do everything for you, ensuring the photo will meet all the requirements and will be accepted.

If you want to print the photo yourself, you need a good printer and paper. Plus, you will need to cut the photos well. You can also prepare a 4x6’’ photo template with Passport Photo Online and print it at any photo department, store or studio for the price of a simple photocard (often, less than 30 cents).

There’s another option, if you don’t want to leave the house and want to enjoy professional service, try the Premium Service of Passport Photo Online that includes photo check by a human expert, printing and sending the photo by post to your address.

We encourage you to stay at home during the pandemic and use online photo editing tools so that you will stay safe.