Baby Photo for U.S. Passport

Infant and baby passport photo

For infants and very young children's passport photos, it is important to meet the following 4 criteria. The vast majority of them will be taken care of by our photo software (especially points 1 and 2). 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 consistent 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 70-80% 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 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-colored blanket.

Baby passport photo requirements

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

1. be colorful, with natural contrast
2. be 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 image should be current (taken within the last 6 months)
9. the facial expression should be neutral
10. both eyes should be open

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

• What supports the baby should not be visible, for example, arms or hands of the parent. The baby alone should be visible in the passport picture
• 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 any other color. 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 support. Just cover it with a white blanket and take the picture.

Newborn passport photo

Even if your baby is a 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 a child, the infant and their parents. Obviously, you will need to apply for a passport for a baby so that the trip is fully legal with no problems while travelling. One of the difficulties people face is the baby passport photo that requires meeting certain criteria which are difficult with a newborn. That’s why we have prepared this article detailing the baby passport photo requirements, as well as tips on how to prepare a perfect picture of your baby for their passport. 

After taking the photo, all you have to do is upload a picture to our fast, high-quality passport photo editor to create a perfect passport photo for a baby. This comes with a guaranteed acceptance and 200% money-back guarantee. The application will remove the background, resize, edit, and check the photo before offering you the final result. This way, you will not have to take your newborn baby out to wait in a queue at a photo booth, just to get a picture you might not like.

Guide on how to take a US baby passport photo

Taking into consideration the baby passport photo requirements mentioned above, parents can take a passport photo of their baby at home, easily and fast. This will help you save time and money with no need to visit a local photo booth. Parents might even take better photos for their baby’s passport than in a photo studio or post office. The final result also depends on the mood of the child , as they might not be in the mood for a photoshoot and things will become very difficult. Staying with a baby in a well-known environment is better and safer when parents want to take pictures for their baby’s passport. 

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 just one acceptable photo. You can also use the opportunity to correct the position of the baby by putting them to sleep on a white blanket on the bed, or in a car seat, and taking some photos to choose the best from. Parents don’t need to zoom in and take a photo of a baby’s face only. If the camera is 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

A passport photo for a newborn isn’t always easy to take. Sometimes you’ll need to get through some crying and moving, but it’s totally worth it to do it at home. That is why we recommended doing it when the baby sleeps. If the baby 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 photos with their 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’s appearance changing and them not looking the same as in the photo in several months, then don’t! A baby US passport is valid for several years, and this doesn’t change depending on how your baby looks compared to at the time the photo was taken.

How to take a perfect picture of a newborn baby or a child at home?

The easiest way to take a perfect passport photo of your baby is to lay them 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 this will get the best result possible. You’re most likely taking pictures of your baby very frequently so all you need is to 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. Parents can also find a professional photographer if they are unsure about doing it themselves, and then they can use the headshots to edit and transform them into a perfect baby passport photo. The professional photographer might come in handy when it comes to positioning the baby and making sure all the conditions are met, but we are sure you could do this at home yourself .

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 or smartphone that can take good quality photos, well arranged lighting, and something to use as a background and support. Also, think about how to make your baby look at the camera for a few seconds. You just need a little 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, this can be done by diffusing light from several sources. You can do this by taking a picture in a room with natural lighting from several windows. If the room is too bright, you need to diffuse the lights by, for example, closing the curtains so that the lighting will be soft and the photo will be of 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 becomes soft. You can make a reflector - put some white blankets or sheets on chairs so they reflect the light and there would be a second source of light. Your next step is to place the newborn between the sheets and window so that the shadows are consistent.

If there is no way for you to get good natural light in your room, for example, it’s raining outside, try to lay the baby on lots of white paper on a table. Take the photo with your camera or phone. Try making the baby look straight at the camera. You can even film the baby and find a good moment in the video when the baby looks the way you want. Watch the video and find the right moment, pause it, use the fame to edit it, and get a good passport photo. If your camera or smartphone has advanced settings, then 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.

Positioning for the baby passport photo

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

The main thing to worry about here is supporting the baby, and here there are two main tips: 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 good lighting over the bed or create the lighting conditions needed using the tips we have already mentioned. Put a white blanket or sheet on the bed to ensure a consistent background. You can use a towel to roll it and place it under the sheet so it would support the head of the baby, just shape it like the letter U. Now that everything is prepared, place the baby, adjust the towel and blanket, and get ready to take passport pictures.

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

You can also use your arms under the blanket to support the head of the baby to take the photos.

Camera position when taking a baby 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 lit. The camera shouldn’t be placed at an angle so that the baby can look directly at it and has a straight positioned face in the photo. Both eyes should be open, or in the case of a newborn, at least visible in the photo, even if closed.

How to take a baby passport photo

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

• The facial expression should be neutral, try to follow this rule. We know in the case of a baby it’s a difficult one.
• Nothing should cover the face of the baby - 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 in 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 and below the head of the baby.
• Pay attention to the camera focus. You don’t want to take a photo with a blurry face or with the focus on some other part of the body. If you are using a phone, tap on the head of the baby on the screen to focus on the right part.
• A “live mode” in the camera takes many shots one after another, and may help if the baby is moving or moody. Then just pick the one that is the best.
• Be creative and entertain a baby to make them look at the camera. You can attract attention by holding a toy, singing, and calling the baby by their name. Parents know their baby better so they will know what will work best .

Printing a baby passport photo

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

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

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

We encourage you to stay at home during uncertain times and use online photo editing tools so that your babies and you will stay safe.